Shrimp Marinade Recipe

By James Kimble June 10, 2025 4 mins read 16 Views

A easy shrimp marinade recipe combines the zesty flavors of Asian chili sauce, citrus, and soy sauce. This flavorful blend adds a touch of heat, tanginess, and umami goodness to grilled, seared, or smoked shrimp.

With these fantastic ingredients, you can enhance the flavor of grilled or pan-seared shrimp. This is the best shrimp marinade for infusing shrimp with a zesty, vibrant taste. It’s one of our favorite marinades for shrimp and perfect for hosting summer BBQs or cocktail parties. It’s simple to make, and your guests will love it!

This marinade recipe makes enough marinade for 1 pound of jumbo shrimp. Double or triple the recipe as needed.

Why marinate shrimp?

A shrimp marinade is a flavorful mixture applied to shrimp before cooking. It imparts flavor, depth, and complexity to the shrimp while helping them retain moisture and preventing drying during cooking.

How long do you marinate shrimp?

The optimal for marinating shrimp is between 15 and 30 minutes. Shrimp meat is delicate and absorbs flavors quickly, so they don’t require as much time to marinate. Use caution when using an acid-based ingredient such as citrus juice or vinegar. Acids can “cook” the shrimp, leaving them soft and mushy.

Can you marinate frozen shrimp?

Yes, you can, but there are some things to consider.

Make sure they are clean: First, are the frozen shrimp already deveined? If not, we recommend defrosting them first, cleaning them thoroughly, then marinating.
Marinating frozen shrimp: If they are pre-cleaned, you can place the frozen shrimp in a resealable bag, pour the marinade over top, and allow the shrimp to defrost in the fridge.
Mushy texture: Defrosting shrimp in a marinade can take some time, and cause them to turn mushy.

Shrimp marinade ingredients

Vegetable oil
Sesame oil
Zest and juice of 1 lime: Use large limes for this recipe. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of juice in addition to the lime zest. Always zest the citrus first before extracting the juice.
Soy sauce Substitute with tamari or coconut aminos for gluten and soy allergies.
Sambal oelek (Indonesian chili sauce): Substitute with sriracha or smoky Korean gochujang if preferred.
Dark brown sugar: You can substitute with light brown sugar, palm, coconut, or a brown sugar alternative.
Garlic
Ginger or ginger powder
Fresh herbs: fresh parsley, chives, or cilantro, or a combination of all three in this shrimp marinade.
Salt and black pepper

How to make a shrimp marinade

Add main ingredients to bowl: Combine oils, zest, lime juice, soy sauce, sambal oelek, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a medium bowl.
Whisk the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
Add fresh chopped herbs, stir through, and taste the shrimp marinade. Season with salt and black pepper as needed.
Use marinade immediately on 1 pound of thawed, peeled, and deveined shrimp. Grill or pan-fry as directed.
Make ahead: Store mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Tips

Acids: If you’d like a brighter, sweeter shrimp, use 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice or pineapple juice in the marinade. You can also use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest if preferred.
Sweeteners: You can use coconut or palm sugar instead of brown sugar in this recipe. If you choose a liquid sweetener like honey or agave, use 1 tablespoon.
Fresh herbs: Swap out chives for cilantro, lemon grass, green onion, or flat-leaf parsley.
Baste: Double the shrimp marinade recipe and separate it into two halves. Use one half to marinate the shrimp and use the other half as a baste while the shrimp cooks.

More shrimp recipes to try!