Pan-Grilled Barbecue Shrimp

Pan-Grilled Barbecue Shrimp Recipe

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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 6 mins
Marinate: 15 mins
Total: 26 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

This delicious marinated shrimp charred in a pan makes a wonderful and filling dinner that you can prep and serve in just 30 minutes. If you feel like enjoying the beautiful charred look and flavor that charcoal provides but don't feel like heating up the outdoor grill, these shrimp have them both thanks to a tasty marinade packed with spices and sweet and savory notes. In this recipe, you'll coat jumbo shrimp with a mouthwatering sauce whose base includes brown sugar, cumin, cayenne, allspice, and ketchup. That sauce helps create a sticky outer crust once the shrimp hits the piping hot pan, much like when you cook meats on the grill. Juicy inside and slightly scorched on the outside, the shrimp are cooked to perfection while kept in their shells for extra flavor and moistness. These shrimp can be served as a peel-and-eat appetizer for a casual gathering or as a main alongside other BBQ-inspired side dishes like coleslaw, cornbread, potato salad, collard greens, and fresh green salad.

For this recipe, we recommend using jumbo shrimp, one of the largest in size—only colossal, super colossal, and extra colossal are bigger than jumbo. Because sizes aren't regulated or mandated by any official entity, the best guide to use when buying shrimp is the count of shrimp you get per pound. While a pound of tiny shrimp gets you 61 to 70 shrimp per pound, jumbo gives you 21 to 25. If you can find extra jumbo, at a count of 16 to 20 per pound, do get your hands on them because shrimp bigger than jumbo aren't always available. The pound of jumbo shrimp you use for this recipe, at 21 to 25 per pound, will serve 4 guests approximately 5 to 6 shrimps per person, so take into consideration what other dishes you're serving if they're the main meal or just an appetizer. Finally, know that the larger the shrimp, the more expensive, so the fewer per pound the more money you'll be paying. When buying your shrimp you have the choice of paying more for deveined and clean shrimp or paying less to do it yourself, but in both cases do buy the shrimp with the shell.

Serve these delicious shrimp with lemon wedges for a tangy kick, or make any other seafood sauces of your liking to dip the shrimp in. Aioli, tartare, and spicy mayonnaise are all great choices.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp, shell-on and deveined

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Rinse and drain shrimp well.

  3. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and toss until the sugar is dissolved and the shrimp are coated. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes in the fridge.

  4. Preheat a skillet over a medium-high flame until hot.

  5. Add the shrimp and sear for about 3 minutes, until cooked. The shells will get charred and browned, but the meat inside will not, so don't worry about the outside getting too dark as they should look like they were grilled over coals.

  6. Remove to a plate, and when cool enough to handle, serve warm with lemon wedges.

  7. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
234 Calories
6g Fat
22g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 234
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 239mg 80%
Sodium 1531mg 67%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 90mg 450%
Calcium 159mg 12%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 471mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)