Grilled Jerk Shrimp

By Kay Chun

Published Aug. 10, 2022

Grilled Jerk Shrimp
Joe Lingeman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(207)
Comments
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Sweet shrimp are the perfect canvas for this spicy jerk seasoning made with fresh chiles, fragrant thyme, scallions, garlic and spices. After a quick 15-minute marinade, the shrimp cook in mere minutes, picking up great char and smoky flavor from the grill. (You can even mimic the results indoors by broiling the shrimp on a sheet pan 6 inches from the heat for about 4 minutes.) This recipe comes with a warning: This is a superhot rub. For less heat but still spicy results, use just one chile; for an even milder version, remove the seeds from the chile before blending it. Should you have any jerk shrimp leftovers, they are great tossed into salad or tucked into tacos the next day.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola, plus more for greasing the grates
  • 3scallions, 2 chopped into 1-inch pieces and 1 thinly sliced for garnish
  • 1 to 2Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, stemmed and halved (and seeds removed, for less heat, if desired)
  • 5garlic cloves
  • 2tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  • 1tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1tablespoon turbinado or light brown sugar
  • 1teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • ½teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1pound cleaned large, tail-on shrimp
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

182 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 388 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat grill to medium-high and grease the grates with oil.

  2. Step 2

    In a food processor, combine the 2 chopped scallions with the chiles and garlic, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the thyme, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, allspice, salt, pepper and the 3 tablespoons of oil; pulse until a coarse paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the shrimp and toss until evenly coated. Let stand for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.

  3. Step 3

    Working in batches, grill shrimp directly on the grill grates until nicely charred and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the sliced scallions and serve with lime wedges.

Ratings

4 out of 5
207 user ratings
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Comments

Karma

This is delicious! The allspice really adds some sweetness and rounds out the spice. I had about a 1/2 cup of cilantro that needed to be used so I threw it in there as well. Definitely spicy and leaves a nice heat lingering at the back of the throat. Versatile and would definitely work well on other proteins!

Lovestocook

Why am I the first one to review? You are missing out! Outstanding recipe! I made two weekends in a row, followed exactly, you do you with the habaneros! I left the shell on but split and cleaned, then grilled. Give this a try, guaranteed a big hit!

KANE

Made it following the directions exactly but used one habanero pepper without it's seeds and think I'll make it next time with either 2 habaneros or use the seeds for the one. It was warm but definitely not HOT! ABSOLUTELY delicious and very easy, and grill it if you can for the char and be sure to eat those crunchy tails! YUM! Served with a raw corn, tomato, olives, basil and mozzarella salad on top of arugula with the shrimp as a halo, and it was a very happy, delish and beautiful plate!

From "outer boroughs " to the SFBA

I was all out of Walkerswood, so looked for a recipe for a jerk marinade for shrimp. We really liked this one!

From "outer boroughs " to the SFBA

I was all out of Walkerswood jerk marinade and found this one; we really enjoyed it!

Denise

My husband and I are huge spice/heat lovers, so we used 2 habaneros without hesitation. Oops! We will have to try again with 1 (or maybe less) habanero, because the rest of the ingredients seem to be very well balanced and I would definitely like to give this recipe a second chance for that reason!

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