Smoked Shrimp on a Pellet Grill

Smoked shrimp is the answer to the most common complaint about pellet grills: that everything takes eight hours. Total time here is 45 minutes, of which 30 is hands-off, and the result is shrimp with a genuine layer of wood smoke that no stovetop method can produce.

It is also the least forgiving cook on this site. Shrimp go from perfect to rubbery in about 90 seconds, and there is no stall, no wrap, and no rescue. The entire recipe is about hitting 120°F and getting them off.

Buy Big Shrimp

Use jumbo shrimp, 16/20 count or larger. The number refers to shrimp per pound — 16/20 means 16 to 20 of them make a pound.

Size matters more here than in almost any other recipe. Small shrimp have so little mass that the difference between cooked and overcooked is measured in seconds, and they take on smoke unevenly. Jumbo shrimp give you a real window to work with.

Other buying notes:

• Peel and devein, tails on. Peeled shrimp take on far more smoke and seasoning. The tails are handles.
• Previously frozen is fine. Nearly all shrimp is frozen at sea; the "fresh" shrimp at the counter was almost certainly thawed there. Just do not cook them from frozen.
• Pat them bone dry. Wet shrimp steam and stay pale. Dry shrimp take color and smoke.

Seasoning (Right Before, Not Hours Before)

Toss with olive oil, then season:

• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika — for color as much as flavor
• 1/2 tsp cayenne — optional

Ten minutes is the right head start. Unlike a brisket or a turkey, shrimp are small enough that salt pulls moisture out of them quickly, so seasoning hours ahead works against you.

If you would rather use one jar, a straight salt-pepper-garlic blend covers the base seasoning here and you can add the paprika separately for color. Old Bay is the other classic choice for shrimp and needs no help from anything else.

The Cook

1. Fill the hopper with a mild pellet. This matters more for shrimp than for any other protein — applewood pellets are ideal, cherry works, and alder is the traditional seafood wood if you can find it. Hickory and mesquite will bulldoze the shrimp in 25 minutes. Our wood pellet flavor guide explains why.
2. Set the grill to 225°F and preheat 15 minutes with the lid closed.
3. Get them off the bare grates. Use a grill pan, a wire rack, or skewers — shrimp fall through standard grill bars, and turning two dozen of them individually with tongs is a losing game.
4. Arrange in a single layer with a little space between them, and smoke 20 to 30 minutes without flipping. The convection airflow of a pellet grill cooks them from all sides.

The 120°F Rule

Start checking at 18 minutes. This is the entire recipe.

Shrimp are done at 120°F at the thickest part of the body, just behind the head end. At 140°F the proteins have contracted and squeezed out their moisture, and the texture is rubbery — the state most restaurant shrimp arrives in.

Because the window between done and ruined is so tight, use both signals together:

• Temperature. A thin needle probe like the one on the ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE is what makes a temperature check on something this small meaningful — a thick probe on a jumbo shrimp is mostly measuring the air on the other side. Check two or three of the largest shrimp in the batch.
• Shape. A loose C is done. A tight O is overcooked. This old cook's cue is genuinely reliable and it is free.
• Color. Fully opaque pink throughout, no translucent gray at the center.

When they hit 120°F, take them off. All of them, immediately.

Finish in Garlic Butter

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter with 3 cloves of minced garlic in a skillet or foil pan — on the grill or on the stove, either works. Add the smoked shrimp and the juice of one lemon, and toss for 30 to 60 seconds. Scatter parsley over the top.

This stage takes under a minute and does two things: it coats every shrimp in a sauce that catches the smoke, and it gets them off the heat and onto a plate fast.

Serve immediately. Smoked shrimp are at their best within five minutes of leaving the grill.

Gear for This Recipe

What this cook actually leans on:

Serving Ideas

• Shrimp cocktail with smoke. Chill the smoked shrimp and serve with cocktail sauce. The smoke turns a familiar appetizer into something people ask about.
• Smoked shrimp tacos. Corn tortillas, slaw, lime crema.
• Over grits or pasta. The garlic butter is already most of a sauce.
• On a board. Alongside smoked queso and jalapeño poppers — three quick smokes that fill a table.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to smoke shrimp?

20 to 30 minutes at 225°F for jumbo 16/20 shrimp. Smaller shrimp finish faster and are much harder to control.

What internal temperature should smoked shrimp reach?

120°F. By 140°F they are rubbery. Back the reading up with the shape cue — loose C is done, tight O is overcooked.

Do you smoke shrimp with the shell on or off?

Peeled takes on far more smoke and seasoning. Shell-on is juicier and more forgiving but blocks most of the smoke.

What wood pellets are best for smoked shrimp?

Mild fruit woods only — apple, cherry, or alder. Hickory and mesquite overwhelm shrimp in under half an hour.

Can you smoke frozen shrimp?

Thaw first. Frozen shrimp release water on the grill and steam instead of smoking.

What to Cook Next

• Traeger® Smoked Salmon — the other seafood cook worth running on a pellet grill.
• Traeger® Corn on the Cob — smoke it alongside the shrimp at the same temperature.
• Traeger® Smoked Deviled Eggs — another 30-minute smoke for a full appetizer spread.
• Smoked Brats and Sausage on a Pellet Grill — an hour of hands-off smoke for a crowd.

Explore more: Complete Pellet Grill Smoking Guide | Wood Pellet Flavor Guide | All Recipes