Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Recipe

Grilled shrimp go from “great” to “unbelievable” when brushed with a teriyaki sauce that is low on sugar but high on flavor.

We are crazy for teriyaki in this house, to the point that my kids request my Baked Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs for their birthday dinners each year. Well, unless sushi is an option. In that case, everything else gets trumped.

Grilling shrimp is one of those no-brainers that I can pull off even when the will to cook has left me altogether. That usually happens when the temperature rises above 95 degrees. In other words, I haven’t wanted to cook for the past two weeks!

But grilled shrimp I can handle.

The most time-consuming thing about this recipe is waiting for the wooden skewers to soak. But since that’s inactive time that practically says, “Dara, go lie on the reclining chair in the backyard for 30 minutes while these soak”, I’m okay with that. Be sure you don’t skip this soaking step. It stops the wooden skewers from going up in flames once they hit the grill.

“Why not use metal skewers?” you ask. My response is, “Have you ever tried flipping shrimp on metal skewers while the shrimp spin round and round on the metal rod?” It’s kind of like chasing around that elusive piece of dust when your vacuum cleaner is full, but you are too lazy to empty it. Or is that just me?

The teriyaki sauce is one that I’ve used for years and I’ve gradually cut back on the brown sugar to take away that cloyingly sweet taste that many teriyaki sauces have and to “up” the health factor. It has a great balance of salty, sweet and tangy and makes a fantastic sauce for pasta with vegetables and sautéed salmon.

One of the tricks for cooking grilled shrimp is to get them on and off the hot grill quickly. These little guys don’t need any more than 1 minute per side to cook through. If you are tempted to leave the shrimp on just a little bit longer, they will punish you by becoming rubbery. So, err on the side of undercooked because they will continue to cook even when you remove them from the grill.

Serve the skewers on top of rice, quinoa or even a salad. Steve and I ate them with a spinach and kale salad, using the remaining teriyaki sauce as a salad dressing.

Other shrimp recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Shrimp & Zucchini Stir-Fry with Miso Lime Sauce
Cookin’ Canuck’s Lemon & Dill Shrimp Quesadilla Recipe
How Sweet It Is’ Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos with Strawberry Salsa
Skinnytaste’s Aloha Teriyaki Shrimp Burgers

Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Recipe

Grilled shrimp go from "great" to "unbelievable" when brushed with a teriyaki sauce that is low on sugar but high on flavor.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Seafood Recipes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

The Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

The Shrimp:

• 1 pound large shrimp peeled, tails left intact
• 8 green onions white & light green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

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Instructions

• Place 8 wooden skewers in a large baking dish filled with hot water. Soak for at least 30 minutes.

The Sauce:

• In a small saucepan, whisk together the rice vinegar, water, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, flour, garlic and ginger.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

The Shrimp:

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• Place the shrimp and green onion pieces into a large bowl and toss with the canola oil, salt and pepper.
• Alternately thread the shrimp and green onion pieces onto the skewers.
• Place on the grill and cook until the shrimp is just cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Take care not to overcook the shrimp or it will become rubbery.
• Place the skewers on a serving platter and brush with most of the teriyaki sauce. Serve with extra sauce for drizzling or dipping.

Notes

From the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck | cookincanuck.com

Nutrition

Serving: 2Skewers | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1336mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 2.9mg

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