Smoked Shrimp Recipe

This smoked shrimp recipe is rich, buttery, and packed with bold garlic and Cajun flavor, all infused with a light smoky finish. It’s an easy smoked shrimp recipe that works as a quick dinner, main dish, or great appetizer for any occasion.

If you’re looking for a great way to level up your seafood game, smoked shrimp is one of the best ways to do it. It’s quick, flavorful, and incredibly versatile, whether you’re serving it as a main dish, easy appetizer, or adding it to shrimp tacos or a green salad.

The best part is you don’t need anything complicated. With fresh shrimp, a simple garlic butter sauce, and a low temperature setup on your pellet grill or charcoal smoker, you’ll get amazing flavor every time.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It works as both an easy appetizer and a full main dish. Serve it with cocktail sauce and toothpicks for a crowd, or pile it over cheesy grits for a hearty dinner that everyone will love.
• The garlic butter sauce is incredibly versatile. It doubles as a dipping sauce, soaks beautifully into rice or bread, and pairs just as well with lobster tails or your favorite steaks if you want to build a bigger spread.
• It is easy to customize. Swap in creole seasoning or Italian seasoning, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end, toss in some chili powder or lime juice, or adjust the heat with more red pepper flakes. This recipe plays well with whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients

The Shrimp

• Shrimp, large or jumbo, peeled and deveined shrimp work best here. Fresh shrimp from the seafood counter is ideal, but raw shrimp that has been thawed from frozen works just fine. If using frozen, thaw under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.

The Garlic Butter Sauce

• Butter
• Fresh garlic cloves
• Worcestershire sauce
• Lemon, juiced
• Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce
• Cajun BBQ dry rub (creole seasoning or a mix of garlic powder, black pepper, and chili powder) makes a great option if you do not have a premade blend on hand.

Garnish

• Fresh parsley
• Red pepper flakes

How to Smoke Shrimp on a Pellet Grill or Charcoal Smoker

Smoking shrimp low and slow at 250 degrees F is the best way to build deep, smoky flavor without overcooking them. The cook time is short compared to something like favorite steaks or lobster tails, but the low temperature does a lot of work in a small window of time. Get your Traeger pellet smoker, Big Green Egg, or charcoal smoker preheated for indirect cooking and add your wood or pellet flavor of choice. Pecan wood is a fantastic option for shrimp because it gives a mild, sweet smoke that complements the Cajun seasoning without overpowering the delicate flavor of the shrimp.

1. Place a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and melt both sticks of butter. Once melted, move it to a cooler burner.
2. Stir in the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice, and Cajun dry rub to build the garlic butter sauce.
3. Add the raw shrimp directly into the skillet and toss until every piece is fully coated in the butter mixture. Lay them flat in a single layer so they cook evenly.
4. Place the cast iron skillet directly on the grill grates and close the lid.
5. Cook time will vary based on the size of the shrimp. Large shrimp and jumbo shrimp typically take 35 to 45 minutes, while smaller shrimp will cook faster and should be checked closer to the 25 to 30 minute mark.
6. The shrimp are done when they are no longer translucent and register an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
7. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and red pepper flakes and serve right away with your favorite dipping sauce.

Tips for the Best Smoked Shrimp

• Always pat your shrimp dry with a paper towel before adding them to the butter mixture. Dry shrimp absorb the sauce and smoke better than wet ones.
• A cast iron skillet is the best way to smoke shrimp because it holds heat evenly and keeps all that garlic butter sauce from dripping away. A foil pan works in a pinch if you do not have one.
• Do not rush the low temperature cook. The whole point of smoking is giving the shrimp time to absorb that smoky flavor, so resist the urge to crank up the heat.
• Shrimp skewers are another great way to do this if you prefer to lay them directly on the grill grates instead of in a skillet. Just use indirect heat and watch the cook time closely.

How to Serve Smoked Shrimp

This smoked shrimp is incredibly versatile:

• Serve as a great appetizer with cocktail sauce or your favorite dipping sauce
• Add shrimp tacos and pair with my Brussels sprouts slaw 
• Pair with my Cajun shrimp and grits recipe for a smoky take
• Serve alongside favorite steaks or even lobster tails

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a small pat of butter so they stay juicy and do not dry out. Microwaving works in a pinch, but it can make them rubbery, so the stovetop is your best bet.

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