These chimichurri grilled shrimp skewers will be a crowd pleaser at your next BBQ – or enjoy them as a quick weeknight meal alongside pasta salad, quinoa, and/or your favorite sides! They’re quick and easy to make, and a perfect recipe for summer grilling season.
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Grilled Shrimp with Chimichurri Sauce
The summer heat has officially set in, and that makes grilling my current favorite way to prepare dinner. No hot oven heating up our air conditioned house + no smell of food for days (the venting above our oven is pretty sub par) = both awesome.
One of my favorite things to toss on the grill (and by me, I mean Matt – he’s the official grill master in our house) in summer is seafood. It’s fast and easy to cook, nutritious, and the grill imparts some nice smoky flavor!
Grilled shrimp is one of my absolute favorites – it cooks insanely fast (2 to 3 minutes per side) and tastes amazing. It makes a great leftover salad topper the next day, too, or try tossing it into a wrap with black beans, salsa, peppers, spinach, and cheese. So good!
Here’s a similar recipe – chimichurri shrimp salad – that you might enjoy!
This grilled shrimp recipe is made even more awesome by the addition of chimichurri sauce, which Matt and I are both huge fans of. So fresh and flavorful!
What is chimichurri?
Chimichurri is a type of green sauce that originated in South America. It’s made using a similar method as salsa or pesto, by combining ingredients like fresh herbs, olive oil, and garlic into a sauce (although it’s not normally blended – instead, the ingredients are chopped finely and stirred together).
Often, chimichurri is made with parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar. The recipe in this post switches things up a bit by adding in shallots, jalopeno, lime juice, and cilantro.
Recipe Ingredients
To make these grilled shrimp skewers, you’ll need:
- shrimp (You can use frozen shrimp, but be sure the thaw it in the refrigerator ahead of time.)
- shallot
- garlic
- jalapeno
- fresh cilantro
- fresh parsley
- lime juice (Fresh lime juice has better flavor than bottled!)
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Plus, any sides you’re planning to serve alongside these shrimp skewers!
How to Make Grilled Chimichurri Shrimp Skewers
To make the chimichurri sauce, simply toss your peeled shallot, garlic, and jalapeno (with seeds if you want it spicy, without if not) in a food processor and whirl away until finely chopped. Then, toss in your herbs, lime juice, olive oil, and a little salt and pepper, and process again until smooth. That’s it!
Add your shrimp into a bowl and pour 1/3 of the sauce over it; toss to coat. You can either cook the shrimp loose on the grill with some foil underneath it, or thread the shrimp onto skewers if you want to put it directly on the grill. Skewered shrimp is also more fun when you have guests. 🙂
Grill until the shrimp is cooked through and white/pink (no longer translucent)!
If you don’t have a grill, no worries – you can also just saute the shrimp loose in a pan over medium high heat until cooked through.
Once the shrimp is cooked, you are ready to eat! Serve alongside grilled veggies and the grain of your choice – brown rice or quinoa are both particularly good here. Drizzle the remaining chimichurri sauce equally over the plates!
Does chimichurri sauce have dairy?
No, chimichurri is not typically made with any dairy ingredients (and this recipe doesn’t contain any, either).
Can you make chimichurri ahead of time?
Yes! In fact, it’s best to make the sauce at least a couple hours ahead of time, so the flavors can meld.
You can make this sauce up to 48 hours in advance. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
What to Serve With Chimichurri Grilled Shrimp
Here are some delicious side dishes to try with these grilled shrimp skewers:
- Quinoa Taco Salad
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Seasoned Sweet Potato Fries (Baked)
- Crunchy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Heirloom Tomato Salad with Peaches (Caprese Salad)
- Mediterranean Bulgur Salad with Lemon Mint Vinaigrette
You’ll find the full grilled chimichurri shrimp recipe at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
More easy seafood recipes here on the blog:
- Salmon with Lemon Mustard Dill Sauce
- Greek Orzo Salad with Shrimp & Feta
- Pesto Baked Salmon with Veggies
- Roasted Salmon with Watermelon Salsa
- Sheet Pan Asian Salmon with Veggies
- Peanut Noodles with Tilapia
Easy Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
This chimichurri grilled shrimp will be a crowd pleaser at your next BBQ – or enjoy it as a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb shrimp
- 1 shallot, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeds and stem removed (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy!)
- 1 packed cup fresh cilantro (about 1 small bunch)
- 1 packed cup fresh parsley (about 1 small bunch)
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat (shrimp cook so quickly that the grill temperature is fairly flexible; get the grill hot but don't stress too much about it!).
- Combine the shallot, garlic, and jalapeno in a food processor; process until finely chopped.
- Add the cilantro, parsley, lime juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper; process until fairly smooth.
- Place the shrimp in a bowl and pour 1/3 cup of the chimichurri sauce over; toss to coat. Thread the shrimp onto skewers to make them easier to handle on the grill, or put down foil if using loose shrimp.
- Grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, until charred and pink throughout.
- Serve with the remaining chimichurri sauce, grilled veggies, and brown rice or quinoa.
Notes:
*You can make the chimichurri sauce up to 48 hours in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
