Indulge in the fiery allure of our Piri Piri Grilled Shrimp, where succulent shrimp are infused with bold spices and grilled to perfection. With each bite, experience a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate, leaving you craving more.
Related Shrimp Recipes:
Today, we're diving into the fiery realm of grilled piri piri shrimp – a dish that's sure to ignite your taste buds and transport you to the vibrant streets of Portugal. Bursting with bold flavors and fiery spices, this dish embodies the essence of piri piri cuisine, offering a tantalizing fusion of heat and zest.
Paired with the infectious rhythms of Takuya Kuroda's song "Piri Piri," this appetizer recipe is a celebration of bold flavors and creative culinary expression.
Fiery well seasoned spicy grilled shrimp, perfect as an appetizer skewered or not skewered. Clean, season, grill, eat!
This grilled Piri Piri Shrimp appetizer is vibrant, fiery, with a little citrus this was a great way to start. After all, what's not to love about perfectly grilled jumbo shrimp.
Beats and Eats (music to pair with this grilled shrimp recipe)
The lively rhythms and vibrant melodies of Takuya Kuroda's "Piri Piri" perfectly complement the bold flavors of our grilled piri piri shrimp. Just as the song's infectious beat gets your feet tapping, the spicy kick of the shrimp tantalizes your taste buds, creating a symphony of flavor that's impossible to resist. Together, they elevate the dining experience to new heights, leaving you craving for more.
What Is Piri Piri
Piri piri, also known as African bird's eye chili, is a type of chili pepper that is small in size but packs a powerful punch of heat. It is commonly used in African and Portuguese cuisines to add spiciness and flavor to dishes. Piri piri sauce, made from these chili peppers, often includes ingredients like garlic, lemon juice, and vinegar, creating a tangy and fiery condiment that adds depth to various dishes.
You can also make it as a dry spice mix such as this recipe. The dry seasoning mix is a blend of spices inspired by the flavors of piri piri sauce. It typically includes ingredients such as dried piri piri chilies or red pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and sometimes additional herbs and spices like oregano, thyme, or cumin. Piri piri seasoning is used to add heat and flavor to various dishes, particularly grilled or roasted meats, vegetables, and seafood.
Piri Piri Shrimp Ingredients
The flavor is in the rub with the complexity achieved via the cardamom, ginger, and oregano. With the cardamom, you get that fruity aroma and lemony, flowery taste.
The ginger has milder lemony notes but is also peppery which makes it a good partner for the floral cardamom and earthy paprika.
Traditional peppers used in native African cuisine are super spicy. If fire isn’t your thing, I recommend deseeding the chiles prior to using them in your spice rub.
Likewise, if you choose to avoid whole chiles, use minimal amounts of chile flakes.
Low involvement is just what these Piri Piri shrimp are. All you need is a hot grill or grill pan and some Piri Piri seasoning to get these juicy jumbos in a few minutes!
Preparing the Shrimp
Before you start grilling, you’ll need to prepare your shrimp. This involves thawing them if they’re frozen, peeling and de-veining them if necessary, and rinsing them under cold water.
You can also marinate the shrimp in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper for added flavor. If you’re using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning.
How To Make Spicy Grilled Shrimp (Step By Step)
how to grill shrimp (step by step)
step 1: season the raw shrimp generously with dry grilled shrimp marinade
- Add all spice/herb ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend well
- Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel. Place in a large bowl and season with half the spice mix and let sit in the refrigerator uncovered for 20-30 minutes
step 2: cook shrimp on medium high heat
- Pre-heat stove-top grill pan on high heat. Brush shrimp on both sides with olive oil. Grill shrimp on the grill each side 2-3 minutes.
- When considering how long to grill shrimp, the cooking time typically ranges from 2 to 5 minutes per side based on factors such as shrimp size and grill temperature. It's important to monitor the shrimp visually rather than solely relying on a timer to determine doneness.
step 3: season grilled shrimp again!
- Serve grilled shrimp with the reserve spice mix, fresh lemon juice, and fresh thyme.
Serving Suggestions
- Pair the cooked shrimp with a refreshing mango salsa for a tropical twist.
- Serve alongside grilled pineapple skewers to balance out the heat with a hint of sweetness.
- Enjoy with a side of coconut rice or crispy plantain chips for a complete Caribbean-inspired meal.
Top the shrimp off with a quick hit of fresh lemon juice and thyme right before serving. Enjoy these as an appetizer before any of these dishes:
Substitutions and Variations
- For extra heat, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or piri piri sauce in the marinade.
- Experiment with different seafood options such as scallops or lobster tails for a delicious variation.
- Don't have a grill? No problem! You can easily cook the shrimp in a grill pan or under the broiler for equally delicious results.
grilling shrimp expert tips
- Jumbo shrimp and larger are the easiest shrimp to grill. Their size also help prevent them from falling through the grates or overcooking. if using smaller shrimp outside you’ll definitely want to prepare these more as grilled shrimp skewers
- For the best possible results, buy fresh shrimp on the day that you plan to grill them. frozen shrimp is ok, but just make sure you thaw them fully.
- Remove most of the shell from the shrimp except for the part that is around the shrimps tail end. Removing the shell will allow the dry marinade to penetrate and provide more flavor
- Dry the shrimp out in the refrigerator first which will help with browning later.
- If using wooden skewers soak them in water ahead of time
- Grill shrimp on the grill each side 2-3 minutes. When considering how long to grill shrimp, note that the cooking time typically ranges from 2 to 5 minutes per side based on factors such as shrimp size and grill temperature. It's important to monitor the shrimp visually rather than solely relying on a timer to determine doneness.
- These are a quickly cooked over some seriously high heat, so if you want these Piri Piri shrimp to tasty very Piri Piri, then do two things: One - use a good high quality smoked sweet paprika, as it will provide that smoky essence familiar to cooking over an open fire plus that bright red Piri Piri color. Two - be generous with the grilled shrimp seasoning before and after cooking.
- Once the shrimp turn an opaque pink they are done, it only takes a few minutes!
- Top the shrimp off with a quick hit of fresh lemon juice and thyme right before serving.
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftover grilled shrimp, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat the shrimp, simply place them in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat and cook until they’re warmed through.
For similar recipes, try these:
Nigerian Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Make This Simple Grilled Shrimp Recipe
As you savor each succulent bite of grilled piri piri shrimp, let the vibrant flavors and soulful melodies transport you to a sun-soaked beach paradise. With its fiery kick and irresistible charm, this dish is sure to become a favorite in your culinary repertoire. So, turn up the music, fire up the grill, and let the flavors of Takuya Kuroda's "Piri Piri" and our grilled shrimp take you on a flavor-filled journey like no other!
If you make this spicy grilled shrimp recipe as an appetizer or quick weeknight main dish, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
You can also keep up with my food exploits as well as original recipes! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you like any of the music you find on the site, visit me at Spotify to find curated monthly playlists.
Ingredients
- 6-8 Jumbo Shrimp shells removed, deveined, and cleaned
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground Cardamon
- ½ teaspoon brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground dry Ginger
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground dried Pequin or birds eye chili substitute red chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Add all spice/herb ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend well
- Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel. Season with half the spice mix and let sit in the refrigerator uncovered for 20-30 minutes
- Pre-heat stove-top grill pan on high heat. brush shrimp on both sides with oil. Grill shrimp on each side 2-3 minutes
- Serve with the reserve spice mix, fresh lemon juice, and fresh thyme.
Notes
- For an interior moist shrimp make sure to dry the exterior well before cooking. The refrigerator step helps this.
- You can adjust any spice amounts to suit your taste. Rub will last for up to 2 months if stored in air tight jars
- Jumbo and larger are the easiest shrimp to grill. Their size also help prevent them from falling through the grates or overcooking.
- For the best possible results, buy fresh shrimp on the day that you plan to grill them.
- Remove most of the shell from the shrimp except for the part that is around the shrimps tail end. Removing the shell will allow the dry marinade to penetrate and provide more flavor
- Dry the shrimp out in the refrigerator first which will help with browning later.
- If using wooden skewers soak them in water ahead of time
- These are a quickly cooked over some seriously high heat, so if you want these Piri Piri shrimp to tasty very Piri Piri, then do two things: One - use a good high quality smoked sweet paprika, as it will provide that smoky essence familiar to cooking over an open fire plus that bright red Piri Piri color. Two - be generous with the grilled shrimp seasoning before and after cooking.
- Once the shrimp turn an opaque pink they are done, it only takes a few minutes!
- Top the shrimp off with a quick hit of fresh lemon juice and thyme right before serving.
Ellen
Thursday 4th of June 2020
This was a super flavorful and easy recipe! I had 1lb medium shrimp and no grill, so I made this on the stove top, but still turned out great. The dry-out-in-fridge trick was a great tip and prevented the shrimp from steaming in the pan like they normally do. Thank you!
Marwin Brown
Friday 5th of June 2020
Nice! I'm glad this dish worked for you. I make it on the stovetop all the time