Grilled Shrimp with Fresh Pesto Marinade

Pesto makes a fantastic marinade for seafood, especially shrimp. This quick and easy recipe delivers amazing flavour with minimal effort.
Serve them over a plate of pasta, and you have a delicious and effortless meal.

For this recipe, we’re using shrimp that have already been cleaned. This means the head and the vein are removed. The marinade can soak in beautifully since the shell is cut open during cleaning.

These are Black Tiger shrimp, which you can recognize by their grey colour with dark stripes. They’re larger and have firmer meat than regular shrimp, making them perfect for grilling.

We made fresh pesto and made it more fluid by adding extra olive oil. Otherwise, the pesto would be too thick. The shrimp were left to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours, no longer than that.

The acids in the pesto can break down the shrimp’s texture, making them mushy. Pesto isn’t overly acidic, but marinating longer is unnecessary because shrimp are delicate and absorb flavours quickly.

The shrimp are grilled over medium heat. A good test is holding your hand about 10 cm (4 inches) above the grate. If you can keep it there for about five seconds, the heat is just right. If your grill is a bit hotter, that’s fine, too. The shell protects the meat from direct heat but avoids flare-ups.

Shrimp are best cooked by sight. Once the meat turns opaque white instead of translucent, they’re done. If you prefer using a thermometer, aim for an internal temperature of 65ºC (150ºF). Just don’t leave them on the grill too long, as they will dry out quickly.

>We love serving these pesto shrimp over a generous portion of pasta because it’s an incredible combination. Are you planning to try this recipe? Let us know in the comments below! Or, even better, share a photo on your social media and tag @bbqhelden so we can see your delicious creation.