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Smoky, juicy, and packed with bold Old Bay flavor these Grilled Old Bay Shrimp are quick, zesty, and perfect for summer cookouts or easy weeknight dinners.

A plate with grilled shrimp on skewers, lemon wedges, and a bowl of cocktail sauce.

My husband loves seafood. He’s a Maryland boy through and through and he’s really good at cooking seafood. His favorites are crab and shrimp.

I recently got some colossal shrimp from Fulton Fish Market. These jumbo shrimp are peeled and de-veined by hand, leaving a sweet and succulent shrimp that is ready to cook without any of the work. Wild-caught in the open ocean off the coast of the Gulf of California, these colossal blue shrimp are 16-20 count.

As soon as my husband saw them he wanted to know if he could steam them with a little beer and a bit of Old Bay seasoning. While I was onboard with the Old Bay, I didn’t want to steam the shrimp.

What is Old Bay seasoning?

Old Bay seasoning is a classic American spice blend that’s best known for its bold, savory flavor with a little kick of heat. It was created in Maryland and is especially famous for pairing with seafood like shrimp and crab but it’s super versatile.

We do a lot of grilling in the warmer months and I thought that grilled shrimp would be the perfect way to showcase these beautiful shrimp.

To start I skewered 5 or 6 shrimp on a skewer leaving a bit of room in between each one so that they cooked evenly. Make sure to skewer the shrimp in two places so they don’t fall off.

The main sauce is simply salted butter and Old Bay seasoning. Since I used salted butter I skipped the salt and just added a touch of garlic and black pepper to the sauce.

I brushed a bit of the sauce on the shrimp and then heated our gas grill to medium high heat. I find that the temperature of a gas grill is much easier to regulate than that of a charcoal grill but you can cook these on whatever type of grill you are most comfortable with.

What is the secret to grilling shrimp?

Grilled shrimp can go from perfect to rubbery fast so there are a few tips to make sure you have the best grilled shrimp.

Make sure you do not overcook the shrimp.
Use shrimp that are the same size and will cook at the same time. Large or jumbo shrimp work best.
Cook over medium-high or high heat.
Season the shrimp liberally so that you can really taste the flavors.
Skewer the shrimp for easy cooking.

Ingredients:

Jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined)
salted butter
Old Bay Seasoning
garlic powder

To make the shrimp heat a gas grill to medium high heat. Place 5-6 large shrimp on a skewer. In a small bowl mix together the melted butter, Old Bay Seasoning, and garlic powder. Brush the sauce over top of the shrimp. Place on a grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, brushing with the butter sauce again at the end.

These shrimp were beautiful! They were cooked perfectly and smelled like Old Bay. We served them with a side of cocktail sauce and garlic butter for dipping.

What can I serve with grilled shrimp?

Serve over top of a bed of rice or couscous. You could also serve them on top of an entree salad or with grilled vegetables. You can even use them on top of pasta or in shrimp tacos. They are very versatile.

The shrimp had a bit of a smoky flavor along with the butter and Old Bay Seasoning. While you can eat these as part of a meal they are also great as an appetizer.

How do I store grilled shrimp?

Grilled shrimp are best eaten fresh but if you have some left over let them cool to room temperature then put them in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Enjoy them cold or you can reheat them by adding butter or olive oil to a saute pan and heat on medium low for 2 minutes.

Want to get your own colossal shrimp or some of the best seafood around? Simply visit Fulton Fish Market now!

If you’ve tried my Old Bay Grilled Shrimp or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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