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Grilled Shrimp Kebobs are the perfect fun food to serve at any party! Large shrimp are seasoned with a delicious blend of spices, then grilled alongside zucchini, bell pepper, and red onion. Serve these kebobs to your party guests – they’ll be a huge hit!
It’s May, so that means it’s already summer… right? I mean, why wait until June to start having pool parties and backyard barbecues?! If you’re like me and just can’t wait to start celebrating in the sunshine, then you’ve come to the right place, and these grilled shrimp kebobs are for you.
There’s something so fun about eating delicious meat and veggies off of a stick! It’s a fresh and vibrant dinner served off of a plate and in a more portable, social way. They’re basically the perfect party food!
The combination of veggies can be switched up in these kebobs if you’re not a fan of some of them, but I recommend trying them just the way I make them.
The pieces of zucchini, bell pepper and onion are so tender and delicious when grilled with the shrimp, and the seasonings really bring it all together in a boldly flavorful way.
Ingredients
- Lemon juice – Use fresh lemon juice, not the bottled stuff from the store.
- Olive oil – For the richest flavor, use extra virgin olive oil.
- Onion powder – This powder gives the kebobs a delicate touch of sweetness that’s SO good!
- Garlic powder – As much as I love garlic, don’t go too crazy with this seasoning. Just a little is all you need, and you don’t want to overpower the other spices.
- Crushed red pepper – Add a little more to make these kebobs spicier, but be careful! A little goes a long way.
- Salt – Kosher or flaky sea salt works best.
- Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper will give you the best flavor.
- Shrimp – Use large, fresh shrimp from the seafood counter at your local grocery store. Frozen shrimp won’t be as tasty!
- Zucchini – Slice it into thin enough slices that it’ll cook quickly all the way through.
- Red bell pepper – You can use another color bell pepper if you’d like, but I’ve found that red bell peppers give a great pop of color and taste great with the other ingredients.
- Red onion – The strong, almost bitter onion flavor really makes the onion stand out among the other powerful ingredients. Once grilled, it’s almost a caramelized, sweet flavor!
What other ingredients can I add to shrimp kebobs?
Sometimes, to make these even more appropriate for summer, I substitute the zucchini with pineapple chunks for a Hawaiian twist!
You could also add sausage pieces alongside the shrimp for a meatier kebob! Smoked sausage links are my favorite to use in this case.
Can I use metal skewers instead of wood?
Yes, absolutely! Any type of skewer you have is great.
Just be aware that if you use wood skewers, you’ll definitely need to let them soak in water for 30ish minutes so they don’t burn on the grill!
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Although I don’t recommend using frozen shrimp, you can still do it if you need to!
Just make sure the shrimp are totally thawed and patted dry with a paper towel before grilling otherwise you’ll just be steaming them.
I love kebobs! Check out more of my favorite kebob recipes!
Grilled Teriyaki and Mango Peach Salsa Chicken Kebobs
Grilled Maple Sriracha Chicken Kebobs
Grilled Pineapple BBQ Chicken Kebobs
Grilled Shrimp Kebobs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound (454 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 large or 1 ½ small zucchini, sliced into ½ inch thick slices
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ red onion, with the center removed and the rest cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper together in a large bowl and add the shrimp.
- Stir to combine, cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- In the meantime, soak the skewer sticks for at least 30 minutes before using them.
- About 15 minutes before grilling, preheat the grill to medium heat and oil the grill grates.
- Drain the shrimp from the marinade and thread one of them onto the skewer through the middle of the shrimp, then add a slice of zucchini and then a slice of bell pepper.
- Repeat the process with the remaining veggies and shrimp until all of them have been used. (You may have some shrimp left over, if you do, make one skewer out of the remaining shrimp and grill for 3-4 minutes longer than the other ones.)
- Grill the kabobs for 5-6 minutes on each side.
- Let them cool for 3-4 minutes before serving with lemon wedges and freshly chopped parsley for garnish if desired.
