This grilled chili lime shrimp recipe is a speedy solution for a weeknight dinner, taking just 15 minutes from start to finish. Using smoky and savory spices plus a burst of fresh lime juice, your family and friends are sure to love these tangy and tender shrimp. Simply prep the shrimp, skewer them, then pop them on the grill and enjoy a delicious meal in no time.
If you don’t know, now you know – grilled shrimp is the ultimate weeknight protein. And this grilled chili lime shrimp is no exception.
It really does only take 15 minutes from start to finish, due to a really easy seasoning and the quick cook time of shrimp. I’ve made loads of grilled shrimp – from shrimp fajitas to shrimp tacos to corn avocado shrimp salad – and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly they cook up.
This recipe uses my taco spice blend, which has chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and several other spices. It lends a great flavor that gets balanced out by the spritz of fresh lime at the end.
Read on to see how easy this recipe is, as well as to get tips and good-to-know info when making these chili lime shrimp skewers.
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Raw shrimp – use medium to large peeled and deveined shrimp (sized between 31-40), and make sure they’re defrosted if they were previously frozen!
- Lime juice – fresh lime juice is key here as it typically has a tangier, brighter flavor than bottled lime juice. You can absolutely use bottled lime juice in a pinch, just know that the flavor will be more subdued.
- Oil – you want a mild oil for the marinade. I like to use avocado oil.
- Spices – this recipe uses my homemade taco seasoning blend, which includes chili powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt).
How to make chili lime grilled shrimp
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
This recipe is easy because it’s fast – once the shrimp are seasoned and on skewers, all it takes is 5 minutes until your meal is ready.
There are really two main steps for this recipe – prepping the shrimp (including making the seasoning) and grilling the shrimp. See below for the step by step photos of how it’s done.
Prep the shrimp
Grill the shrimp
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What to eat with chili lime shrimp
My family likes to eat this shrimp as part of a shrimp taco, piled high with some coleslaw – like this pineapple coleslaw. But there are lots of good sides to go with this grilled lime shrimp, including these options:
- Rice: either plain white or brown rice or something more like this rice salad.
- Veggies: cook up some grilled bell pepper and grilled onions and you could make a fajita bowl!
- Salads: I already mentioned coleslaw, but any green salad would be great. We had it with this spinach blueberry salad to lend a bit of sweetness.
Check out this post on what to serve with grilled shrimp for more suggestions!
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15-Minute Grilled Chili Lime Shrimp
Equipment
- A large bowl or dish
- 5 or 6 12-inch metal skewers
- A plate or platter to take the skewers off the grill
Ingredients
For the spice blend
- ¾ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ⅜ tsp ground cuming
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp ground coriander
- ⅛ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
For the shrimp
- 1 lb raw shrimp size 31-40 per pound
- 1 tsp mild oil like avocado oil
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice from 1 fresh lime, or bottled
Instructions
- Start by preheating your grill to 350-375 degrees F.
- Next make the spice blend. Use measuring spoons to measure out the spices and combine them in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Now prep the shrimp. Get out a large flat dish and place the raw shrimp in it. Dry the shrimp off using paper towels (this helps the seasoning stick better), then throw the towels away. Measure out the oil and drizzle it over the shrimp, then sprinkle the seasoning mix over them. Use your fingers to combine everything together, making sure each shrimp is as evenly coated as possible.
- Take out one metal skewer and gently push a shrimp onto it, making sure to get the skewer’s point as close to the middle of the shrimp as possible. Slide it down to the bottom of the skewer, then keep repeating until all of the shrimp are on all of the skewers. Place the same size of shrimp together on the same skewer – smaller ones on one skewer, larger ones on another. You should be able to fit 6 to 7 shrimp onto 1 skewer, depending on the size of your shrimp (or if you’re using different sized skewers).
- Next grill the shrimp. Once the grill comes to temperature place the shrimp skewers on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook for 3 minutes, then flip the skewers (use an oven mitt to protect your hands!) and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes with the lid closed. Check the shrimp and see if they are opaque all the way through and at an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. The larger shrimp or the shrimp in cooler spots on your grill may need another minute or two to cook all the way through.
- While the shrimp are on the grill use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut a lime into wedges, either in four pieces or eight depending on how large the lime is (or you can use bottled lime juice, though I highly recommend using fresh). When the shrimp are done cooking, remove them from the grill using an oven mitt and set the skewers on a platter. Squeeze the lime wedges to spritz fresh lime juice over the shrimp, then serve!
Notes
- I typically buy peeled and deveined frozen shrimp for this recipe. You can either stick the frozen shrimp in the fridge to defrost a day ahead of time, or if you’re forgetful like me then take them out of the bag, put them in a colander, and let them run under cold water for 5-10 minutes until they’re defrosted.
- I use a casserole dish to mix the shrimp with the seasoning. Then as I’m putting them on the skewer I place the skewers in the dish. It makes it much easier to carry the skewers to the grill without having to dirty a separate dish.
- You can use wooden skewers, but every time I’ve tried they get charred and burned up. I finally bought a set of metal skewers and I recommend you do too. You can find them at local stores (during grilling season) or these ones on Amazon are similar to the ones I have (affiliate link).
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