Best Shrimp Marinade

Beer and shrimp are best buddies. Add in some basil and you pretty much have the best shrimp marinade ever.

Why Should I Marinate Shrimp?

Shrimp are very tender and juicy on their own so if you marinate them it isn’t to tenderize them. It’s to give them some extra flavor.

Go ahead and choose bold flavorings for your shrimp marinade. Fresh lemon juice and lime juice are both great choices for the acid. Garlic is always good! Some minced jalapeno and some coconut milk, amazing. Others prefers soy sauce and bold spice for theirs. There are so many directions to go.

You can also brine shrimp if you’d like to keep it simple and add flavor while cooking or after with a sauce.

Beer And Basil Shrimp Marinade

For this shrimp marinade, I was looking for something new and exciting to try. I turned to my trusty Flavor Bible (do you know this book? It’s incredible for coming up with new recipe ideas. It lists every food ever and then tells you what foods and flavors go with it. I always have it within arm’s reach and use it daily) and looked up Shrimp. A lot of the usual suspects were there. But then I spotted beer. 

Of course! Like Beer Battered Shrimp! Those flavors do work well together. Right near beer in the list of foods that go with shrimp was basil. I could already taste this. Those shrimps’ fates were sealed.

What Kind Of Beer Should I Use?

In general, a beer you like the taste of. I find I like it best with a lager, something light that won’t overwhelm the taste of the shrimp, but still flavorful. I would love to hear which beer you choose in the comments!

How To Make The Best Shrimp Marinade

Here’s what you do to make this delicious shrimp marinade recipe. Pour the beer into a bowl and add some olive oil, torn up basil leaves, and salt. That’s it, that’s all the marinade ingredients. Then in go the shrimp.

Put them in the fridge for 30 minutes. Don’t do it longer than that. You don’t want the beer to start cooking your shrimp (I know it’s not technically “cooking” without heat. It’s actually called denaturing, but you understand.)

After the quick half hour marinade, you can cook the shrimp with your preferred method. Just drain them and pat them dry first.

If you love to marinate your meats, you should also try my Chicken Marinade recipe and best Pork Chop Marinade too.

Cooking Marinated Shrimp

I like to cook the shrimp in a skillet. It only takes a few minutes to perfectly cook shrimp on the stove. It’s also delicious to grill shrimp after marinating. For other options, try Air Fryer Shrimp, Instant Pot Shrimp, or Deep-Fried Shrimp. There’s no bad choice!

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