Pre-cooked Shrimp Grill Guide

Grilling is a fun and healthy way to prepare seafood and, of course, shrimp is one of the best seafood alternatives when you need to avoid adding fat. So, do you want to know how to grill pre-cooked shrimp? Well, keep reading to find out.

Unlike other meats, shrimp are a bit softer, especially when you buy pre-cooked ones. Let’s learn in this article how to grill pre-cooked shrimps. Making a tasty shrimp dish can be fun and easy. You just need to know how to grill precooked shrimp, but first, let’s learn what precooked means.

What is Pre-cooked?

Precooked seafood is referred to as being frozen after it has been cooked, but before it has been thawed. These foods have all of their natural juices and flavors intact. They are cooked separately from the rest of the ingredients and then frozen for future use.

How to Grill Pre-cooked Shrimp?

Most of the preparation steps are already done when you buy the pre-cooked shrimp. It is already cleaned, trimmed, and pre-cooked. All you need to do is simply grill it.

The best thing about this preparation method is that you can use it again and again. The cooking time varies with the size of the shrimp, but usually, you can cook on a grill within 30 minutes.

Preparation Steps

1. Wash, peel, and devein the shrimp under cold running water. In a small bowl, mix a tablespoon of salt with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and enough water to make a paste. If you like, you can add a few drops of lemon juice for extra flavor. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a large bowl, stir in the cooking liquid, and marinate it for 20 minutes. The longer time will make the shrimp taste even better.
3. Sprinkle some grilling sauce on each shrimp and grill on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. You may want to brush their surface with olive oil for better results.
4. Serve it with your favorite side dishes or dip them in some lemon juice before serving.

Can You Grill Cooked Shrimp?

Of course, you can grill cooked shrimp, but do you know how? Primarily, shrimp are very sensitive to high heat. Therefore, it is not possible to grill a cooked shrimp within minutes, so be careful and make sure that the meat is not overcooked while grilling.

When you prepare your shrimp with a marinade or other sauces, be sure that all the spices and seasonings have dissolved. Otherwise, you may get tough shrimp meat and a rubbery texture. For the best results, you should also keep the shrimp from being too dry. Try to squeeze any excess liquids out when letting them sit before grilling them.

What to avoid during Grilling Shrimps?

• Don’t leave the shrimp sitting in the marinade overnight, because it could be tough and rubbery.
• Don’t overcook shrimp by leaving them on the grill for too long.
• When grilling, do not try to reuse the same shrimp. If you have leftover grilled shrimps, don’t put them back into the marinade and use them again as a topping for another dish. Instead, cover them with extra virgin olive oil and refrigerate them until you need to use them again.
• Don’t add raw shrimp to a salad or use it as an appetizer. Tender shrimp can be very chewy, so you will not be able to cut through them well.
• When you marinate your shrimp before grilling, do not mix the marinade with other ingredients such as pineapple or fruit. Doing so will make the shrimp mushy and rubbery.

What are the Signs of a Perfectly Grilled Precooked Shrimp?

When grilling shrimp, you will know that they are ready when the meat turns pink, translucent, and firm. You should take great care in choosing the right heat level and not overcook them; otherwise, they will get rubbery and tough.

Make sure that you clean your grill very well before cooking. Apart from that, you may want to be on the lookout for uneven charring. That will indicate that the fire is too high to cook your shrimp properly.

How to Tell if Shrimp is Done on the Griddle?

Examine your shrimp closely and use a metal skewer to see if it is done. The meat should be firm and opaque. Make sure to avoid overcooking it or else it will become tough.

When you perform this simple test, you will know whether you are cooking the shrimps properly on the griddle or not. If they are not cooked all the way through, they will turn rubbery and tough.

How to Grill Shrimp in a Skewer?

Grilling shrimp on skewers is easy, fun, and less messy than grilling them in a grill basket. All you need to do is to thread the shrimp onto a skewer and brush their surface with olive oil or butter. Allow them to cook on each side for about 2 minutes so they are cooked perfectly.

What Shrimp Grills Better on the Grill?

Shrimp grilled on skewers are less likely to break apart when you turn them over. By contrast, shrimp grilled in a grill basket is more likely to crack when you try to turn them. When you are trying to find that out, simply grill some shrimp and inspect them for this problem once they are done. If they are still intact, it means that your grilling method is working fine.

Final Thoughts

According to the above tips, grilling is one of the best ways to cook any kind of shrimp. However, if you want to get the best texture and flavor from them, you mustn’t overcook them. That’s all on how to grill pre-cooked shrimp. Enjoy grilling!