Grill and Chill Shrimp Cocktail

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

We made this easy shrimp cocktail on our pellet grill, but any type of grill would work here. I prefer my pellet grills because I think wood fire does magical things to seafood, and shrimp especially, but don't let the lack of a pellet grill keep you from making this. 

It is amazing. 

Large raw shrimp are seasoned simply with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper, and then grilled until they are pink. Next, they hit the fridge to chill for a couple of hours before being served up with your favorite cocktail sauce, like this easy 4-ingredient cocktail sauce from Wonky Wonderful or this delicious homemade cocktail sauce from My Forking Life. 

Recipe Shopping List

This is just the general overview so you know if you have to make a run to the grocery store or not. For specific ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card below.

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp
• salt
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• olive oil
• cocktail sauce

How To Make This Recipe

This is how you know what you're getting yourself into!

1. Buy the big shrimp. The bigger they are, the more likely you are to NOT overcook them. 
2. Don't overcook them. Overcooked shrimp is rubbery and not a thing that anyone is going to be writing home about. Even jumbo shrimp will be done in 10 minutes or less, in most cases. 
3. Make sure there is time to chill. Shrimp for shrimp cocktail needs to be cold, so don't skip that part!

Why Grill The Shrimp?

The wood fire of the pellet grill really does a good job of adding a subtle smoke flavor to seafood, but the key to good shrimp is to make sure you are only COOKING it once.

If you want a touch of smoke on your shrimp, buying the pre-cooked variety can lead to rubbery, less-than-ideal shrimp as a finished product.

If you are cooking the shrimp at all, or even eating them warmed at all, I always suggest buying raw shrimp for the highest potential for a good outcome. Save the pre-cooked shrimp for dishes where you'll be serving them cold like a traditional shrimp cocktail, Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, or a Shrimp Salad.

How To Store Leftovers

If you have any leftover, you can store it covered tightly in the fridge for 2-3 days, max. You can also easily repurpose this shrimp into a great topping on a homemade Caesar salad, or put them on top of a bed of freshly cooked pasta and then pour some hot homemade alfredo sauce on top for a great shrimp alfredo!

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