This recipe for Grilled Lemon Tarragon Shrimp Kabobs is on my mind. Here’s why!
I’m always looking for a way to dress up shrimp. This mighty crustacean is the perfect protein for an easy weeknight meal, or lively dinner party. And going to classic flavor combinations is one way to do it. We all know shrimp at their most basic — sizzled up with a little garlic and butter. But I want to balance it out with more depth of flavor and a little acidity.
What herbs and spices to pair with Lemon Tarragon Shrimp Kabobs?
This recipe for Lemon Tarragon Shrimp Kabobs utilizes lemon and sumac for a little zip along with fresh tarragon to balance it all out. Tarragon a beautiful fresh herb to use with any seafood! Its subtle anisette flavor and freshness gives any dish a definite POV, and it pairs so well with with the tang of the sumac.
A secret ingredient hiding in plane sight.
The secret here is also a bit of mustard. It’s an easy way to pack flavor into a marinade, sauce, or dressing and something most of us always have on hand.
What size shrimp to use for kabobs?
This recipe cooks up in no time. Just pay attention to the size of your shrimp, as that will affect cooking time. I’m using jumbo 16/20 sized raw shrimp. I find that size or even a bit larger are the best to grill. Peel and devein them, but you can keep the tails on if you like a handle to remove them from the skewer.
To grill or not to grill?
Lemon Tarragon Shrimp Kabobs are perfect for warmer weather grilling, but tasty any time of year. But if you don’t have a grill, you can easily prepare them in a different way. First, you can sear the shrimp (on or off the skewer) in a pan. Additionally, you could broil the shrimp on the skewers. Cook time will be about the same.
Drawing on classic flavor combinations is one way to dress up everyday shrimp. We all know shrimp at their most basic — sizzled up with a little garlic and butter. But this recipe raises the volume on our favorite crustacea with deep depth of flavor and a little acidity.
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mustard, (smooth Dijon preferred)
- 1 lemon, zest and juice (more for garnish)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sumac (or coriander)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together tarragon, mustard, garlic, lemon zest, chili flakes, sumac, salt, and pepper.
- Pat shrimp dry. Toss in marinade to coat. Refrigerate/marinate for a least 30 minutes, and up to 3 hours.
- Skewer shrimp. Prepare grill for medium heat and oil grates.
- Grill skewers for 3-5 minutes, covered.
- Uncover, flip skewers, cover and grill for another 3-5 minutes.
- Finish by garnishing with a squeeze of lemon, and additional chopped tarragon.
Notes
If you don't want to grill the kabobs, you can broil the skewers or sear the shrimp over high heat in a skillet.