Easy Smoked Shrimp Recipe with Lemon Butter (30-Minutes)
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Smoked Shrimp are tender, juicy, and seasoned with a delicious blend of spices. Make pellet grill shrimp as a party appetizer or an easy weeknight dinner! This makes an easy appetizer or a delicious quick dinner!
Are you ready for a new recipe to make perfect smoked shrimp? This is a simple main course with amazing flavor and one that everyone will love.
The great thing about cooking jumbo shrimp or fresh shrimp is that it holds that smoky flavor perfectly.
You can then pair the large shrimp with your favorite seasonings or dips. I’m all about adding various flavors to see what I like best.
Hot sauce is a good one for a spicy kick, and you can’t go wrong with cajun seasoning.
You can also keep it simple with a garlic butter sauce to dip, or even add some garlic powder and red pepper flakes for a fun flavor.
Smoked Shrimp
There’s nothing better than tender, juicy shrimp hot off the grill, except when they’re packed with smoky flavor, of course!
Learn how long to smoke shrimp, plus tips to ensure they come out perfect every time.
Don’t have a smoker? You can use the same instructions to cook shrimp on a pellet grill or charcoal grill.
However, a charcoal grill will require a little extra prep since the wood needs to be soaked for a couple of hours before you can get started.
Or, swap out the flavors in this smoked shrimp recipe for those in my Cajun pasta or mac and cheese dishes instead.
I even have a pasta salad that tastes just like your favorite Po’Boy sandwich!
Pellet Grill Shrimp Tips and Tricks
- Use room temp butter. Any extra heat will start to cook the shellfish, and they need to go in the smoker raw.
If you need to soften the butter in the microwave, be sure to let it cool off first. - Save some time and effort. I prefer to buy my shrimp already peeled and deveined so I can get right to cooking.
If you’re buying fresh or can’t find any already prepared, you’ll find instructions on how to do it yourself in this post. - Leave the tails on. This makes the smoked shrimp easier to eat, especially when serving it on a platter for everyone to grab from.
If needed, you can always remove the tails afterward before including the meat in other dishes.
Serving Suggestions
These smoked shrimp are delicious all on their own since the spices and wood pellets infuse tons of flavor.
Feel free to add your favorite dipping sauce or a bowl of melted butter.
Add some rice or a green salad for a simple side, or serve pellet grill shrimp with your favorite pasta salad instead.
If you have enough room, you can even toss some corn on the cob or red potatoes in the smoker first!
Smoked Shrimp Recipe FAQ
I keep my shrimp in the refrigerator until it’s time to put them on the smoker, especially on hot summer days. In my opinion, they will get a better smoke flavor this way as well.
It should take 50-60 minutes to smoke shrimp on a pellet grill at 200°F. Keep an eye on the color and be sure to test one or two before pulling the whole pan.
Otherwise, follow the smoked shrimp recipe as written!
When raw, shellfish is grey and appears translucent. Once cooked, the color changes to bright pink or orange with white lines. It will also look solid and opaque throughout.
You can also keep an eye on the shape. Once smoked shrimp forms a loose “C” shape, it’s typically ready to eat. If it becomes tightly curled, there’s a good chance it is overdone.
There are so many best ways to eat shrimp once it’s cooked! A lot of people add shrimp to their list of healthy recipes but then feel like they’re stuck with how to eat them. While it does come down to your personal consumption, there are plenty of options and ideas!
Some of my favorite ways to eat cooked shrimp are as shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce, shrimp skewers, shrimp tacos, cheesy grits and shrimp, or as a shrimp salad.
The first step is to cook the shrimp, and then you can figure out the best shrimp recipe. Even just adding a little bit of chili powder or Italian seasoning and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is a great way to enjoy cooked shrimp!
You can also cook shrimp and pair it with lobster tails or your favorite steak for a really fancy meal. There are a variety of ways that you can enjoy a main dish, with shrimp being the star of the show!
Just head to the grocery store, buy your raw shrimp, and use these simple steps on the printable recipe card below to start the cook time!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Seafood Recipes
Easy Smoked Shrimp Recipe with Lemon Butter (30-Minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined and shells removed, tails on
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- pinch chili powder
- 5 tarragon leaves
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F. Choose your favorite wood, I am using my favorite blend of oak, maple and hickory on my pellet smoker.
- Coat your favorite cast iron skillet with some oil, set aside. If you don’t have cast iron, you can use a foil pan or use a double layer of aluminum and form a little pocket and coat with oil.
- Rinse the shrimp in cool water.
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the shrimp, chili powder, pepper, sweet paprika and tarragon leaves. Stir to combine.
- Add the lemon juice and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Place the shrimp in a single layer in the skillet, pour the liquid over top.
- Place the skillet on the smoker and cook for 10 minutes. No peeking so the shrimp can get the smoking flavor in.
- After 10 minutes, open the cover and flip the shrimp. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, open the cover and flip the shrimp. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes as necessary, if the shrimp are bright and orangey-pink, they are ready to serve.
- Serve immediately and Enjoy!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2021, updated and republished May 2024
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This was such a good smoked shrimp recipe, now I can make my own shrimp at home! Can’t wait to look at your other shrimp recipes