Grilled Jerk Shrimp

Smoky and good, with a tangy spicy kick – grilled shrimp in a vibrant red jerk seasoning and lime juice are a good, healthy dinner!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Jerk Shrimp on the Grill

Jerk shrimp is good on the grill – the spicy, good Caribbean seasoning is solid on a grill with a smoky, char-grilled flavor.

Jerk sauce is a Jamaican sauce made up of a blend of seasonings – usually cumin, nutmeg, allspice, smoked paprika, cinnamon red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

You can use store-bought jerk sauce for this recipe, but we used a recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen – her easy homemade jerk sauce was a perfectly spicy sauce and easy to whip up.

To find her homemade jerk sauce recipe, click here.

Jessica's vegan takes on the traditional Jamaican recipes she grew up with are always incredibly good if you're looking for some great meat free meals – but her jerk is hands down the best!

Jerk sauce is good on all sorts of meats, fish, and vegetables – and it is naturally low carb and keto.

How to Grill Jerk Shrimp

To make this recipe, you'll need:

• Shrimp
• Olive oil
• Green Onions
• 4 organic scotch bonnet peppers* 3 ¼ oz
• ½ large red onion or 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• 5 stalks of scallion
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons fresh pimento seeds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar We used organic
• 1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 7 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Squeeze lime

We're going to use Jessica from Jessica in the Kitchen's recipe for jerk sauce – it is solid, and we don't see any reason to change it. Please click here for the recipe.

Kitchen notes

Drizzle olive oil over your shrimp evenly.

This will help give your salmon a lightly fried texture and allow the oil to crisp on the shrimps. Don't skip the oil!

• Season shrimp liberally.
• Take your shrimp's temperature!

Aim for 165 degrees for fully cooked salmon. Remove shrimps from the grill at 160 degrees, as they will carry over cook.

A few answers

When are shrimp fully cooked?

Shrimp is fully cooked at 165 degrees. Use a digital thermometer to ensure shrimp is fully cooked through.

How can you tell that shrimp is done?

When shrimp is fully cooked, it turns from grey and translucent to white and opaque.

Serve it with

To see our complete grill and smoker recipe archives, click here.

Grilled Jerk Shrimp Recipe

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Ingredients

• ¼ – ½ cup jerk sauce, recipe here or use store-bought
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined, tails on or off depending on your preference
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• juice of 1 lime
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Preheat grill to 425 degrees.
2. Combine shrimp, lime wedges, and jerk sauce in a large bowl, and let marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 1 hour.
3. Brush a thin coat of olive oil onto grill or lay down a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil onto grill.
4. Add shrimp and lime wedges to grill and grill 3-4 minutes per side, until bright pink and opaque, with char marks. Add green onions for last minute or two of grilling.
5. Remove from grill and serve with rice, vegetables, fish, or meat.
6. Enjoy!