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Za’atar grilled shrimp skewers are served with a marinated vegetable medley to create a bright yet smokey dinner that is summer perfection.
Hello! We’re already halfway through another hot and sticky summer week, and I feel like I haven’t delivered much as far as grilled recipes go. Which is sad, because I live for summer grilling. So! That was my goal this week. To fire up the grill and come up with something delicious and wholesome; something light enough to cap off those days when it’s too hot to eat something heavy.
The shrimp is obviously the star here. It’s tossed in a mix of za’atar, smoked paprika, and garlicky goodness which makes it pretty hard to compete with. But the marinated veggies have a huge supporting role. They’re tender, lemony, herbaceous, and lightly charred. We like to serve this meal over hummus-smeared pitas, but you could totally rock this combo with some fluffy rice, couscous salad, quinoa, etc.
Though some chefs are against grilling peeled shrimp.
This recent piece from Bloomberg claims that peeled shrimp (along with other meats, like burgers?!) shouldn’t be thrown on the grill. This almost had me rethinking this recipe, despite the fact that my shrimp has never come off the grill dry. Highly-trained chefs have big opinions, and they’ve earned those big opinions. But that doesn’t mean we all have to play by their rules, right? ;)
I think the key is to get a good marinade going and make the cook a quick one. What are your thoughts on grilling shrimp or other meats? Are you grill happy come summertime? Let me know in the comments!
And hey. If you find yourself really digging za’atar, check out this crave-worthy sheet pan chicken.
I hope you’re having a great week, and I hope the weekend finds you quickly :)
If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you. Then snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme to be featured in our newsletter.
Za’atar Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Marinated Vegetable Medley
Ingredients
Shrimp Skewers.
- 20 oz large peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 TBSP za’atar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
- About 6 large skewers, preferably metal
Marinated Vegetable Medley.
- 1 small to medium zucchini
- 1 small to medium summer squash
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 large bell pepper (any color)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- 2-3 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 TBSP freshly chopped oregano
- 1 TBSP freshly chopped parsley
- Cracked black pepper
Materials.
- Tin foil
Instructions
Shrimp Skewers.
- Pat the peeled and deveined shrimp dry with paper towels and place them into a large bowl. Drizzle them with the olive oil, then add the lemon zest, Za’atar, smoked paprika, garlic, and salt. Gently toss to coat, cover, and place in the fridge. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
Marinated Vegetable Medley.
- Cut the ends off of the zucchini and summer squash. Slice the zucchini and summer squash into rounds, then cut into halves.
- Cut the red onion into bite-sized wedges.
- Core the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and roughly chop the bell pepper into bite-sized pieces.
- Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, and parsley until well combined. Drizzle the mixture over the vegetable medley and toss to coat. Set aside and let it marinate for 20 minutes. (Don’t leave the veggies to marinate for longer than 30 minutes, or you’ll risk them becoming mushy.)
Grilling.
- Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grates. Cut two 12 x 18-inch (ish) squares of tin foil. With a slotted spoon, equally disperse the veggies to the center of each tin foil square. Reserve the marinade.
- Fold the longer sides of the foil toward each other and crimp the edges to seal. Fold and crimp the remaining edges to form a sealed packet.
- Place the packets onto the grill seam-side up, close the lid, and grill for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, remove the shrimp from the fridge and thread them onto skewers; set aside.
- When there is just 10 minutes remaining for the veggies, bring the heat down to medium-low. Place the shrimp skewers onto the grill and cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until the shrimp is opaque.
- Remove the shrimp skewers and foil packets from the grill. The veggies should be crisp yet tender.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges, pitas, and hummus or your favorite grains. Drizzle vegetable marinade over veggies if you’d like.
WHERE DOES THE SPICE ZA’ATAR COME IN? The Recipe states Za’atar Shrimp??
Maybe I’m not reading it correctly?.
Hi Barbi, if you look under “shrimp skewers” in the recipe directions, it’s right there.
“Shrimp Skewers.
Pat the peeled and deveined shrimp dry with paper towels and place them into a large bowl. Drizzle them with the olive oil, then add the lemon zest, Za’atar, smoked paprika, garlic, and salt. Gently toss to coat, cover, and place in the fridge. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.”