This margarita grilled shrimp recipe guarantees juicy jumbo shrimp that explode with flavor from a marinade of bold spices and a splash of tequila. A hint of brown sugar helps the tender shrimp caramelize quickly from the heat of the grill, giving you lightly crispy edges. Served with a big squeeze of fresh lime for a bright, zesty finish, this shrimp wows the taste buds. It’s one of my all-time favorite meals!
All Because I’m a Big Fan of Grilled Shrimp, Mexican Flavors, and Margaritas!
Every May, my husband grills a special surf & turf meal for me on Mother’s Day. And one year he surprised me with giant grilled shrimp marinated in Mexican spices and a little tequila, and I was blown away! Blake was so thoughtful to combine some of my favorite things into one gorgeous dish. He even shook up a classic margarita for me, my cocktail of choice!
Blake hadn’t done any measuring of ingredients that day, and we definitely knew we wanted to enjoy that shrimp again. So we tested and tested, until we got the recipe 1000% perfected.
I love how the tequila in this margarita shrimp mimics the tequila in a traditional margarita cocktail, so that was a must-have in the marinade. Then the bold flavor came from our spice drawer (I especially love the smoked paprika!), plus fresh jalapeno for heat and garlic. We let the shrimp marinate for 2 hours before grilling, then layer on tangy lime and chopped cilantro right before serving, for even more freshness. Yum!
My #1 piece of advice for this recipe is to always use jumbo shrimp. This guarantees the best amazing grilled texture and tender, succulent shrimp with a beautiful char every single time. Shrimp cooks extremely fast, so smaller grilled shrimp simply do not have enough time on the grill to create crispy edges.
Bonus. They also won’t fall through the grill grates as easily!
I most often serve this with one or two simple grilled vegetables and cilantro lime rice, which my family adores. Plus LOTS of fresh lime wedges, for squeezing over the shrimp. If we happen to have any leftovers, I like to toss the shrimp over salads or tuck them into warm tortillas with fresh guacamole for shrimp tacos!
“Holy moly this was so simple and so delicious! I have now used the marinade on chicken breasts which my husband then grilled and they were as good as restaurant fajitas. Thanks for sharing this one – it will definitely be going into frequent rotation at our house!”
Melissa D.
Rest assured; Tequila is optional. But I Highly Recommend It!
Tequila adds a very subtle, unique flavor of earthy smokiness that pairs extremely well with the charred seafood. Combined with fresh lime and salt, it drives home that margarita flavor. Also, the alcohol causes a small initial flare-up on the hot grill. Which is a good thing! It burns off fast and helps achieve that fabulous char.
But you can certainly leave out the tequila if you like. This dish is great either way.
Here’s how i make them:
If you’d rather not flip individual shrimp on the grill
This is a great recipe to make grilled shrimp kabobs — either in smaller appetizer form (shown above, using small skewers) or with bigger skewers for a main entree.
Just be sure to soak wood skewers for a couple hours prior to grilling, so they don’t burn up on the grill.
Marinated Margarita Grilled Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw, peeled, and deveined jumbo shrimp (16-20 shrimp per pound)
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons tequila, optional
- fresh lime wedges, for squeezing over grilled shrimp
- chopped cilantro, optional garnish
- fresh lime slices, if using skewers
Instructions
- Shrimp can be grilled with or without skewers. If using wood skewers to make shrimp kabobs, see Notes below.
- Place shrimp in a wide shallow bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl with high sides, combine all ingredients from olive oil through black pepper. Use an immersion blender (or small food processor) to completely process until smooth. Pour marinade over shrimp and gently fold to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, folding gently about halfway through.
- When ready to grill, drizzle tequila over the shrimp, if desired, and gently fold to combine. If using skewers, thread shrimp onto skewers, with a folded slice of lime in between shrimp (see skewer photos in post).
- Heat grill to medium-high. Make sure grates are clean, and then oil them well. Set shrimp on grates and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or just until shrimp are no longer translucent and have some nice char. Smaller shrimp will take less time and larger shrimp will take more time. Place shrimp on a platter and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with fresh lime wedges to squeeze over the top.
This the hands-down BEST recipe for grilled shrimp! I’m even thinking of using this for my shrimp tacos recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I LOVE to hear this! Thank you for coming back here to let me know + rate the recipe! ENJOY!!! :)
Hello! Could I make the marinade ahead of time and let it set in the fridge for 3 days? Have you ever made it ahead of time? Thanks!
I think that would work just fine, Jen. Just wait to actually marinate, though.
Outstanding! Pairs well with a creamy lemon-chive pasta and savignon blanc. Leftovers (not likely but still) are good straight from the fridge.
So happy you liked this shrimp recipe!! Thanks for coming back to let me know + rate the recipe!
I made these up tonight and put them into a wrap. Omg these are so yummy!! My husband kept saying how good they were for like an hour after finishing.
Yay! So glad you liked. Thank you for coming back to let me know, and for the 5-star rating! :)
We love this recipe the flavors are fantastic. But instead of a kebab I add peppers and onions and griddle it all and make fajitas out of them. I get requests to make it at ever gathering
Yum! I cut the salt a bit because I didn’t have kosher and it was still a bit much for us but otherwise a total win. Perfect summer meal…that I’ll make all year round.
SO HAPPY you liked this recipe, Ruth! Thanks a bunch for coming back to leave a comment and rating. Enjoy!!
This is one amazing recipe. Since I no longer grill I cook these on a cast iron stove insert. They get rave reviews from all my guests. I have even had guests fight over an extra skewer.
I fight for the last shrimp, too! SO GLAD you liked this recipe – thanks for coming back to let me know! :)
Recipe was delish! Used on chicken too.
Made for dinner, quick and easy. All I and family have to say is ” It’s the BOMB!!!!
Tried this tonight and it was FABULOUS! I did tweak it a little by adding 2 tablespoons of tequila, 1 tablespoon of triple sec and 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice, otherwise I followed your directions. We’d
bought some big prawns at Costco yesterday and peeled and marinated them the 2 hours as you said. I used my Weber grill and oak charcoal and cooked them about 4 mins per side. My husband and son “ohed and ahed” every bite they took so it was a huge hit! Thank you!
This was hands down one of the best marinades I’ve tried. Just the right amount of flavor, so balanced. I grilled my shrimp and topped a Mexican salad kit with them. I will do it again and experiment with chicken.
The shrimp was sooo good! Served it for a dinner party and everyone loved it. Thanks!
As I was only fixing about a dozen shrimp, I used my Lodge grill pan and did them on my stovetop without skewers. Delicious—the recipe is a real keeper. Fortunately, since I live in Florida, the shrimp was in the ocean the day before I fixed them. Fresh is best!
Love the char on these while still not over cooking. Have grilled or done on the range top. Just make sure that pan is hot hot hot! I have also marinated for less than 30 minutes when crunched for time and they still had a ton of flavor. So great for a quick last min meal
We have made them a few times now, so good. My mother in law liked them and she doesn’t like jalapeño anything.
I made these for Mother’s Day and served with Asparagus in Garlic Lemon Sauce and Corn on the Cob! The dinner was absolutely delicious. I will make again and again!
What a great blend of flavors. Little bit of smokiness, heat, and sweet. I no longer am able to grill outdoors, so did these on my cast iron grill pan. Turned out great. Served with cilantro rice.
I really, really LOVED this recipe. I followed your recipe to a tee with the following exceptions: 1. I doubled the marinade because I was not only marinating shrimp, but I had to use up 3 big bell peppers, which I had already thinly sliced. And 2. I added more jalapeño because I love jalapeños.
I cooked the shrimp on metal skewers on my Charcoal grill until done. Then, I heated up a little oil in my cast iron skillet and placed the skillet on the grill. The temp of my grill was reading about 450F. I cooked my marinated peppers in the hot cast iron for about 4 minutes (I don’t like my vegetables mushy).
I served the cooked shrimp on top of the cooked peppers, squeezed a little fresh lime juice on them, and tossed with some fresh Cilantro, as suggested. What an easy, quick, AMAZING low-carb dinner.
I rarely enjoy marinades, because I feel like most do not add enough flavor or they “cook” whatever I’m marinating due to the acid. NOT this one, though! Both the shrimp and veggies were so, so flavorful. Perfect spice combination, and easily tweaked for heat level. Thank you very much!
Absolutely restaurant quality recipe!!
I bought 16-20shrimp-highly recommend
I also made cilantro rice & red beans
We live in NC now but lived in South Fl-I Miss those flavors but this will be a new go too. Especially if we host a dinner party.
So glad to hear this Melody!! Thanks for coming back to let me know. :)
It was really good, but I think I’d make extra marinade to serve with the shrimp. We served it with rice and it would have been nice over that too. I’d also add some cilantro to the marinade next time.