Copycat Texas Roadhouse Grilled Shrimp Recipe

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

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Fans of Texas Roadhouse enjoy the chain's varied offerings, and among the steaks, sides, buttery rolls, and assorted mains, the grilled shrimp is a standout dish. Find them on the menu as a starter served with toast and as a main alongside rice or steak — or take matters into your own hands and follow Mashed recipe developer Julianne De Witt's take. "This copycat Texas Roadhouse grilled shrimp recipe features tender shrimp marinated in the perfect combination of flavors with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs," she shares. 

Even better, if you aren't up to the task of an elaborate home-cooked meal, De Witt adds, "It's an easy recipe to put together with few ingredients and takes just minutes to cook on the grill." Recreate the restaurant experience by serving the grilled shrimp with toast, rice, steak, or salad. De Witt recommends finishing refrigerated leftovers within a few days and avoiding freezing leftovers. She explains: "Because the shrimp is thawed before grilling, re-freezing it could change the texture of the shrimp and could allow bacterial growth, leading to a risk of foodborne illness."

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

For this recipe, you'll need extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, minced fresh parsley, lemon zest, minced garlic cloves, minced shallots, and 16/20 count raw shrimp (deveined with the shells removed, tail on, and thawed).

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, and shallots to a small bowl.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Pour the marinade over the shrimp.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Mix the shrimp to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate the shrimp for 30 minutes to a maximum of 2 hours.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Place a griddle insert on the grill and preheat to 400 F. Lightly spritz the griddle with cooking spray.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Thread 5 shrimp on each skewer. (There will be enough shrimp for 6 skewers.)

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Place the skewers on the griddle and grill for 2 minutes.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Flip the skewers and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp and pink and just cooked through.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

Transfer shrimp to serving platter and serve right away.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

"While prawns and shrimp are often used interchangeably, they are different from one another," De Witt notes — a statement that might surprise some shellfish fans. As she explains, "Both are decapods (they have 10 legs), but prawns have pincers on three sets of legs while shrimp only have them on one set." To be fair, that's not usually the type of detail that diners consider while skewering a shrimp (or prawn) with a fork. 

That said, other distinctions are more meaningful for consumers. "Shrimp shells move more freely than prawn shells, making them more flexible," De Witt says. This can make it simpler to deshell the shrimp, for example. Meanwhile, she adds, "Shrimp carry their eggs on the underside, while prawns release their eggs in the water." You may notice some of your shrimp have a little extra bulk in their belly. Finally, she says that "Prawns are more likely to be sold with their heads on and are typically larger than shrimp." If you're looking to grill them whole without the need for a skewer, prawns are a good choice.

Julianne De Witt/Mashed

You'll notice De Witt specifies using 16/20 count shrimp, which she says "is the perfect size for this recipe." As she explains, "Shrimp counts refer to the number of shrimp per pound. Smaller numbers indicate larger shrimp, and larger numbers indicate smaller shrimp." In this case, a 16/20 count consists of about 16 to 20 shrimp per pound, which allows you to make six skewers. Usually, shrimp are counted without the head. Jumbo shrimp typically have an 11/15 count, whereas small shrimp have a 36/45 count. In between, you'll find extra-large (16/20), large (21/30), and medium (31/35).

Aside from choosing the right-sized shrimp, De Witt recommends, "Look for raw de-veined, peeled shrimp with the tail on or de-vein and peel them if necessary." She also suggests using a griddle insert on the barbecue if you have one, as it helps the shrimp cook easily and facilitates flipping the skewers. "If grilling directly on the barbecue grates, make sure to soak the wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes so that they don't burn," she warns.