Traeger Smoked Shrimp with Teriyaki | Easy, delicious grilling recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How long does shrimp take on the Traeger? ›

When ready to cook, set Traeger temperature to 450° and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes. Thread the shrimp onto skewers and place directly on the hot grill grate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the flesh is opaque. Serve and enjoy!

Shrimp can be grilled with or without their shells. I like to peel the shrimp prior to grilling. Remove all of the shell except for the part that is around the tail of the shrimp. Removing the shell will allow the marinade to penetrate the meat and give the shrimp more taste.

4. start cold; sear gently. A cold start offers more control: You can arrange the shrimp in a single layer before cooking, so they make even contact with the pan. Since they heat up gradually with the skillet, they don't buckle (good for browning) and are less likely to overcook.

Preheat your grill to 350-450°F and set it up for direct cooking. Grill the shrimp over direct, medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning the shrimp halfway through the process. The outside of the shrimp should turn a nice pink color when it is cooked while the meat inside should be white and opaque.

(Note: the USDA lists 145°F [63°C] as the “safe” temperature for shrimp.

Treating the shrimp with salt and baking soda helps them stay plump and juicy and brown more efficiently as they grill. Drying the shrimp out in the refrigerator gives them a jump-start on browning. Squeezing the shrimp together on a skewer gives them less surface area, which helps them stay juicier as they cook.

Flavor and Moisture Retention: Keeping the tail on can help in retaining more flavor and moisture within the shrimp. The shell around the tail contains juices that can enhance the overall taste when grilled.

“Before grilling, brush your seasoned shrimp skewers with olive oil to boost charring and prevent sticking.” Make sure that the grill grates are clean, too, she advises, since shrimp are particularly prone to sticking to the grates if they are not well seasoned and well cleaned from previous grill sessions.

Our favorite size for grilling is large (26–30 shrimp per pound). They're big enough to not fall through the grill grates, yet small enough to be tender and juicy.

If you eat raw shrimp not purchased from a government-regulated business by mistake, we advise you to stay hydrated and avoid any kind of food until your stomach settles down. To reduce the risk of contamination, drink plenty of water to flush out any bacteria or parasites from your organism.

Can you overcook shrimp? ›

Undercook and they'll be mushy and translucent; overcook and they'll be rubbery and nearly inedible. The best way to tell when shrimp are cooked through is to look for visual cues: “Watch for the shrimp to curl and turn opaque,” says Kendra. Undercooked shrimp will be gray and translucent, with uncurled tails.

Grill temperatures for shrimp

Shrimp are, well, shrimpy. They're small, with a small thermal mass to match. That small thermal mass is easy to overcook, so we need to keep our grill at a moderate temperature of about 325°F (163°C).

To remove the flavor or taste out of the shrimp or fish you bought, soak it in milk for about a half hour before cooking.

Shrimp cook real quickly and overcooking them is a common mistake to occur. Hence, overcooked shrimp can become rubbery in texture and lose their natural sweetness. The solution here is to keep a close eye on your shrimp while cooking. Remember that they are done when they turn pink and opaque.

Shrimp are a great protein to cook at a high heat, but you don't want the heat so high that they burn. Always aim to keep your grill at between 350-450 degrees. The cook time will vary slightly depending on the size of your shrimp, but the average time is no more than two minutes per side.

Already cooked shrimp only need to be grilled for a short amount of time, typically 2-3 minutes per side. It's important to watch them closely to prevent overcooking, as they are already cooked and just need to be heated through.

Sauté the shrimp until pink and opaque.

The tails will also turn bright red. Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until the flesh is totally pink and opaque, and you see no more grey bits. Depending on the size of your shrimp and how many you have in the pan, this will usually take 4 to 5 minutes.

Smaller shrimp will cook faster than larger ones, while the total time for bigger boys will be a little longer. Here's associate food editor Kendra Vaculin's rule of thumb: Cook medium shrimp for approximately 3 minutes, large shrimp for 4–5 minutes, and jumbo shrimp for 6–7 minutes.