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Asian Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the buttery soy, lime, ginger, and garlic grilled skewers that taste like the BEST teriyaki shrimp on the dinner table, and Maddie devours every last shrimp the second they come off the grill. A few hours in the marinade does the heavy lifting, the grill brings the smoke, and the simmered marinade finishes the plate. If you love a quick Asian dinner like our Beef and Broccoli Recipe, these grilled shrimp skewers are your new weeknight star.
1 pound peeled shrimp, a simmered marinade of butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and sugar, a 3 hour marinate, and 3 to 4 minutes per side on a hot grill deliver sticky glazed skewers for weeknight dinner.
Asian Grilled Shrimp Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus 3 hours to marinate)
- 🍴 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 4 skewers
- ⚡ Calories: Approximately 217 kcal per skewer
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Sweet sticky Asian glaze, smoky grill char, juicy shrimp, buttery garlic finish (the easy teriyaki shrimp dinner).
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our other grilling recipes.
Quick Answer
Butter, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sugar, simmered together in a small saucepan with sliced scallions stirred in at the end. The soy brings umami, the butter carries the ginger and garlic, and the lime keeps it bright. Marinate the shrimp for 3 to 5 hours, grill 3 to 4 minutes per side while basting, and serve the simmered marinade for dipping.
Jump to:
- Asian Grilled Shrimp Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Asian Grilled Shrimp
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Asian Grilled Shrimp FAQs
- Other Recommended Copycat Recipes
- Asian Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers Recipe (Best Asian Shrimp Marinade)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- 3 hours is the magic shrimp marinade time. Soy sauce contains enough salt to denature protein at the surface.
- Sugar in the marinade does double duty. It caramelizes on the grill for char marks and gives the simmered marinade its sticky finish.
- Simmer the leftover marinade before it goes back on. Once the shrimp come out, bring the marinade back to a simmer for 1 minute. Then it is ready for basting on the grill and dipping at the table.
- Double skewer to keep shrimp flat. Two parallel skewers prevent shrimp from spinning when you flip. The pro grilling trick.
- 3 to 4 minutes per side on a hot grill. Hot enough for char marks, fast enough that the shrimp stay tender, not rubbery.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better than teriyaki shrimp from a restaurant. Real Asian flavors, no MSG, no cornstarch sludge.
- Pantry-friendly marinade. Butter, soy sauce, lime, ginger, garlic, and sugar. All in your kitchen already.
- Family approved. Maddie devours these the second they come off the grill.
- Versatile. Serve over rice, in a bowl, on a salad, in lettuce wraps, the marinade plays nicely with every base.
Key Ingredients
- Raw shrimp: 1 pound large peeled and deveined, tails on or off. 21/25 count per pound.
- Soy sauce: 2 tablespoons. The umami backbone of the marinade.
- Sugar: 1 1/2 tablespoons. The sweetness that caramelizes into char marks on the grill.
- Unsalted butter: 3 tablespoons. Melted into the marinade so it carries the ginger and garlic onto every shrimp.
- Fresh ginger: 1 teaspoon grated. Fresh, NOT powder. The grated knob is the Asian-ness.
- Garlic: 2 cloves minced fine.
- Scallions: 2, thinly sliced and stirred into the warm marinade, plus more for garnish.
- Lime juice: 2 teaspoons, fresh squeezed. It keeps the butter and soy bright.
- Wooden skewers: 8 to 10 inch, soaked in water 30 minutes before grilling to prevent burning.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and the full ingredient list.
Variations and Substitutions
One base recipe, six ways to switch up the protein or heat.
- Spicy Asian shrimp: add 1 teaspoon chili crisp or sriracha to the marinade for heat.
- Chicken swap: swap shrimp for cubed boneless chicken thigh. Same marinade, 12 minutes per side on the grill.
- Air fryer version: air fry at 400F for 6 to 8 minutes flipping halfway. Crust forms but no grill char.
- Honey swap: swap the sugar for honey 1:1 for a stickier sweeter glaze.
- Tofu swap: swap shrimp for cubed extra-firm tofu, marinate 1 hour, grill 5 minutes per side.
- Pineapple chunks: alternate shrimp with chunks of fresh pineapple on the skewers for a tropical Hawaiian angle.
How to Make Asian Grilled Shrimp
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and sugar. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, then take it off the heat, stir in the scallions, and let it cool to room temperature.
- Add the shrimp and the marinade to a bag or a covered bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 3 to 5 hours but no longer. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes.
- Take the shrimp out of the marinade and thread them onto the skewers (4 to 5 shrimp per skewer). Use 2 parallel skewers per row to keep the shrimp flat for easy flipping.
- Pour the leftover marinade into the small saucepan and bring it to a simmer for 1 minute, then take it off the heat. Heat the grill to high and oil the grates.
- Grill the shrimp skewers 3 to 4 minutes per side until pink and charred, basting with the simmered marinade every few minutes. Do NOT overcook, shrimp goes rubbery fast.
- Transfer the grilled shrimp skewers to a serving plate, garnish with more sliced scallions, and serve the rest of the simmered marinade on the side for dipping.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Six moves that separate perfectly grilled tender Asian shrimp from rubbery dry shrimp.
- 3 to 5 hours, no longer. Past that, the lime juice starts to break down the shrimp and the texture goes mushy.
- Simmer the leftover marinade. Bring it back to a simmer for 1 minute before you baste or dip with it.
- Soak wooden skewers 30 minutes. Prevents charring/burning on the grill.
- Double skewer trick. Two parallel skewers per row keeps shrimp flat for clean flipping.
- 3 to 4 minutes per side, no longer. Shrimp cook fast. Overcook = rubber.
- Baste as they grill. Brush the simmered marinade on every few minutes. Keep an eye on the flame, the sugar can scorch if the grill runs too hot.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Asian rice bowl: Serve over jasmine rice with steamed broccoli and a drizzle of the simmered marinade.
- Asian dinner spread: Plate alongside our Beef and Broccoli Recipe and Wonton Soup Recipe for the full takeout-fakeout dinner.
- Salad topper: Slide grilled shrimp off the skewer and pile on a chopped Asian salad with sesame dressing.
- Lettuce wraps: Wrap 2 shrimp in a butter lettuce leaf with rice, scallions, and extra glaze for handheld Asian shrimp wraps.
- Cocktail appetizer: Cut skewers down to 4 inch toothpick size for a passed-tray appetizer.
Marinate up a batch of these Asian Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers for grill night and tell us how the glaze turned out. Tag us on Instagram @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.
Asian Grilled Shrimp FAQs
For this recipe, marinate the shrimp for at least 1 hour, with around 3 to 5 hours recommended for the best flavor. Do not leave them in the marinade longer than that. The marinade contains lime juice along with soy sauce, butter, ginger, garlic, sugar, and scallions, so following the tested marinating window helps preserve the shrimp’s texture.
Yes, fully thawed and patted dry. Thaw overnight in the fridge or under cold running water (10 minutes), pat completely dry before marinating. Wet shrimp dilutes the marinade.
Yes. Broil 3 to 4 minutes per side on a sheet pan, or air fry at 400F for 6 to 8 minutes flipping once. No grill char but the flavor is intact.
Yes. Soak them in water for 30 minutes before threading the shrimp so they do not burn on the grill. Metal skewers work too and skip the soak.
Yes. Make the marinade up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it. Warm it gently so the butter loosens, then marinate the shrimp 3 to 5 hours before grilling, no longer.
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a 300F oven covered with foil for 5 to 7 minutes, or eat cold over salad. Microwave makes shrimp rubbery.
Other Recommended Copycat Recipes
If you made these Asian Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers, leave a star rating below. Tag us on Instagram @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen.
Still filling out the menu? Readers love pairing this one with our garlic ginger snow peas, Chilean sea bass recipe, grilled BBQ chicken legs, and shrimp boil.
And when you are planning next week’s dinners, our buffalo chicken wontons, flank steak chimichurri, and fresh spring rolls keep the same easy comfort going.
Asian Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers Recipe (Best Asian Shrimp Marinade)
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 Tbls sugar
- 2 thinly sliced scallions
- 1 lb large shrimp shelled and deveined
Instructions
- Place the butter, soy, lime juice, ginger, garlic, and sugar in a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Let it come to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, then take it off the heat, stir in the scallions, and let cool on the counter to room temp.
- Place the shrimp and marinade in a bag or bowl covered in plastic wrap and marinate for at least an hour in the fridge. Try to let them marinade for around 3-5 hours but no longer.
- Take the shrimp out of the marinade and place them on skewers. If using wooden skewers, let these soak for 30 minutes in water.
- Place the remaining marinade back in the small saucepan and bring it to a simmer, simmer for 1 minute and take it off the heat.
- Preheat the grill to high heat and oil the grates. Place the shrimp skewers on the grill and get a nice char on all sides. Do not overcook or shrimp will become rubbery. This will only take about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on how big the shrimp are. Baste the shrimp with the marinade every few minutes.
- Serve with a garnish of more sliced scallions. Keep any remaining marinade on the side for dipping.
Notes
- If you don’t have a grill or want to make this when you aren’t able to utilize a grill an indoor grill pan can be used.
- You want to marinate between 3-5 hours but no longer.
- We like to use large shrimp for this but extra large or colossal will work well too, just not smaller as they shrink when cooking.
- This is great as a whole meal or an appetizer.
- Double this recipe to serve more people.
Nutrition
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I have never tried but yes I think it would work.
This sounds delish! Would cooking under the oven broiler work too? I do have a cast iron grill pan but it’s rather small.
After, but the shells don’t weigh that much if you weighed them before it would be fine.
Prob a dumb question but is it 1lb of shrimp before or after they are shelled?
Marinating certain meats and seafood too long will break down the meat and create a mushy texture that ruins it. The acids in the marinade cause the breakdown.
Making tonight!!! Dont have limes so will try with apple cider vinegar (half of lime measurement) fingers crossed !