Easy Grilled Shrimp with Creamy Garlic Herb Dip

Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
Paleo
Low Carb
Keto
Whole30
Pescatarian

These delicious Easy Grilled Shrimp with Creamy Garlic Herb Dip are so easy to make and ready in 20 minutes, including prep time and making the dip! Perfect to serve as an appetizer, main dish, or even put on a salad! This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, Whole30, paleo, and keto.

Disclosure: This easy grilled shrimp recipe has been sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. All opinions are my own.

Easy Grilled Shrimp with lemon on a white plate with dip

Summertime Grilling is on and these Easy Grilled Shrimp are Ready to Sizzle

I just love how easy this grilled shrimp recipe is! This recipe is a perfect appetizer or main dish for any backyard bbq. You may want to double it because I promise these shrimp will disappear before you know it! They’re that good! And the dip? I mean, can you go wrong with creamy, garlicky, and fresh herbs? Did I mention it’s also dairy free? Perfect for a variety of diets and so flavorful! No one would ever guess this creamy dip is completely dairy free!

I also love this recipe for meal prep or a casual weeknight meal because it’s just so easy to throw together! It literally takes 20 minutes! I love these easy grilled shrimp over a big salad or a rice bowl with the creamy garlic herb dip as a drizzling sauce. SO good!!

Ingredients to make easy grilled shrimp with creamy garlic herb dip

You only need 8 ingredients to make this recipe, plus salt and pepper. I just love recipes with short, simple ingredients lists! They make my grocery shopping and cooking so much less stressful.

Ingredients for the grilled shrimp:

1.5 lb shrimp, peeled – I leave the tail on for presentation and for dipping, but you can remove it if you want!
1/4 cup avocado oil
Fine sea salt
Black pepper, freshly ground – I almost always use freshly ground black pepper. The flavor is much stronger when it’s just been ground.
1/2 lemon

Ingredients for the creamy herb dip:

1/2 cup raw whole cashews – No need to soak them before making the dip. You’ll pour boiling water over the top of them and that will soften them enough before blitzing up in the high-powered blender.
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup boiling hot water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice – I always recommend fresh! Never bottled. The simple sauce depends on the taste of fresh lemon juice.
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves – I use flat-leaf parsley, but curly parsley will also work in a pinch!
2 Tbsp chopped chives

Where to buy the ingredients for this easy grilled shrimp recipe

I picked up everything I needed for this easy grilled shrimp recipe from my local Sprouts! Sprouts is my go-to grocery store for fresh ingredients and their selection of fresh seafood does not disappoint! They have a great variety of seafood that’s just begging to be thrown on the grill. These shrimp were so fresh and just the perfect size for grilling.

How to make creamy garlic herb dip

STEP 1

Place 1/2 cup cashews, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a high-powered blender. Blend on high until silky smooth. This takes about 2 minutes with a Vitamix.

STEP 2

Remove the top and allow the dip to cool to room temperature. You want to cool the sauce before adding your fresh herbs so that they don’t cook from the heat!

STEP 3

Add in herbs and pulse just to quickly combine.

STEP 4

Transfer to a small serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

How to grill shrimp

STEP 1

Preheat grill to 400ºF (medium-high heat).

STEP 2

Skewer one and a half pounds of shrimp onto skewers and place on a sheet pan. Brush both sides with 1/4 cup avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. You’re going to use approximately 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. You can also add a touch of cayenne pepper here if you want a little kick!

STEP 3

Once grill is hot, add the skewers and grill (with top open) for about 2 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink and opaque throughout. This cook time is for large shrimp. You’re going to want to adjust the cook time slightly based on size of shrimp. Smaller shrimp will cook faster and jumbo shrimp might take a little longer. You also may need to adjust if it’s very cold or windy when you are grilling, as those two factors can increase the cook time needed.

STEP 4

Remove skewers to a serving platter, squeeze half a lemon over the shrimp, and serve with creamy garlic herb dip.

My inspiration for this easy grilled shrimp recipe

I spent a lot of my younger years living in the coastal regions of Florida and Alabama, where shrimp are a big deal. Fresh Gulf shrimp are my all-time favorite, but Florida Atlantic shrimp aren’t far behind. As long as they are big and super fresh, I’m down!

When I was growing up, particularly when we lived in Pensacola, FL, we used to have a big shrimp boil at least a few times a month, year-round! We would boil up the shrimp in a giant pot and usually serve them with fresh French bread, a big salad, and boiled new potatoes with plenty of butter. And sometimes we would have fresh fish along with it too! Now that was really a feast! My dad would stand over the steaming shrimp with his glasses fogging up and say, “Life is GOOD!”. And still does to this day! If you’re ever on the Gulf coast, don’t miss the chance to try some delicious, fresh shrimp. Truly life-changing.

Big shrimp boils are definitely one of my favorite childhood food memories, but there’s just something about big, juicy grilled shrimp that is particularly special. The flavor you get from the charcoal grill and the little blackened bits just make for something memorable. Add an irresistible dipping sauce to the mix and you’ve got yourself the perfect summer appetizer or entrée.

grilled shrimp on a white plate with lemon

Equipment needed to make easy grilled shrimp

Grill (charcoal or gas)
Grilling tongs
Basting brush
Sheet pan for raw shrimp skewers
High-powered blender (I use my Vitamix)
Metal or wooden skewers – make sure to pre-soak the wooden ones!
Measuring cups and spoons
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Serving dish/platter
Small serving bowl for dip

Summer grilling tips

If you’re using a charcoal grill, make sure your coals are nice and hot and spread into an even layer along the bottom before placing the grill grate on top. You want an even fire so that the shrimp can cook evenly. I use all natural hardwood lump charcoal or all natural briquettes for the best flavor. You can use a generic hardwood variety or something like mesquite for a unique flavor.

I don’t recommend using standard briquettes or lighter fluid due to the toxic chemicals these can contain. Not only are they bad for your health, but they also impart an unappetizing flavor to your food, in my opinion. This can be especially evident when cooking something like shrimp!

For a quick-cooking recipe like this where you don’t need too much charcoal, I recommend lighting the charcoal using a chimney with a rolled up paper bag underneath (I use the charcoal bag usually!). If you’re having trouble getting your fire going, try using a natural fire starter bundle or regular old hardwood chunks if you have those laying around from smoking. I’ve even used wood chips in a pinch!

Make sure to check out my other delicious grilling recipes!

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Easy Grilled Shrimp with Creamy Garlic Herb Dip

Gluten-Free
Dairy-Free
Paleo
Low Carb
Keto
Whole30
Pescatarian

No ratings yet

These delicious grilled shrimp are so easy to make and ready in 20 minutes, including prep time and making the dip! Perfect to serve as an appetizer, main dish, or even put on a salad! This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, Whole30, paleo, and keto.

Prep Time: 16

Cook Time: 4

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Creamy Garlic Herb Dip

1/2 cup raw whole cashews
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup boiling hot water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
2 Tbsp chopped chives

Grilled Shrimp

1.5 lb shrimp peeled (tail left on)
1/4 cup avocado oil
Fine sea salt
Black pepper freshly ground
1/2 lemon

Instructions

Creamy Garlic Herb Dip

Place 1/2 cup cashews, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a high-powered blender. Blend on high until silky smooth (about 2 minutes with a Vitamix).
Remove the top and allow to cool to room temperature.
Add in herbs and pulse just to quickly combine.
Transfer to small bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Grilled Shrimp

Preheat grill to 400ºF (medium-high heat).
Skewer 1.5 lb shrimp onto skewers and place on sheet pan. Brush both sides with 1/4 cup avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides (approximately 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper).
Once grill is hot, add skewers and grill (with top open) for about 2 minutes per side or until shrimp are pink and opaque throughout. This cook time is for large shrimp. Adjust cook time slightly based on size of shrimp.
Remove skewers to a serving platter, squeeze half a lemon over the shrimp, and serve with creamy garlic herb dip.

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Author: Kit

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June 6, 2021