The Hands-Down Best Seafood For Beginners To Try Grilling

If you're looking to switch up your grilled meats (there are only so many burgers and hot dogs one can eat in a summer), try grilling some scrumptious seafood. Grilled seafood has a tremendous charred flavor that just can't be achieved by boiling or baking. Those who are new to grilling seafood might find it a little daunting to cook fish perfectly without it flaking off into the grill or becoming dry and overcooked. For this reason, beginners might want to start with an easier seafood to grill like shrimp, according to a professional chef. 

Who better to seek seafood cooking advice from other than Chef Jonathan Bautista, executive chef at Ember & Rye, a SoCal steakhouse and seafood restaurant founded by culinary celebrity Richard Blais (who currently hosts "Next Level Chef" with Gordon Ramsay). According to Chef Bautista, shrimp is a great, beginner-friendly seafood to grill. He explains, "It absorbs flavor well, cooks quickly, and is very forgiving." If you follow a few easy tips and you'll be grilling the tastiest shrimp in no time. 

When choosing the best type of shrimp for grilling, opt for large or jumbo-sized shrimp, raw or precooked. If you have access to a seafood market, freshly caught shrimp tastes delicious, but quality frozen shrimp is also super tasty when grilled. Some people say buying it with the shell on results in tastier shrimp, but if you want to eliminate the hassle of deshelling, opt for shell-off, tail-on, deveined shrimp. While it's possible to grill shrimp in the shell, removing it will allow the shrimp to absorb the flavor of the marinade and impart more charred flavor from the grill. It also allows you to skewer the shrimp for an easier grilling experience. 

If you're using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw it before grilling by sticking it in the refrigerator overnight, or putting the shrimp in a sealed bag and submerging it in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes. Once the shrimp is thawed, season or marinate it to boost the flavor. For best results, you should brush the shrimp with mayonnaise before grilling. The fat will sear the shrimp nicely while preventing it from sticking to the grill. However, seafood marinades often contain a mixture of lemon juice and butter or olive oil to balance out the ocean taste. You can kick it up a notch with a spicy lemon garlic butter sauce, or add some soy sauce, garlic, and honey for an umami flavor with a touch of sweetness. 

After marinating your shrimp, load them up on your skewers by sticking them through the middle of the shrimp. Leaving the tails on will make it easier to pull the shrimp off of the skewers when they are done. Also, some say cooking shrimp with the tails on will impart more flavor. Using skewers is a foolproof way of cooking shrimp because they prevent the shrimp from falling into the grill, while also making it super easy to flip the shrimp halfway through cooking. 

Shrimp should be cooked on high, direct heat for just a couple of minutes on each side. This isn't the type of grilling where you load up the grates and walk away to mingle with your guests. Avoid shrimp cooking mistakes like overcooking by keeping an eye on the grill as it cooks. You'll know the shrimp is done when it's pink or orange in color and has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the size of the shrimp, it could take as little as two minutes per side. 

Because shrimp cooks so fast, beginners might be worried about overcooking it. However, Bautista says, "Overcooking shrimp slightly is not a deal breaker for beginners." The texture might be a bit chewy and tough, but it will still have delicious flavor. If it's very overcooked, it can be repurposed in other dishes like grilled shrimp tacos, pasta, or a salad.