Grilled Peel and Eat Shrimp with Basil Butter
on May 07, 2024, Updated Jan 14, 2025
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These zesty grilled peel and eat shrimp with basil butter are worth getting your fingers messy! A herbaceous compound butter mixed with basil and garlic is the perfect pairing for this shell-on shrimp. If you’re looking for more shrimp recipes, then check out our Bang Bang Shrimp, and Cilantro Lime Shrimp Fajitas.
What Is Peel and Eat Shrimp?
Peel and eat shrimp is fully cooked shrimp that still has the skin and tail on. This is the kind of shrimp that you’ll also find at a shrimp boil. People will usually sit and peel the shrimp, then eat it, leaving the skin and tails in a pile on their plate. You can opt to make this recipe without shelled shrimp, as well if you prefer!
What ingredients do you need for this grilled shrimp recipe?
Shrimp: This is the main ingredient. Large shrimp is easier to pick up and eat, so use large or jumbo shrimp. Before you grill them, clean and devein them (or buy them already deveined).
Oil: Use your favorite kind of neutral oil to coat the shrimp. Our favorite oil is avocado oil, but you can use other options, like canola or vegetable oil.
For your compound butter: softened butter is mixed with basil, salt, pepper, and garlic. You’ll use this to coat the shrimp after it’s been grilled. You can either blitz it in the food processor or use a mortar and pestle.
Peel and Eat Grilled Shrimp Recipe Instructions
Prepare the shrimp
In a large bowl, toss together shrimp, oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Make your compound butter
In a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, mash your basil leaves and garlic with salt and pepper until a paste forms. Fold in your butter until completely combined. Set aside.
Grill the shrimp
Heat your grill over medium-high heat. Place your shrimp and lemon halves on the grill, and cook your shrimp for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Your shrimp shells should turn a nice orange-pink color. Transfer to a cast iron skillet on the grill.
Add compound butter to the shrimp
Then add in your compound butter, and toss to combine with your shell on shrimp.
Serve
Finish with a big squeeze of lemon juice, and serve alongside an empty bowl to add in your shrimp shells as you peel and eat.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
This means you remove the black vein that runs along the back of the shrimp. This dark membrane is the digestive tract. It’s perfectly safe to eat it, but most people prefer to remove it. To remove it, use a sharp pairing knife to make a shallow cut down the back of the shrimp, keeping the shell still intact. Then, use the knife to pull that black vein out.
Since these shrimp have that compound butter, they don’t need a dipping sauce. But, if you do want a dip, or want another shrimp recipe with one, be sure to check out our Classic Shrimp Cocktail, or Horseradish Cream Sauce for dipping!
There’s no clean or mess-free way to do it, but it’s worth it! Pick up the shrimp and begin pulling the skin apart at the legs. Pull the two pieces apart and peel the skin towards the tail. Discard the peels and eat the shrimp, discarding the end tail as well.
You could place the shrimp on wooden skewers and then put the shrimp skewers on your hot grill. But we just put them directly on the grill plates. If you want to make them on the stove, use either a cast iron skillet or a grill pan.
You can use frozen shrimp. Let them thaw completely before you season them. To thaw them, remove the shrimp from the freezer and bring them to room temperature.
Check out more of our favorite fish and seafood recipes!
Fish & Seafood
Oysters with Yuzu Kosho Ponzu Mignonette
Fish & Seafood
Saffron Salmon with Shirazi Salad
Shellfish
Quick Beer-Steamed Clams with Garlic
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Grilled Peel and Eat Shrimp with Basil Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound shell-on shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or neutral oil of choice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 lemon, halved
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together shrimp, oil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, mash your basil leaves and garlic with salt and pepper until a paste forms. Fold in your butter until completely combined. Set aside.
- Heat your grill over medium-high heat. Place your shrimp and lemon halves on the grill, and cook your shrimp for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Your shrimp shells should turn a nice orange-pink color. Transfer to a cast iron skillet on the grill.
- Then add in your compound butter, and toss to combine with your shell on shrimp. Finish with a big squeeze of lemon juice, and serve alongside an empty bowl to add in your shrimp shells as you peel and eat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
