Grilled Nam Prik Shrimp Skewers

Grilled Spicy Lemon Garlic Nam Prik Shrimp Skewers are destined to be the hit of every occasion they’re served at! The perfect recipe for barbecue season, these spicy kebabs are a zesty way to switch up your grilling game.

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Do you have those recipes in your family that you’re not quite sure where they came from but you and your family have been making it for years?

This recipe is one of those.

We’ve been making it for as long as I can remember.

It changes and evolves a little each time and has turned into something truly delectable.

Imagine my utter horror when the little slip of paper it was written on, with all its edits, went missing off the side of our fridge!

We tried, and tried in vain, to recreate it.

It just wasn’t the same though. It wasn’t nearly as good as it should’ve been.

As luck would have it though, we happened to find the recipe tucked up and hidden away under the old refrigerator when we moved.

We were delighted to have it back! 

While I love a good chicken or steak recipe on the grill, kabobs or skewers are my absolute favorite. So many different flavors can be combined into one magical concoction like happens in these shrimp kabobs.

What is “Nam Prik?”

Nam prik or nam phrik is a type of Thai spicy chili sauce.

You may find fresh or dry chilies, garlic, shallots, lime juice and some kind of fish sauce or paste in the sauce.

While most of the time nam prik is pretty spicy, this recipe isn’t. But it does have a nice kick to it.

With a homemade marinade consisting of rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, several cloves of garlic, and the zest of one lemon- it’s a marinade meant to make a splash.

Ingredients

To make these skewers you’ll need:

• Shrimp– Save yourself lots of time and work by using pre peeled and deveined large shrimp.
• Rice wine vinegar– You can find this in the Asian food section at your grocery store, but sometimes you can also find it by the other vinegars. If you prefer, you can also order rice wine vinegar online.
• Lemon juice and zest– Fresh is best!
• Olive oil– If you have to you can substitute another light, mild oil.
• Crushed red pepper flakes– For some heat.
• Hot chili sauce– Like sriracha.
• Garlic– Fresh garlic cloves, minced or pressed.

How to Make

These skewers are so quick and easy to make!

To do it, start by rinsing and draining the shrimp. Set them aside.

Add all of the ingredients except the shrimp into a large mixing bowl.

Using a wire whisk, whisk them together until evenly combined.

Add the shrimp to the mixing bowl, tossing to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

After 2 hours, thread the shrimp onto metal skewers, leaving at least an inch of space on each end.

Cook the skewers on the grill, over medium heat, cooking just until pink, basting again with the marinade, and flipping.

When the other side has just turned pink throughout, immediately remove the shrimp from the grill to a waiting platter.

Enjoy!

Can You Make These With Wooden Skewers?

I recommend metal skewers because I find them so convenient to work with- there’s no extra steps or thought involved. However, if you have wooden skewers already, they will work just fine.

Unlike metal skewers, wooden ones cannot go on the grill without some preparation.

To prevent them from burning during grilling, they must be soaked properly in ice cold water first. I recommend a minimum of 30 minutes, but actually if you’re able to plan ahead- an overnight soak in the fridge is best.

It takes time for the skewers to soak up a lot of the water, but once it does- they tend to hold onto it, thus preventing them from burning up on the grill even at high heats.

Once done, simple discard the used skewers. Don’t attempt to reuse wooden skewers.

What to Serve With

These shrimp skewers are amazing over jasmine rice or with a side of veggies.

You could also serve them over a big salad.

Storing Leftovers

You can store leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheat them in a warm oven.

Tips and Tricks

• You could substitute lime zest and juice for a slightly more traditional flavor.
• If you want these a bit more on the mild side, adjust down the amount of red pepper flakes and chili paste to reduce the heat.
• You could double the marinade recipe easily and marinate some veggies in it as well for a bold side dish.

Other Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love

These Grilled Spicy Lemon Garlic Nam Prik Shrimp Skewers have truly earned their reputation in our house as a family favorite. Make these instead of burgers or hotdogs the next time you grill and enjoy!

Looking for other shrimp recipes? Try these:

• Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
• Fiesta Lime Shrimp Salad
• Slow Cooker Shrimp Dip
• Shrimp & Rice Casserole
• Crispy Honey Shrimp with Candied Walnuts
• Creamy Shrimp Salad

If you’ve tried these GARLIC NAM PRIK SHRIMP SKEWERS or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!

recipe originally posted May 23, 2018

This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.