Tequila Lime Margarita Grilled Shrimp

This perfectly grilled tequila lime margarita shrimp will quickly become a summer staple! With fresh squeezed lime juice, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro, this easy grilled shrimp recipe is just bursting with bright flavors.

Jump to:

• 📋 About the Recipe
• 🛒 Ingredients
• 📓 Instructions
• ⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
• ❄️ How to Store
• 🔍 FAQs
• 💭 One More Tip
• 🍴 Related Recipes
• Tequila Lime Margarita Grilled Shrimp
• Reviews

📋 About the Recipe

• Margarita grilled shrimp is marinated with fresh and flavorful ingredients. Just like the drink, it's coated in a blend of tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice, and agave.
• The addition of garlic, cilantro, and other seasonings packs a punch of extra flavor, while keeping the dish perfectly light and healthy.
• With delicious flavor from both the tequila lime marinade and the grill, it's sure to be a real crowd-pleaser. And with simple ingredients, you can easily size it up or down to feed more or less servings.
• Grilling the margarita shrimp with the skin on helps them remain moist and juicy. It also adds another layer of flavor.
• Skewers help to prevent the shrimp from falling through the grates of the grill, while also allowing for a more even cooking.
• This recipe is quick and easy. Best for busy nights when you still want restaurant-quality flavors.
• With just a few simple steps, you'll feel like you're on a beach-side vacation with fresh, summery flavors. You'll have a perfectly healthy dinner for your family made in no time with minimal effort too!
• Pair the skewered shrimp with a delicious homemade margarita and serve with fresh vegetables and coconut lime rice for a complete meal. You can also serve tequila lime grilled shrimp as an appetizer with a side of cocktail sauce or on top of fresh salads.

🛒 Ingredients

A few notes about the ingredients:

1. Large peel-on fresh shrimp - I HIGHLY recommend buying fresh shrimp from your grocery store's seafood counter, instead of using frozen. Fresh shrimp tend to have more flavor than frozen. Additionally, larger shrimp cook better on the grill. It is also highly recommended that you purchase them with the skin still on, so they remain moist, juicy, and extra flavorful as they grill.
2. Garlic - 4 cloves of fresh garlic packs a delicious garlicky punch. The garlic infuses into the shrimp as it marinates. Plus, any pieces of garlic stuck to the shrimp while grilling will cook and add flavor too.
3. Olive oil - olive oil provides a little fat to the shrimp, keeping them from drying out on the grill.
4. Tequila - tequila adds a slightly smokey, acidic flavor. It pairs really well with the lime, as well as the flavor of seafood. The tequila paired with lime and agave mimics the flavors of a margarita.
5. Lime - lime adds acid as well. It is fresh and fruity and brings brightness to the shrimp.
6. Agave - agave is added to help balance out the acidic flavors. It is slightly sweet and made from the same plant as tequila so the flavors work perfectly together.
7. Cilantro - cilantro adds fresh and herby flavor. If you're not a fan, you can either leave it out or substitute it for parsley or scallions.
8. Jalapeño - the jalapeño is optional for a little added kick. It adds a subtle heat and peppery bite.
9. Chili powder, salt, pepper - these seasonings bring out even more flavor, making this margarita marinade truly one of the best!

📓 Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients, besides the shrimp, to create a marinade. Mix the marinade to evenly combine everything.

2. Add the shrimp to the marinade and gently toss them around to evenly coat them.

3. Marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

4. Gather about 10 skewers and skewer 4 to 5 shrimp on each one, allowing any extra marinade to drip off. Leaving a little space in between each shrimp, stick the skewer through the bottom and out the top, forming a "c" shape with each one. Discard the marinade.

5. Preheat your grill to 350 degrees F before adding the skewered shrimp onto the grill grates.

6. Cook the shrimp for around 3 minutes on each side or until slightly charred outside and opaque in the middle, about 6 minutes total. Remove the skewers to a clean plate as soon as they're cooked through to prevent overcooking.

7. Serve margarita grilled shrimp with a drizzle of fresh squeezed lime juice and a sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro over top.

⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations

Instead of tequila: you can use vodka, white rum, or beer.

Instead of lime: all kinds of citrus pair well with shrimp. You can use lemons, oranges, or even grapefruit in place of the lime.

Instead of cilantro: you can either leave out the cilantro or add in parsley or scallions in its place.

❄️ How to Store

To store: Allow the tequila lime grilled shrimp to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

To freeze: Freezing is not recommended as it will dry out the shrimp.

To reheat: You can place the margarita shrimp back on the grill for a minute or two to heat them up, or you can microwave them for a few seconds just to take the chill out. Just be careful not to overcook them while reheating.

🔍 FAQs

💭 One More Tip

Shrimp do not take long to cook, so make sure to keep a close eye on them. You'll know when they are cooked through when they turn orange and opaque.

Perfectly cooked shrimp will be in the shape of the letter "c," while overcooked shrimp will curl up almost entirely to resemble an enclosed "o" shape.

Remove the tequila lime grilled shrimp when it is "c" shaped, as overcooked shrimp will become dry and tough.

🍴 Related Recipes

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