Crispy Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Butter Recipe

Ingredients

Lemon Garlic Butter

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter (90g)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tsp garlic, very finely chopped
• 1.5 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste

Shrimp/Prawns

• 1 lb large raw shrimp/prawns, peeled and deveined (500g)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (plain or sweet)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (skip if using stove method)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Serving (Optional)

• 1 lemon, halved, grilled if desired
• Lemon wedges or slices
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Brush BBQ grills with oil and preheat on high until very hot to ensure shrimp cooks evenly without sticking.
2. If shrimp are small and could fall through the grill grates, thread them onto two skewers each to keep them secure while grilling.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped garlic and salt, stirring until the garlic turns light golden brown. Remove immediately from heat to avoid burning; residual heat will continue to crisp the garlic. Stir in lemon juice.
4. Pat the shrimp dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure crispiness when cooked.
5. Just before cooking, place shrimp in a bowl and add garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon juice (skip if using stove), olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat evenly.
6. Quickly place shrimp on the hot BBQ grill. Cook each side for 2 minutes until shrimp are golden and crispy.
7. Immediately transfer cooked shrimp to a serving plate.
8. Drizzle the lemon garlic butter sauce over the shrimp, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.
9. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the flavorful lemon butter sauce for an extra indulgent experience.

Notes

• For garlic, finely chop rather than using a mincer or crusher to avoid burning and to achieve crispy golden bits in the sauce.
• Use large or jumbo frozen shrimp/prawns thawed completely and drained to prevent excess moisture; this helps achieve a crispy texture.
• If shrimp are small, skewer with two skewers to prevent them spinning and falling through the grill; soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before use to avoid burning.
• Do not let shrimp sit longer than 10 minutes after seasoning as it draws out moisture, which can reduce crispiness.
• If cooking on stove instead of BBQ, omit lemon juice from shrimp marinade and cook shrimp in a heavy skillet with 1-2 tsp olive oil on high heat, then cook lemon butter sauce in the same pan on medium-high heat afterwards.
• Nutrition information assumes all the butter sauce is consumed.