Just the thought of shrimp is enough to get most of us hungry, even more, when it’s grilled. It’s hard not to give in to the flavors oozing in a grilled shrimp. Grilling brings out the tastiness in any food by breaking down the protein components from within to combine with its natural sugar and carbohydrates. But let’s all admit it, the amount of preparation involved in grilling can be tiring. Plus, in homes where there is no spacious outdoors, such as condominiums and shared dwellings, grilling can produce smoke that may disturb the neighborhood. Lucky for you, we will teach you how to grill shrimp in a pan.
Pan-Grilled Shrimp Recipe
Pan-grilling is an excellent way of grilling your shrimp minus the hassles of building a fire. It produces an equally savory dish you can serve with your family on a barbeque night. It’s easy to prepare and tastes as delicate as traditional grilling.
To start with this tutorial on how to grill shrimp in a pan, the following are what you need to prepare:
Ingredients
- 1 lb. of shrimp, which goes about 17 to 20 pieces depending on size. You can have the shell removed or with shell-on to suit your liking. If you want it peeled, devein the shrimp and remove the tail as desired.
- A mixture of butter and olive oil or either.
- Seasoning: Ground black pepper, salt, and sugar.
Getting Ready with Your Kitchen Materials
- Colander for draining.
- A griddle pan or skillet.
- Thong and paper towels.
It’s Time to Grill
Thaw frozen shrimp.
Place the shrimp in a colander and run water over it. Do so for about 5 minutes while tossing the shrimp to expose them to the flowing water. Thawing frozen meat is essential, so they cook evenly and blends well with the seasoning. You know you’ve properly thawed the shrimp when it has softened in all parts, easy to extend, and has turned somewhat translucent. When the iciness fully melts, pat it dry using paper towels.
Preheat the large pan.
Dab the pan with some oil and butter while it’s preheated over medium to high fire. Make sure to cover the entire area of the pan with the oil.
Add your shrimp when the pan is ready.
When the oil starts to have a water-like consistency, then your pan has been heated well. As you add the shrimp, the pan should sizzle, indicating it’s hot enough. If it doesn’t, heat up a little more.
Add flavor to the shrimp.
Season to taste using the abovementioned spices, or you may add as you like. You can add chili spice for a hot grilled shrimp. If you’re grilling with shells on, marinate the shrimp first before grilling.
Observe cooking time.
It usually takes about 3 minutes of searing on each side to cook shrimps thoroughly. You will know it’s done when the shell turns lightly charred. If you’re grilling without the shells, it’s easier to figure out when it’s cooked.
Transfer to a Plate
Serve with other recipes for a full meal.
How to Choose the Best Shrimp and How to Keep it Fresh
After learning how to grill shrimp in a pan, let’s get to know one of the secrets to a great-tasting grilled shrimp the meat quality. Make sure to get fresh shrimps from the market. However, most products on market countertops have already been frozen and thawed a couple of times. To ensure the quality of shrimp, consume your stock within the day or the next day after buying.
When buying for more than one cooking, separate the container for each cooking portion. This way, you don’t have to thaw everything when you’re only cooking a part of it. Doing so prevents contaminating your stock.
Shrimp size also varies from small to large. The size determines how quickly the shrimp cooks.
Signs that the Shrimp is Well Done
Those who are new to grilling shrimp may find it difficult to tell when it’s ready due to the exoskeleton that prevents us from checking its meat. So we either end up with raw meat or an overcooked one. And you certainly wouldn’t like it overly done as the heart will stick on the shell, leaving you with a more cumbersome task before you can have your dinner.
But this shouldn’t be a guessing game. Luckily, this guide on how to grill shrimp in a pan comes with some tips, too! If you are grilling with shells on, you should pay particular attention to the abdomen, where the swimmerets are (tiny legs). This is the hardest part and takes a longer time to cook. This area initially starts translucent, and you’ll the shrimp is ready to be served when this turns opaque.
The Best Dishes that Go Well with Grilled Shrimp
Though it’s perfectly okay to have a full meal with just grilled shrimp, it is still best served with other dishes. The good thing with shrimp is it’s a flexible dish so that you can match with any form of cuisines.
Salads make great pairs with grilled shrimp, too! You can have coleslaw salad or Caesar’s salad on the side. Apple bacon slaw and sesame ginger slaw also works as fine.
Since you’ve already put up a grill, why not just toss in some veggies for a night of vegetable kebabs. Know more about grill pans.
Conclusion
You can follow this easy-to-do grilled shrimp recipe that you can prepare for you and your family, whether you’re grilling from outdoor or your kitchen stovetop. You only need to know a few of the tricks we have laid out in this guide on how to grill shrimp in a pan. Afterward, you’re off to a good grilling experience.