Looking for a low carb - and keto! - dinner that's easy to make and will make everyone happy? Look no further: Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp!
Today’s recipe is one that I’ve made for a while, low carb or not - grilled shrimp, in a cilantro-lime marinade.
There’s just nothing inherently carbby about it - it’s all in what you serve with it!
Even in the before-low-carb time, we’d usually serve this will simple grilled zucchini.
Sometimes brushed with the marinade, sometimes not.
It’s just a really nice meal, quick to put together, and not “heavy” at all. Especially great in the summer!
A few notes before getting to the recipe:
Grilling Shrimp
How long you will need to grill the shrimp will depend entirely on the size of the shrimp.
When shooting this, we got silly and used 6-8 sized shrimp - HUGE ones.
You can make this with almost any sized shrimp, though.
Bigger ones will cook longer (and be a little easier to skewer), the smaller they are, the quicker they’ll cook.
Regardless of size, here are some key notes that apply to working with shrimp, for this recipe.
Thawed Shrimp
You can make this with fresh or frozen shrimp... but if frozen, they need to be thawed before marinating.
I generally do a quick thaw - cut open the bag of shrimp, fill it with hot water, and let it sit a few minutes.
Drain, pat dry, and marinate - quick and easy!
Shell Off!
You’ll need to remove the shells - if applicable - before marinating these.
Why prevent the marinade from getting it, by leaving on a shell you won’t be eating?
If you have “tail on” style shrimp - and want to keep it that way for the look - that’s fine.
Marinating Shrimp for Grilling
While chicken and beef can be marinated for hours on end, I don’t recommend marinating shrimp for any more than about 30 minutes.
The acid in the marinade - lime juice - can break down the shrimp meat and make it mushy!
Don’t Overcook the Shrimp
As soon as the shrimp is pink and starts to curl a bit, check for doneness - the meat should just be opaque.
If you go too far beyond this point, it’ll be overcooked and the texture won’t be as great.
Skewers for Grilling Shrimp
There are several styles of skewers you can use for this recipe, each with their own pros and cons:
Metal Skewers
This is the easiest option - needs no preparation ahead of time - but also the least “presentation”-friendly option.
If using metal skewers, you’ll probably want to remove the shrimp and put them on the serving plates, rather than just serve them skewer and all.
These metal skewers are the type we use, though I think ours may be a bit longer than 12"?
Bamboo Skewers
Bamboo Skewers come in a bunch of different lengths and styles, and can be a more photogenic way to cook and serve your cilanro-lime grilled shrimp.
Bamboo skewers are prone to burning, though, so you’ll need to soak them before use.
The popular recommendation is 20-30 minutes of soaking in warm water, I prefer to go an hour or two ... when possible.
The soaking time will also depend on the thickness of the bamboo.
Because there’s such a long wait involved, I recommend soaking more skewers than you think you’ll need. You can always dry unused skewers, but soaking new ones if you run short is... not ideal!
How to make Low Carb Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Peel shrimp, place in a plastic zip bag, set aside.
Put cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, lime zest, and garlic into a mini food processor, blitz until cilantro is finely chopped.
Pour marinade into plastic bag, seal it. Agitate bag to fully coat the shrimp, chill for 30 minutes.
Thread shrimp onto skewers.
Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through.
Don’t overcook!
More Low Carb Fish & Seafood Recipes
Looking for more low carb or keto fish recipes? I’ve got you covered!
Keto Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl
Low Carb Keto Chirashi Bowl
Keto Crab Cakes
Tuna Poke Bowl
Crunchy Keto Coconut Shrimp
Keto Clam Chowder
Salmon Crudo
Low Carb Shrimp Curry
Keto Paella
Pesto Shrimp Palmini
Hot Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Keto Jambalaya
Low Carb Spinach Feta Salmon Pinwheels
Keto Sushi
Seared Scallops with Dijon Wine Sauce
Baked Sesame Ginger Salmon [Keto]
Keto Fish Cakes & Tartar Sauce
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
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Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp raw, thawed
- ¼ cup Cilantro leaves packed
- ¼ cup Lime juice
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- Zest of 1 lime
- 4 Garlic cloves pressed or minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel shrimp, place in a plastic zip bag, set aside.
- Put cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, lime zest, and garlic into a mini food processor, blitz until cilantro is finely chopped.
- Pour marinade into plastic bag, seal it. Agitate bag to fully coat the shrimp, chill for 30 minutes.
- Thread shrimp onto skewers.
- Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Don’t overcook!
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