Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce

A recipe for Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers with Chimichurri sauce that will feed a crowd - perfect for summer grilling! This better-for-you, lighter grilling recipe is a favorite. The chimichurri sauce doubles as a marinade and is SO full of flavor. 

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Related recipe: Pork and Vegetable Kebabs

Shrimp skewers

Grilling is one of the best things about summer: hanging out outside, relaxing and enjoying your friends' and family's company without having to rush off anywhere, and eating lots of delicious food. 

I wanted to share this easy grilled Shrimp and Vegetables Skewers recipe because it's a really easy one for entertaining a large crowd. Everyone LOVES skewers.

Can someone please tell me why food on skewers always tastes better than regular grilled food?? So when you combine plump, marinated shrimp, flavorful veggies, and a delicious fresh chimichurri sauce all on easy-to-grab skewers, it really doesn't get better than this.

Related recipe: Grilled Asparagus Salad with White Beans

In this recipe, the marinade doubles as a sauce, which makes your life easier: make the marinade and set some aside for later. The zesty marinade is made with lime juice, red wine vinegar, lots of fresh garlic and herbs, which adds an amazing flavor to the shrimp and vegetables and mellows out the red onion so it's not as sharp. IT IS GOOD.

You can absolutely eat lightened up grilled food that is not dry or bland. To lighten up this grilling recipe, I made three simple swaps:

1. I use shrimp as the protein for grilling instead of greasy hamburger or steak.
2. I add lots of veggies right onto the skewer so everyone gets a nice serving of grilled vegetables as a side instead of opting for traditional carb-heavy side dishes such as potato or pasta salad. I mean, look at all this natural beauty!
3. I use Mazola Corn Oil both for cooking and marinating. Mazola Corn Oil is an all-purpose, cholesterol free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy* choice for your family. *See Mazola.com for more information on the relationship between corn oil and heart health.

Mazola Corn Oil has a neutral taste, so the fresh flavors of the herbs, garlic, and lime juice really stand out in the chimichurri sauce. It's also PERFECT for grilling because it has a high smoke point (450F) - much higher than most cooking oils. This means that the oil won't burn while grilling and won't impart a negative flavor onto your food or affect the nutritional value of the ingredients. It is my go-to cooking oil for most recipes, especially if I am grilling.

Related recipe: Best Grilled Chicken Marinade

A few tips for perfect Shrimp and Vegetable skewers:

• Use FRESH lime juice for the marinade! Remember, the marinade doubles as a sauce that you will serve with the grilled shrimp skewers, so you want it to taste as fresh and vibrant as possible.
• 
• Get thin zucchini, or if you can only find thicker zucchini, slice it in half lengthwise, so that the zucchini is not much bigger than the rest of the veggies on the skewer.
• Use the biggest shrimp you can get. This way the shrimp and the vegetables will all be finished cooking at around the same time, and the shrimp won't be overcooked. The ones I used here were 16-20 shrimp per pound, or about 32-40 shrimp for the whole recipe. This come outs to about 2-3 large shrimp per skewer when split between 16 skewers.
• Try these other vegetables for the skewers: mushrooms, yellow squash, eggplant, or white onion. Or add a few slices of pineapple to your skewers!
• Marinate your shrimp and vegetables for at least 20 minutes, up to 2 hours. Any longer than that and you'll risk the shrimp's proteins actually changing because of the acidity of the marinade.  You'll need a large bowl or dish for marinating the shrimp and veggies (about 5 quarts, or split it between 2 bowls):
  
• This recipe can easily be cut in half if you're cooking for 4 people or less. I plan on 2 skewers per person if there are other side dishes, or 4 skewers per person if this is the main course. 
• Don't forget to soak the skewers if you're using wood or bamboo skewers! This will prevent them burning on the grill.

To make these shrimp skewers in the oven or on the stove top:

This recipe can also be made in the oven instead of a grill. Preheat the oven to 375 and roast the skewers for about 12-15 minutes, or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Alternatively, you can cook these on the stove top. If you have a large grill pan, it will create the same wonderful charred grill marks as an outdoor grill!

Looking for more easy recipes for grilling?

• Grilled naan pizza
• Pork burgers
• Turkey burgers with guacamole
• Venison burgers

Looking for more shrimp recipes?

Here are my best shrimp recipes - all in one place!

So what do you think? Do these grilled shrimp skewers look good or what?? If you enjoyed this recipe, please let me know with a comment and a star rating below! And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later.

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4.85 from 20 votes

Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce

A recipe for Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers with Chimichurri sauce that will feed a crowd - perfect for summer grilling! The chimichurri sauce doubles as a marinade and is SO full of flavor.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Marinating time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: 8 (2 skewers each)

Author: Kate

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Ingredients

Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers

• 2 lb shrimp - thawed if frozen, tails on or removed (see notes)
• 2 small zucchini - sliced
• 2 bell peppers - chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large red onion - chopped into 1 inch pieces

Chimichurri Sauce and Marinade

• 1 large bunch parsley - finely diced (about 1 - 1.5 cups total)
• ¼ cup fresh oregano - finely diced (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice - (from about ½ lime)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2-3 garlic cloves - finely minced
• 1 tablespoon red onion - finely minced
• ½ teaspoon salt - or more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - omit for no spice

Special equipment

• Outdoor grill or grill pan
• Skewers

Instructions

• If using wood or bamboo skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the ingredients.
• In a large bowl (5-quart) or dish combine all the ingredients for the Chimichurri sauce: finely minced parsley, finely minced fresh oregano, ¾ cup corn oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, minced red onion (take a bit from the skewers), salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Set aside half into a small serving bowl - this will be the sauce.
• Slice the zucchini. Clean the bell peppers and cut them into 1-2 inch squares. Cut the red onion into quarters and then into 1-2 inch pieces (see photo in blog post). Add the shrimp and chopped vegetables to the large bowl containing half the marinade (don't forget to set half aside so it's not contaminated by raw shrimp!). Mix well. Allow to marinate for 20-40 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
• Preheat the grill to high heat, to at least 300F. While the grill is preheating, place the shrimp and vegetables on the skewers, aiming for about 2-3 shrimp per skewer. (You can also do this in advance)
• Place the skewers on the preheated grill and cover. Allow to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Use grilling tongs to carefully flip the skewers, cover, and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp is fully cooked.
• Remove from heat and serve warm with the remaining chimichurri sauce on the side.

Notes

Use the largest shrimp you can find, 16-20 count per lb or bigger is a nice size. Use thin zucchini, or slice a thick zucchini in half lengthwise so the zucchini is not much wider than the shrimp.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal (16%) | Carbohydrates: 2g (1%) | Protein: 24g (48%) | Fat: 23g (35%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) | Cholesterol: 286mg (95%) | Sodium: 1029mg (43%) | Potassium: 153mg (4%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 950IU (19%) | Vitamin C: 42.9mg (52%) | Calcium: 168mg (17%) | Iron: 2.5mg (14%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.