Seafood
Balcony Grilled Shrimp (No Smoke Alarm)
Shrimp is the apartment grilling cheat code. The entire cook is over in four minutes, which means there is no sustained smoke plume for your smoke detector to pick up on even in a closed kitchen. Add in the fact that shrimp produces almost no dripping fat (the main smoke source on most grills) and you have a protein that is basically designed for balcony electric grilling. The flavor profile here leans into everything electric grilling does well. High-heat sear for color, butter-and-garlic for the finish, and fresh lemon-parsley to brighten the whole thing. You do not miss the charcoal smoke because the dish was never about smoke in the first place, it is about the contrast between the caramelized exterior and the sweet, barely-cooked interior.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs jumbo shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Metal skewers (or bamboo, soaked)
Instructions
- 01
Whisk melted butter with garlic, lemon zest, salt, and red pepper flakes. Reserve 2 tablespoons for finishing.
- 02
Toss the shrimp in the remaining butter mixture. Thread 5-6 per skewer, alternating head and tail direction so they lay flat on the grill.
- 03
Preheat the balcony grill to 450F with the lid closed.
- 04
Grill shrimp 90 seconds per side. They are done the moment they turn opaque and C-shaped, any longer and they turn rubbery.
- 05
Remove to a plate, drizzle with the reserved butter and lemon juice, and shower with parsley.
Pro Tips
From our kitchen
- ★Shrimp is the fastest thing you can cook on a grill. A 4-minute cook means a 4-minute smoke window, your alarm genuinely has no time to react.
- ★The 'C-shape' doneness test is more reliable than a timer. A C is perfect; an O is overcooked.
- ★Larger shrimp are more forgiving on a balcony grill. 16/20 count (16-20 shrimp per pound) takes 90 seconds per side; small 41/50 shrimp overcook before you can even close the lid.
We recommend for this recipe
Weber Lumin Compact Electric Grill
The Weber Lumin Compact Electric Grill's 194 sq in surface and smoke infusion capability and 600°f searing heat make it our pick for this recipe. the woodfire smoke infusion delivers the deep flavor this recipe needs.
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