Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp are a crowd-pleasing appetizer that you can make in about 30 minutes, all on the grill. The secret is par-cooking the bacon over indirect heat before wrapping, guaranteeing crispy bacon without overcooking the shrimp.
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The problem with cooking bacon wrapped shrimp on the grill is that the two ingredients don’t cook at the same rate. By the time the bacon is done, the shrimp have turned rubbery. The fix? Par-cook the bacon on the grill first, over indirect heat, until it’s starting to crisp but is still pliable enough to wrap. That head start means both ingredients finish together: The bacon is cooked through, the shrimp is just pink and tender.
After par-cooking the bacon, toss the shrimp in olive oil, salt, and pepper; wrap each one in a half-slice of bacon; thread onto skewers; and finish on the grill over indirect heat. Serve them as is or with a dipping sauce (Garlic Butter, Spicy Remoulade Sauce, or Aioli all work well). Et voilà: They fit anywhere from a backyard BBQ to a pre-dinner spread with wine.
“I made this for dinner tonight and it was so yummy!!! It was super easy. Thanks for great recipe.”
Shweta
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Skill level: Easy
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Ingredients
- Shrimp: You need shrimp that won’t cook too quickly on the grill. Remember, we need to give our bacon time to get crispy, so large, extra-large, or jumbo shrimp are the best option. Peel and devein them before wrapping them in bacon, but leave the tail on.
- Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is the best choice for flavor and quality.
- Sea Salt: If you don’t have sea salt handy, you can double the amount of kosher salt
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper. Enough said.
- Bacon: Ideally you’re looking for thinly sliced bacon, which par-cooks faster and wraps more tightly to the shrimp. If thick-cut is your only option, par-cook your bacon a few minutes longer, until it’s mostly crispy but still pliable.
- Lemon: Optional, but I love a quick squeeze of lemon over the shrimp when they’re still hot.
How to Make Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Start by preheating your grill to medium-high, between (425˚F). Slice the bacon strips in half crosswise (creating two shorter pieces) and grill them over indirect heat for 5 to 6 minutes. When slices look like they’re starting to crisp, but are still flexible enough to wrap, remove them and set them aside on a plate.
Toss the prepped shrimp in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap each slice of bacon around a shrimp and thread the bundle onto a skewer. Make sure the shrimp are wrapped in bacon before they hit the heat, or they will get dried out.
Place the shrimp on the grill over indirect heat, close the lid, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn halfway through, watching for pink shrimp and crispy bacon. Take them off when you’ve achieved the desired result. Rubbery shrimp? Pull them off a bit sooner next time.
Seasoning Options
While I personally like to let the flavors of these simple ingredients shine, you can definitely jazz things up if you like. Use your favorite spice blend, or combine garlic powder with smoked paprika and a bit of cayenne and mix it into the olive oil mixture. If you want something bolder and spicier, might I recommend my homemade Blackened Seasoning?
Skewers vs. Toothpicks
Metal skewers are always my go-to with grilling, because they require neither prepping nor soaking. If you’re using bamboo skewers or toothpicks, make sure to soak them for 15 minutes before threading your shrimp so they don’t burn over the heat. For toothpicks, use a one-to-one shrimp-to-pick ratio, and turn them individually when cooking.
Make Ahead
So, what can you get away with pre-prepping? Quite a bit, actually. You can do every step up to grilling a day ahead of time, then cover everything and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Make sure to take the chill off your skewers by letting them sit at room temp for 15 minutes before popping them on the grill, though.
Pro Tips
- Cut bacon to fit. Really long or stretchy bacon strips? Cut them crosswise into thirds instead of halves. The bacon should encircle the shrimp completely without overlapping itself by more than an inch or so.
- Thick-cut bacon needs more time. Thick-cut bacon takes longer to par-cook, so increase that stage for a few minutes. Whatever the case, you’re always looking for meat that’s starting to crisp but still flexible. (BTW, the stovetop and oven both work for this as well as the grill.)
- Want char on the bacon? If you love a bit of blackened goodness, you can move your bacon wrapped shrimp to direct heat for a minute or two right before you take them off. Just make sure to watch them … they’ll burn quick!
FAQ
Medium-high or 375 to 450 °F is ideal for grilling bacon wrapped shrimp.
Wrapping shrimp in partially cooked bacon before grilling is an ideal way to hold in moisture. Generally if grilled shrimp is rubbery or dried out, it means it’s overcooked.
Medium, large, or extra-large / jumbo shrimp are best for grilling. Small shrimp cook too quickly.
When wrapping with bacon, you should grill shrimp with the shell removed except for the tail.
The best way to grill bacon is over indirect heat to avoid flare ups. You can do this faster with the lid closed, but I recommend leaving the lid open and removing it from the grill as soon as it’s cooked or partially cooked to the degree you want.
More Bacon Wrapped Favorites
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (A winter version of these delectable shrimp that’s made in the oven.)
- Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Scallops (the grilling season version of the above)
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Ingredients
- 16 large shrimp peeled except for the tail and deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices bacon halved crosswise (see recipe note)
- 1 lemon cut into wedges, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high, 425˚F.
- Meanwhile, add shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper to a medium bowl; toss gently to coat.
- When the grill reaches temperature, turn off burners in one area to create an indirect heat zone. Place bacon slices on grill over indirect heat, leaving a little space between each. Grill with the lid open, 5 to 6 minutes depending on the thickness of your bacon. It should still be pliable when you remove it from the grill. Transfer bacon to clean plate.
- Close grill lid and reheat to 425˚F.
- When partially cooked bacon slices are cool enough to handle (a few minutes after you remove from grill), wrap each slice of bacon around one raw shrimp and thread onto a metal skewer (or bamboo skewer soaked in water for 15 minutes or more). Repeat with remaining shrimp (4 to 8 shrimp per skewer depending on the skewer length), leaving a little room between each shrimp. Transfer to plate.
- Grill shrimp over indirect heat with the lid closed, 4 to 5 minutes on each side until shrimp are pink and bacon is cooked through (8-10 minutes total). (recipe note #3) Transfer to clean platter or plate and serve with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
- If your bacon strips are very long, cut them into thirds crosswise instead of in half. You want the strips to be long enough to wrap the shrimp, but not so long that a large area of the bacon overlaps.
- For thick cut bacon, increase par-cook time by a few minutes, until bacon is starting to crisp, but is still pliable. Do this on your grill or in your oven or in a skillet on the stovetop.
- If you want a little char on your bacon, move skewers to direct heat for a minute or two with the lid open just before transferring to a serving platter.
- If you don’t have skewers, secure each bacon wrapped shrimp with a toothpick that has been soaked in water for at least 15 minutes. Grill individually over indirect heat, turning once with tongs, until shrimp are pink and bacon is cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for your wonderful recipe. I tweeked it by adding a pinch of Old Bay to each shrimp (I used 13-15 count). It was indeed a crowd pleaser.
I’m so glad to hear it, Ron! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I can’t wait to try this just like you say look delicious cooked perfectly right just beautiful.
Thank you, Debra!
What a great way to ensure the bacon and shrimp are both cooked to perfection! I do love bacon-wrapped shrimp, and I’m craving this recipe now. However, I might have a problem in that I’d eat all of the bacon before it went around the shrimp. Haha!
Thanks, David! You’re right about that – definitely tempting.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so yummy!!! It was super easy. Thanks for great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed these, Shweta!
Ooo I love bacon wrapped shrimp (let’s be honest I love everything bacon-wrapped lol), and this looks splendid! Indeed, great idea on using precooked bacon. The challenge would be not to eat all the bacon before it wraps the shrimp 🙂
I’m the same, Ben! “Bacon wrapped” always gets my attention. Precooking the bacon really makes all the difference here.
These shrimp are a sight to behold!!! Gorgeous. I’ve had these at parties where the bacon was crisp and the shrimp basically rubber. Ugh.
I’ve had the same experience, Mimi. At restaurants too! Partially cooking the bacon first really makes a world of difference.
What a fabulous idea! I love both shrimp and bacon and combining them together is just brilliant!
Thanks so much, Angie!