You’ll find no shortage of meat centric recipes here on grillseeker.com, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love me some grilled shrimp. Especially grilled Argentinian Red Shrimp!
These little gems are a hidden secret and they are definitely something you need to try…ASAP. This blog is all about Argentinian Red Shrimp, a flavor bomb of the shrimp world that you can find online, and in some super markets.
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First, let’s talk about where these wild-caught shrimp come from. Unlike royal red shrimp that are caught off the coast of Florida, Argentinian Red Shrimp are a deep water shrimp caught in the cold water of the Western region of the South Atlantic.
Royal reds are tasty, but they are very limited in availability. Both are generally sold to the consumer as frozen shrimp.
They’re sweeter than typical farm-raised shrimp and have the texture and taste closer to lobster than shrimp.
How to Prepare Argentinian Red Shrimp
We’re going simple here, marinate these shrimp for a couple hours in my marinade that adds just a bit of heat to balance the sweetness of the shrimp.
I’ve said a number of times that I’m not a fan of heat for heat’s sake, but when it complements the protein I’m all in, and that’s the case here. Just a touch of the cayenne pepper is the perfect match for the sweetness that’s inherent in these red shrimp.
We’re just going to place the thawed raw shrimp in a sealable bag, cover with marinade and let them sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours. That’s it, pretty simple huh?
How to Cook Frozen Argentinian Red Shrimp
This dish has quickly become one of my favorites not only for the unique flavor, but also the simplicity and how quickly these shrimp cook; literally in half the time of a regular shrimp which is already a quick cook to begin with.
After a couple hours in the marinade, simply skewer them, (I recommend using two skewers for every six or seven shrimp to prevent them from spinning on a single skewer) and grill about 2-3 minutes per side over high heat. You’re looking for pink and opaque flesh when you’re cooking.
How to Serve Grilled Shrimp
After these come off the grill, pour your warm garlic butter over top to the finish the dish, and garnish with some finely chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley.
Generally, garnish is used for visual appeal and I find that using chopped chives adds yet another layer of flavor to this dish that parsley doesn’t, and both look great. When it’s all said and done, we’re talking about what might be the most epic shrimp dish you’ve put on the table.
Of course, if you’re looking for a little shrimp and pasta you NEED to check this recipe out as well.
Marinated Grilled Red Argentinian Shrimp Recipe
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins. | Cook time: 4-5 mins.
Ingredients
For The Shrimp:
2 lbs Argentinian Red Shrimp
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
For The Sauce:
1 stick butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp chives, chopped
Step 1: Whisk together all ingredients for shrimp marinade in large bowl.
Step 2: Place shrimp in a gallon sized sealable plastic bag and pour marinade over shrimp, tossing to coat. Ensure shrimp is evenly coated, force air out of bag and seal. Place on a plate and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes to two hours.
Step 3: After shrimp has marinated, light grill and set up for direct high heat. Place small oven safe sauce pan on grill over indirect heat and add butter and garlic. This should be enough to melt your butter but if not, just slide the pan over the direct heat when you grill the shrimp.
Step 4: While grill preheats, skewer shrimp onto 12” wooden skewers.
TIP: Using two skewers for the shrimp will prevent them from spinning on a single skewer.
Step 5: Place shrimp directly over heat and grill for about two minutes, flip and grill an additional two minutes.
Step 6: Remove from grill, baste with melted butter and garlic and garnish with chopped parsley.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
- 2 lbs Argentinian Red Shrimp
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp
Italian seasoning
For the Sauce:
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tbsp chives chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients for shrimp marinade in mixing bowl.
- Place shrimp in a gallon sized sealable plastic bag and pour marinade over shrimp. Ensure shrimp is evenly coated, force air out of bag and seal. Place on a plate and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes to two hours.
- Light grill and set up for direct high heat. Place small oven safe sauce pan on grill over indirect heat and add butter and garlic.
- While grill preheats, skewer shrimp onto 12” wooden skewers.
- Place shrimp directly over heat and grill for about two minutes, flip and grill an additional two minutes.
- Remove from grill, baste with melted butter and garlic and garnish with chopped parsley.
Can I marinate the shrimp over night?
Hey Belinda, thanks for checking out the recipe. For this one, you can marinade overnight but you’re not likely to get any more flavor infused than if you just did it for a couple hours. That said, overnight with marinades isn’t always acceptable. Marinades that contain citrus for example; the acids in those will start to cook and break down the proteins so just be mindful of that. I hope this helps!
Are the shrimp peeled before the marinate and grill?
Yes, peeled with tails left on. The tail is like a little handle. 🙂
-M
I see a section in the article that lists how to cook from frozen, but I missed the explanation. Do you thaw shrimp, then marinate? Or do you marinate frozen shrimp and cook partially frozen? Thanks for the help!
Hi Kristen – sorry for the confusion. You’ll want to thaw the shrimp first, then marinate them. Hope this is helpful, LMK how you like them!
-M
Hello M~
Can I use your compound butter recipe for the marinade?
The butter wouldn’t do well as a marinade, it would solidify during the process.