These grilled shrimp marinated in orange juice are a quick and easy dinner option that cook on the grill in just 6 minutes. The marinade, a blend of fresh orange juice, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey, infuses the shrimp with sweet and tangy flavor in just 20 minutes. With straight-forward instructions, plus helpful tips to ensure success, you’ll have these grilled orange shrimp on your family’s plates in to time.
Listen, shrimp is delicious.
And what makes it even more delicious is an orange shrimp marinade with a vibrant citrusy flavor that’s a little sweet and a little savory.
I love all types of grilled shrimp, and I love to make dishes with it too. From grilled shrimp fajitas to a shrimp, avocado, and corn salad I’ve made at least a dozen different recipes.
So when I say you’re going to love these grilled orange shrimp, I mean it.
Keep reading to see step by step photos, helpful tips, and explicit directions that are going to ensure your success in making this recipe!
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Shrimp – I like to use large to extra-large raw shrimp (which equates to between 25-35 shrimp per pound), and make sure they’re defrosted if they were previously frozen!
- Orange – I used a naval orange in this recipe, but you can also use a Cara Cara orange or other type if you like.
- Soy sauce (or tamari) – you can use regular soy sauce, or if you’re gluten free you can use tamari sauce or gluten free soy sauce. While the two are slightly different you can use them interchangeably in this recipe.
- Ginger – fresh grated ginger is going to give you better flavor, or you can use a premade ginger paste or minced ginger. I do not recommend using ground ginger.
- Honey – Use whatever honey you have. If your honey is particularly stiff you may want to warm it slightly in a microwave-safe dish before putting it in with the other marinade ingredients.
- Rice vinegar – this should be available at most grocery stores in with items like soy sauce. If you can’t find it, you can substitute apple cider vinegar in a 1:1 ratio.
- Oil – you want a mild oil for the marinade that won’t impact the flavor. My preference is avocado oil as it’s both mild and has a fairly high smoke point.
How to grill shrimp marinated in orange juice
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
There are three simple main steps to making this dish:
- make the marinade,
- marinate the shrimp, and
- grill the shrimp.
Check out the process shots and captions below to see how easy all three steps are.
Making the orange juice shrimp marinade
Marinating the shrimp
Grilling orange shrimp
Is internal temperature important?
The short answer? YES!
All meat should be cooked to a specific internal temperature to ensure it’s not underdone. Shrimp can be a little tricky because they’re so small and they don’t take very long to cook, but it’s still good to check internal temperature if you can.
If you’re curious to find out more, read this post I wrote all about internal temperatures for meat – and never deal with overcooked meat again!
Tips for grilling orange shrimp
- You can use a different sized shrimp in this recipes, but the cooking time is dependent on the size of shrimp you have. If you use smaller shrimp, it will be less time. If you use jumbo shrimp, it will be a little longer.
- Don’t let the shrimp marinate longer than 20 minutes. The acids in the marinade will eventually start “cooking” the shrimp and breaking down the proteins, and you can wind up with overdone and/or mushy shrimp.
- Shrimp are easy to overcook as they have such a short cooking time. If you grill the shrimp at a lower temperature it helps ensure they won’t overcook and become spongy or tough.
How I serve these honey orange shrimp
One of the easiest and best ways to serve these shrimp are with some rice and steamed veggies on the side. I like to add just a little salt to both of the sides and have at it.
If you’re looking for other side dish options, then check out this post where I have over 60 idea of what to serve with grilled shrimp.
If you make this grilled orange shrimp recipe, then don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
YOU can also follow me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, & PINTEREST to see more good to eat, gluten free food on and off the grill.
Grilled Shrimp Marinated in Orange Juice
Equipment
- A large liquid measuring cup
- A flat bottomed container (or sealable plastic bags)
- Plastic wrap
- 4-6 Metal skewers
- Oven glove
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 pounds of large- to extra large-sized shrimp 25 to 35 per pound
- Juice and zest of 1 orange about 2-3 oz of juice
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger from a 1x1x0.5 inch piece
- 2 oz soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari if needed
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp mild oil I use avocado oil
Instructions
- Take out a large measuring cup and measure out the soy sauce into it. Pour the soy sauce into another container and set aside (this is done so if the cup tips over when you’re zesting the orange the soy sauce doesn’t spill out).
- Next, zest the orange. Take out a microplane or other zester. If using a microplane, set it on top of the measuring cup. Zest the orange by rubbing it against the microplane in short swipes, scraping just the vibrant orange skin off into the cup and not the lighter pith underneath. You may need to wipe the zest off the bottom of the microplane with your finger to get it all off.
- Once the zest is off, use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut the orange in half or in quarters, depending on how big your juicer is. Juice the orange into the same measuring cup as the zest.
- If you’re not using ginger paste, you’ll also need to use the microplane to grate the ginger into the measuring cup as well. Do this by first cutting off the skin then firmly pressing the piece of ginger onto the microplane and running it back and forth to grate it. At the end you’ll be left with a small, stringy piece of ginger which you can just throw away.
- Pour the soy sauce back into the cup, then use measuring spoons to measure out the honey, oil, and rice vinegar and add them to the measuring cup as well. Use a small whisk or other utensil to stir everything together, making sure to scrape the bottom as the honey will want to stick there.
- Drain the shrimp if necessary, then place them in a flat dish (like a casserole dish) or sealable plastic bag. Dab at them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture if needed. Pour the marinade over the shrimp and, if using a dish, use your hands to help coat the shrimp in the marinade, ultimately arranging them in a flat layer to soak in the marinade. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the dish then place the dish in the fridge. If using a plastic bag, press the air out of it after pouring the marinade in, then seal the bag. Use your hands and gently squeeze the bag to help coat the shrimp in the marinade and arrange them in a single layer, storing flat in the refrigerator.
- Marinate the shrimp for 20 total minutes – 15 minutes in the fridge, then the remaining 5 minutes remove them from the fridge to warm slightly. The next step is to place the shrimp on the skewers – this can be done during the last 5 minutes of marinating time.
- Take a skewer in one hand and a shrimp in another. Keep the shrimp in a C shape and gently push the shrimp onto the skewer, making sure to get the skewer’s point as close to the middle of the shrimp as possible. The skewer should go through the shrimp in two places – the larger head section and the smaller tail section. Slide it down to the bottom of the skewer, then keep repeating until all of the shrimp are on all of the skewers. You should be able to fit 6 or 7 shrimp on each skewer, depending on the size of your shrimp.
- Preheat your grill to 350 degrees F, then once it comes to temperature place the shrimp skewers on the grill. Close the lid and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, then open the lid and – using gloves! – flip the skewers over to cook the shrimp another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Remove the shrimp from the grill once they’re completely opaque all the way through and at an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I typically buy peeled and deveined frozen shrimp for this recipe. You can either stick the frozen shrimp in the fridge to defrost a day ahead of time, or if you’re forgetful like me then take them out of the bag, put them in a colander, and let them run under cold water for 5-10 minutes until they’re defrosted.
- You can make the marinade up to 5 days ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, then follow the instructions for marinating and cooking to finish making the recipe.
- Don’t let the shrimp marinate longer than 20 minutes. The acids in the marinade will eventually start “cooking” the shrimp and breaking down the proteins, and you can wind up with overdone and/or mushy shrimp.
- For more detailed instructions on making the marinade, including tips for zesting an orange, see this orange juice marinade post.
- You can use wooden skewers, but every time I’ve tried they get charred and burned up. I finally bought a set of metal skewers and I recommend you do too. You can find them at local stores (during grilling season) or these ones on Amazon are similar to the ones I have (affiliate link).
- Shrimp are easy to overcook as they have such a short cooking time. Grilling the shrimp at a lower temperature helps ensure they won’t overcook and become spongy or tough.
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