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Chimichurri Shrimp.

Shrimp simply brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt and black pepper, then grilled to perfection and finished with a bright and fresh chimichurri sauce. This is a quick, gorgeous and flavor-packed dish that celebrates the fresh flavors of summer.

A close-up shot of grilled shrimp skewers with chimichurri over rice.

WHAT IS CHIMICHURRI?

Have you ever tried chimichurri? Have you made it? It takes no time at all (less than 5 minutes) to make and it’s so worth the minimal effort.

Chimichurri is an oil-based Argentinean sauce made with lots of fresh herbs, shallots and garlic. It’s typically served with grilled meats and is fresh, bright and tangy. We love it on seafood (any type of fish, scallops and shrimp), grilled veggies – and I love to soak up the sauce with bread (or, in this case, rice).

This chimichurri was made with many ingredients from our garden. The herbs – the parsley, cilantro and oregano – all came from the garden. The garlic is from last year’s garden (dried).

Herbs are actually the only thing doing well in our garden this year. We started off doing well in mid-July, but since then, our zucchini, summer squash and pumpkins were all eaten by vine borers, our peas were eaten by a baby bunny (the bunny fence didn’t keep the babies out!) an something (not sure what yet) is eating our broccoli. Ugh.

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CHIMICHURRI SHRIMP

For the chimichurri:
  • shallot – gives that sweet oniony flavor without being overly potent
  • red wine vinegar – for acidity
  • fresh garlic
  • red pepper flakes – this will add a bit of heat
  • salt/pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil

For the shrimp

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt/ black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS SHRIMP WITH CHIMICHURRI:

Full instructions are in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview:

  • For the chimichurri, you add the ingredients (except olive oil) to a food processor and pulse a couple times. Then you’ll drizzle the olive oil in, pulsing to incorporate.
  • For the shrimp, you’ll toss with olive oil, thread onto wooden skewers and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.
  • You’ll grill the shrimp for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
  • Serve the grilled shrimp skewers drizzled with chimichurri sauce over brown rice.An overhead shot of shrimp skewers on a plate plate drizzled with chimichurri on a wooden background.

If you have herbs growing in your garden, this chimichurri sauce is a great way to use them up. Or, if summertime has passed, grab the herbs from the supermarket, because this sauce is a great way to add some brightness to those chiller, drearier times of year.

This chimichurri sauce gets better as it sits, so feel free to blend it up the day before you want to serve it.

MORE GREAT SHRIMP RECIPES:

Here’s how to make this Shrimp Chimichurri dish:

Grilled Shrimp with Chimichurri

Shrimp simply brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt and black pepper, then grilled to perfection and finished with a bright and fresh chimichurri sauce. This is a quick, gorgeous and flavor-packed dish that celebrates the fresh flavors of summer. 
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Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 458 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the chimichurri

  • 1 cup flat leaf parsley, loosely packed
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems, packed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
  • 1/2 small shallot
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the shrimp

  • wooden or metal skewers soaked for 30 minutes, if wooden
  • 12 ounces frozen large raw shrimp (31-40 shrimp per pound)  thawed and peeled (and deveined, if needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic or kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions
 

For the Chimichurri

  • Add all ingredients, except extra virgin olive oil, to a food processor. Pulse a few times. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, pulsing a few more times, until the olive oil is incorporated. You'll need to scrape down the bowl a few times. You don't want to mixture smooth or pesto-like, you want the herb pieces to remain a bit chunkier. 

For the shrimp

  • Preheat grill to high heat. Clean and oil grates.
  • Toss shrimp with olive oil. Thread shrimp onto skewers (make sure to have soaked skewers in water for 30 minutes, if using wooden skewers, to prevent them from burning). Sprinkle shrimp with garlic salt and pepper on both sides.
  • Add shrimp to the grill. Reduce heat to medium. Grill shrimp for a few minutes on each side, just until opaque and cooked through. Remove from grill.

For serving

  • Place cooked brown rice on a serving platter. Top with grilled shrimp skewers. Drizzle shrimp with chimichurri sauce. Serve additional chimichurri on the side, for passing.

Notes

The chimichurri tastes best when allowed to chill, meld and mellow for a few hours (or overnight). 

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 21gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 970mgPotassium: 308mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1651IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 203mgIron: 5mg
Keyword Grilled Shrimp with Chimichurri
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A plate of Grilled Shrimp with Chimichurri sauce with a jar of chimichurri in the background