Exactly how to grill bacon wrapped shrimp perfectly! The trick is to cook the bacon a bit first so it gets super crispy on the grill without overcooking the shrimp. These shrimp are a great make-ahead summertime appetizer, and the garlic lemon aioli for dipping is out of this world. Make it a meal by serving this as a starter to a kale cobb salad with grilled chicken!
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Oh oh OH I have been dying to get into summer grilling. I'm absolutely Team No Dishes, and all manner of grilled foods fit that bill.
Bacon wrapped ANYTHING is usually a fair bet for a delicious appetizer or protein dish, and bacon wrapped shrimp is a classic that we absolutely adore.
I like making these bacon wrapped shrimp on the grill because it keeps things tidy inside and the char on the bacon from the grill is VERY legit. Trust.
Recipe Notes + How to Grill Shrimp without Drying it Out?
The real "trick" here is that we bake the bacon a bit before wrapping it around the shrimp and grilling it.
The reason for the par-bake is to give the bacon more time to cook since shrimp cooks so quickly. It's an extra step, but a really simple swap that ensures the bacon is perfectly crisp without overcooking the shrimp. Rubbery/dry shrimp= bad. Delicate, succulent shrimp= good.
I make these bite-sized by only using a toothpick to secure ½ strip bacon to the shrimp. You could do a few at once by threading the bacon and shrimp onto skewers, though!
You can definitely make these in advance, I like to bake the bacon and wrap the shrimp in advance, then quickly grill the bacon wrapped shrimp right before serving. With the prep, we turn this into a 10-minute appetizer!
Let's do it.
Ingredients and Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: I like to use the biggest shrimp I can find on sale. Medium shrimp work, but large or jumbo are a bit better for a bacon-to-shrimp ratio. Shrimp should be peeled, deveined, with tails ON for easy grabbing and snacking.
- Bacon: Use regular-cut bacon here! Thick-sliced is too aggressive for the mild flavor of shrimp.
- Spices: sugar, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder sprinkled on the shrimp once it's wrapped in bacon is a very, very solid move.
- Spicy alternative: Definitely for sure feel FREE to add some cayenne pepper to the spice blend - this is a great recipe to be made spicy!
Step by Step Instructions
Once you've gathered your ingredients, things are super simple! Start by arranging the bacon on a sheet pan, then roasting it at 400F for 7-8 minutes, just until it starts to cook. It still needs to be really soft to wrap nicely around the bacon.
When the bacon has cooked, let it cool for a few minutes - enough so that you can handle it without burning yourself.
While the bacon is cooling, set up a shrimp-wrapping station and gently mix the spices together in a small dish.
- Cooling/cooked bacon
- Peeled/deveined shrimp
- Spices
- Toothpicks
- Plate of some sort for the shrimp once they're wrapped
To wrap the shrimp, grab a piece of bacon and wrap it around the center of the shrimp, leaving the tail exposed. The bacon will overlap. Stick a toothpick directly through both (overlapping) ends of the bacon and the center of the piece of shrimp.
It'll take a few tries to get the hang of it, but it'll get faster and faster as you go!
When the bacon is all wrapped, sprinkle the spice blend directly over all of the wrapped shrimp.
At this point, you can go straight to grilling, or keep the bacon wrapped shrimp in the fridge for up to 2 days, covered.
When you're ready to cook the shrimp, preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill the shrimp for about 5 minutes on each side until the bacon is nicely charred and the shrimp is cooked through.
This may take more or less time depending on the size of your shrimp and the heat of your grill, so just keep an eye on them - it goes fairly quickly!
Garlic Lemon Aioli
This is bonus points, but you can definitely whip up a little mayo mixture for dipping that is seriously seriously yummy. It's just mayo, grated garlic, lemon, and salt. Mix, dip, die a thousand happy deaths.
NOW. We munch. I can't tell you how delicious the crispy bacon, slightly sweet from the spice blend, with the bright lemony dipping sauce is with the shrimp.
It's so cliche but it's definitely a flavor explosion. Sorry not sorry.
Make Ahead and Leftover Storage
- Prep: You can make these in advance all the way until the grilling stage, and you can make the aioli in advance and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. I like to grill right at the last minute, though, because these are EXCELLENT served hot from the grill.
- Leftovers: lolol assuming you have any (you won't), these are fine stored in the fridge for a few days. I bring them back to life in the oven at 350F for about 7 minutes until the bacon is sizzling, or in the toaster oven to heat through and crisp back up.
And that's it! So simple, so delicious, so epically summer. I LOVE these as the start of a "let's grill stuff" meal, thinking marinated grilled chicken with some grilled veggies, chips and salsa, all super simple summer stuff.
I hope you enjoy these all summer long!
Recipe
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Equipment
- toothpicks
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 12 ounces jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails on (see note)
- 10-12 slices bacon, cut in half to form shorter pieces
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- toothpicks for securing the bacon
Aioli
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic grated or very finely minced
- ½ lemon juiced (about 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Par-Roast the Bacon: Arrange the bacon pieces in one layer on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400F, and roast the bacon for 7-8 minutes until soft and lightly browned but still very pliable (floppy, let’s be honest). The bacon won’t be totally done, which allows for wrapping the shrimp. Let the bacon cool for about 5 minutes until you can handle it without burning yourself.
- While the bacon is roasting, combine the spices in a small dish to form a spice blend.
- Assemble: Set up an assembly station with the cooled bacon, spice mixture, shrimp (thawed, if from frozen), and toothpicks.
- Tightly wrap a piece of bacon around the center of a shrimp, leaving the tail exposed. Use a toothpick to secure the ends of the bacon – the toothpick will go directly through both ends of the bacon, which will overlap, and the body of the shrimp. Repeat with all the shrimp, arranging on a large plate.
- Sprinkle the shrimp all over with all of the seasoning blend. Up to this point, the shrimp can be prepared in advance and kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Grill: When ready to cook and eat, preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the bacon wrapped shrimp carefully on the grates and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side until the bacon is charred and crispy and the shrimp is cooked through.: When ready to cook and eat, preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the bacon wrapped shrimp carefully on the grates and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side until the bacon is charred and crispy and the shrimp is cooked through.
- Remove to a plate, and remove the toothpicks if you’re feeling generous. Serve with lemon aioli for dipping, and prepare to take a bow. YUM.
Garlic Lemon Aioli
- Stir the ingredients together or whisk gently to combine. Taste, and add a bit more salt if the lemon flavor is very pronounced.
- Transfer to a small serving dish and let the aioli chill while you make the rest of the meal.
Notes
- Shrimp: I like jumbo shrimp for this recipe because they hold a half piece of bacon nicely and cook in about the same time as the bacon on the grill. However, use any kind of shrimp you like – just cut the bacon slightly smaller to fit the shrimp you choose. I often see jumbo shrimp half off in the freezer section at grocery stores: when I do, I buy a few bags to store in the freezer.
- Bacon: Choose a thin or regular-cut bacon, and count the number of shrimp you have, then divide that number in half, so that you cut the right number of pieces of bacon before you begin assembly, which is somewhat messy.
- Grilling: Yes the shrimp may take more or less time than mine did based on your grill. Yes the toothpicks may catch fire. Yes the bacon grease will cause flare-ups. This is an exercise in mindfulness; just watch for the bacon to get crispy, the shrimp to become opaque, and trust the process.
- Serving: I like to serve these shrimp mounded on a platter with a small dish of the aioli for dipping and a separate small empty dish for shrimp tails and toothpicks.
This recipe was originally published in July 2012, back when we were catering these by the hundreds. They are still very popular in our house, though these days in smaller batches. The recipe has stayed just as delicious over the years!
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