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    Home » Appetizers/ Snacks » Firecracker Grilled Shrimp

    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp

    Published: Jul 10, 2019 · Modified: Feb 5, 2021 by HWC Magazine · 20 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp / https://www.hwcmagazine.com

    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp are spicy, garlicky and a little zesty from the lime. Perfect as an appetizer or a less than 30-minute dinner or on top of a crisp salad.

    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp / https://www.hwcmagazine.com
    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp / https://www.hwcmagazine.com

    Firecracker grilled shrimp on skewers just off the grill garlished with lime and cilantro on a black plate and marble table.

    Why You are going to Love Firecracker Grilled Shrimp

    With a glass of wine in one hand and a skewer of Firecracker Grilled Shrimp, you have the recipe for the perfect gathering. You are going to love these crunchy perfectly grilled shrimps with the delightful spicy marinade. Drizzle on a little extra freshly squeezed lime juice and you are in heaven. The only question you may want to ask yourself is, “Why didn’t I try this recipe sooner”? If you love shrimp, you may also like to try our Summer Rolls with Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce.

    One shrimp skewer held in the air, cooked with 2 perfectly cooked shrimps with cilantro garnish. Super closeup.

    Do you love hot and spicy?

    Grilled shrimp marinated in Sriracha hot chili sauce is one of those perfect treats for the grill.  Sriracha sauce has some punch to it but is more flavorful that just traditional hot sauce.  If you do not have Sriracha hot chili sauce, you can feel free to exchange with your chili sauce of choice. Please note your will have to adjust amounts to your desired spice level.

    If you like it spicy, add 2 tablespoons of chili sauce. On the other hand, if you like it only mildly spicy, add 1 tablespoon or less of sriracha sauce to your liking. Every person has their own personal desired flavor profile. Actually, because you serve Firecracker Shrimp on a bamboo stick, these would be a great as a football tailgating treat too. What do you think? If you are keen to serving fun appetizer food on a stick, be sure to try our World's Easiest Appetizer, Caprese Salad on a Stick.

    Raw shrimps getting peeled.

    An Oldie but Goodie

    We originally made this recipe in October 2011 on the grill whilst looking over the China Sea. This recipe was adapted from the recipe on the back of the Sriracha hot chili sauce in Hong Kong. As directions were only in Chinese characters, the word "adapted" or maybe "vaguely" like it might be more like it.  Thank goodness for the pictures.

    Today, we are grilling our shrimp with a glass of wine in hand overlooking a beautiful garden, pond and lush greenery. Do you know what we have found out? It’s not the place that makes the difference. It’s the people you are with, your attitude and of course good food that makes the event a memorable one. That, my dear friend is the success to a happy gathering. We love preparing the whole meal outside, including the dessert. If you are in the grilling mood, you may enjoy our Grilled Nectarine and Coconut Cream for dessert.

    Marinated shrimp being placed on the skewer sticks.

    How to Prepare Shrimp

    If you plan to skewer your shrimp, soak your bamboo sticks in water for water for at least minutes. This prevents the bamboo sticks from burning while grilling.

    If you have one of those cool grilling baskets that keep small food items from falling in the grill, you can just clean and prep your grill and grilling basket. You are good to go.

    Make sure that you peel and devein your raw shrimp first. You can leave the shrimp tail on or off.

    Do not use precooked shrimp for this recipe or otherwise it will be tough and rubbery and no wants a tough and rubbery shrimp. The effect you are going for is crunchy and juicy.

    Allow your shrimp to marinate for about 15 minutes in the delicious spicy sriracha garlic sauce. Maximum up to one hour.

    Firecracker Shrimps on the BBQ grill getting cooked.

    How to Grill Shrimp

    Preheat your grill to medium heat about 350-450°F.

    Grill the shrimp over direct, medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Turn your shrimp over half way though the cooking process.

    Your goal is that the shrimp should be pink with a few grill marks and the inside of the shrimp should be opaque and lightly white in color. Grilled shrimp should not look translucent.

    Firecracker grilled shrimp just off the grill garlished with lime and cilantro on a black plate and marble table.

    Do Not Overcook your Shrimp

    If you overcook your shrimp, they will be super white on the inside and no longer crunchy but rubbery.

    Perfectly cooked shrimp with look like the letter “C”. Whereas, over cooked shrimp will look the letter “O”.

    C = Cooked

    O = Overcooked

    Firecracker grilled shrimp just off the grill garlished with lime and cilantro on a black plate and marble table. All criss crossed on the plate.

    Delicious Ways to serve your Firecracker Grilled Shrimp

    Firecracker grilled shrimp are a great appetizer along with grilled shishito peppers. Come and learn How To Cook Shishito Peppers On The Grill. Allow your guests to munch on a few Spicy Garlic Cucumber Refrigerator Pickles or Gingered Red Onion Pickled Golden Beets and add a chilled glass of wine and you are sorted.

    You can also serve your Firecracker Grilled Shrimp as a main on top of a delicious salad topped with our Lemon White Balsamic Vinaigrette  or with our Grilled Shrimp Nectarine Summer Salad.

    If serving  your Firecracker Grilled Shrimp as a main be sure to add our Nutty Ginger Tamari Quinoa Salad  , Favorite Provencal Ratatouille Recipe or Super Easy Grilled Asian Eggplant as a delicious side dish. It's a fabulous celebrate all of the deliciousness of the summer harvest. If you are going to be outside grilling, you might as well use the full surface area of the grill and makes some delicious nibbles.

    Hungry For More? Subscribe to our Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, and Pinterest for all the latest updates.

    Firecracker grilled shrimp just off the grill garlished with lime and cilantro on a black plate and marble table.

    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp

    Firecracker Grilled Shrimp are spicy, garlicky and a little zesty from the lime. Perfect as an appetizer or a less than 30-minute dinner or on top of a crisp salad.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizers/ Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 181kcal
    Author: HWC Magazine

    Ingredients

    • Bamboo grilling sticks
    • 1 pound shrimp
      large (16 to 20 count) peeled and deveined
    • 2 tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
      hot chili sauce (adjust amount to your liking- this version is HOT so adjust as needed)
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 2 teaspoon sugar
      or low glycemic sugar alternative
    • 4 cloves garlic
      chopped
    • Lime slices sliced - optional
    • cilantro chopped - optional
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place bamboo grilling sticks in water and soak submerged for at least 30 minutes (This step helps prevent the wood from burning) If you have a grilling basket, you can skip this step.
    • Prepare your grill. Preheat to 350 -450 degrees F.
    • Get the grilling chef a nice cold drink for one hand and get the tongs ready for the other.
    • Peel and devein shrimp. You can leave the tail on or off, depending on your preference.
    • Add shrimp, sriracha sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar or sugar alternative and garlic in a bowl. Toss well. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. We marinated at room temperature so that the shrimp were ready for grill and will heat evenly. (If you need to hold the shrimp longer than 30 minutes, pop them in the refrigerator)
    • Skewer shrimp onto bamboo stick and place approximately 3-5 shrimp on each stick depending on size of shrimp and bamboo stick. (Pierce head and bottom of shrimp on stick so the shrimp lays flat for grilling)
    • Prepare the grill for cooking and set grill to 350 to 450 degrees F (176 C to 232 C). (If you do not have a grill you can use an indoor grill pan to get those nice little grill marks on the shrimp)
    • Lay the firecracker shrimp skewers on the grill and cook for about 2- 3 minutes on each side until shrimp are opaque, slightly white inside and have nice grill marks. They should no longer be translucent.
    • Garnish with a fresh squeeze of lime juice, lime slices and chopped cilantro, if desired. Invite your guests and family to join you to watch the sunset or to enjoy the last half of the football game. Firecracker Grilled Shrimp are delicious served with a chilled glass of Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc.

    Notes

    If you plan to skewer your shrimp, soak your bamboo sticks in water for water for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the bamboo sticks from burning while grilling. If you have one of those cool grilling baskets that keep small food items from falling in the grill, you can just clean and prep your grill and grilling basket and skip using the bamboo sticks. You are good to go.
    Do not use precooked shrimp for this recipe or otherwise it will be tough and rubbery and no wants a tough and rubbery shrimp. The effect you are going for is crunchy and juicy. Allow your shrimp to marinate for about 15 minutes in the delicious spicy sriracha garlic sauce. Maximum up to one hour. Feel free to use another chili sauce of choice if you do not have sriracha sauce.
    You will have to adjust to your heat level. If you like things mildly spicy use only 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce. We used 2 tablespoons of sriracha, and it was quite spicy. Our fresh garlic cloves were huge, so we used only 2 cloves. You can adjust between 2-4 cloves depending on how large your garlic cloves are. We used coconut sugar as our sweetener, or you can use a sugar free alternative if diabetic. You can decrease down to 1 teaspoon, if you wish but this is a nice balance between the spicy, sweet, savory and sour, if using 2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce.
    Do not overcook your shrimp. If you overcook your shrimp, they will be super white on the inside and no longer crunchy but rubbery. Perfectly cooked shrimp with look like the letter “C”. Whereas, over cooked shrimp will look the letter “O”. C = Cooked O = Overcooked.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1199mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag us @HWCMagazine or hastag us #HWCMagazine!

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    About HWC Magazine

    Join our Healthy World Cuisine medical editors (trained in both Western and Eastern Medicine) and learn how to EAT your way around the WORLD from the comfort of your own kitchen. Grab free health tips, recipe ideas, meal plans and gain a better understand how eating choices can affect your health. Be the healthier and happier YOU!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lynn Fenby says

      July 09, 2021 at 5:47 pm

      These firecracker shrimp are just was delicious as they look. We had a patio party and when I walked out with a platter of these gorgeous shrimp, the crowd all exclaimed, "WOW!" They were a bit hit, and they are quick and easy to make.

      Reply
      • HWC Magazine says

        July 09, 2021 at 11:44 pm

        So happy to hear and thank you Lynn. These little firecracker grilled shrimp can be made as spicy or as mild as you like. Stay well and take care

        Reply
    2. Raul says

      June 10, 2014 at 8:10 am

      What kind of wine would you pair with this?

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        June 11, 2014 at 12:45 am

        My top picks for a wine to pair with this dish would be maybe a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or a Sparkling Wine. Thanks for stopping by. Take Care, BAM

        Reply
    3. fleurdeselsf says

      December 04, 2012 at 10:24 am

      What a gorgeous dish to complement the gorgeous view!

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        December 07, 2012 at 7:39 am

        Thank you. We call this our million dollar view.... A balcony over looking the Victoria harbor. Pair this with a nice wine and something delicious on the BBBQ and life is good. Take Care, BAM

        Reply
    4. Taryn (Have Kitchen, Will Feed) says

      October 27, 2011 at 10:04 am

      These look so good. Just bought a grill - time to use it.

      Reply
    5. Janae says

      October 27, 2011 at 1:16 pm

      This is something my husband would love; looks delicious! And what a view - how inspiring! No wonder you like to be outside. (And I'm with you on the weather - it's still in the 80s here!)

      Reply
    6. Healthy World Cuisine says

      October 27, 2011 at 7:15 am

      Thanks Kay, thanks for stopping by my website as I was able to find yours. Love your style. Take Care

      Reply
    7. Kay aka Babygirl says

      October 27, 2011 at 12:47 am

      Wow, this Firecracker Shrimp recipe sounds amazing. And just look at those shrimp.. now I am so hungry. Great post

      Reply
    8. Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide says

      October 27, 2011 at 12:31 am

      That is a beautiful view. I love how spicy the shrimp is too!

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        October 27, 2011 at 7:01 am

        Thank you. Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    9. busycookinthelou says

      October 26, 2011 at 11:51 pm

      Ahhh, I'm so jealous of your view. It is beautiful! The shrimp look great too, but that view - OH MY!

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        October 27, 2011 at 7:00 am

        Thank you. The view is wonderful but if it is any conciliation to you there, most days the smog is very bad and you cannot see a thing. This particular day was an exception.

        Reply
    10. Joanne says

      October 26, 2011 at 9:27 pm

      Wowwwwwwww that view is amazing!!!!!!!!!! My goodness!!!!!

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        October 27, 2011 at 6:55 am

        Joanne, thanks so much. You should come visit HK with your family and reminisce. Have a great day.

        Reply
    11. bellini says

      October 26, 2011 at 8:08 pm

      You certainly do have one of the most beautiful views to inspire you. I have turned on the fireplace here in British Columbia, but we BBQ all year round here in Canada.

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        October 27, 2011 at 6:50 am

        Thank you. Thanks for finally releasing the suspense of your location on your morethanburnttoast website. I like the temperate climate of HK but I really do miss the changes of the seasons with the fall colors and the crisp air. Enjoy snuggling up to the fireplace in BC.

        Reply
    12. Wholesome Cook says

      October 26, 2011 at 7:40 pm

      Yum! And your outfit today augurs well for me on Friday. I'll be arriving in HKG bright and early at 6am. Yay! Love the view from your place - gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Healthy World Cuisine says

        October 27, 2011 at 6:35 am

        Thank you Martyna! Have a safe trip to HKG. I am going to be heading out of HK this Friday as well. Let me know next time you come for a visit and maybe we can gather for a quick cuppa. Take Care

        Reply

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