For The Juiciest Grilled Shrimp, They Need To Be Dry First

Of the many different ways to prepare and enjoy shrimp, grilling the small shellfish is a great way to go. After figuring out exactly what kind of shrimp to buy at the store, the grilling process itself can make or break your enjoyment of the dish you're making. Luckily, grilling up the juiciest shrimp possible is within our reach. Shirley Chung, a Chinese-American chef known for her appearances on BravoTV's "Top Chef" — which is still one of the best cooking shows in history – and Food Network's "Tournament of Champions" hosted by Guy Fieri, gave us some vital insight on achieving the perfect grilled shrimp. 

The most important thing to remember is that the shrimp must be dry before throwing it on the grill, advised Chung. This is because any moisture that the shellfish has will prevent it from achieving the perfect sear you're looking for and could result in soggy, unsatisfying shrimp.

To ensure the fish is dry, Chung revealed that some methods are better than others. "It's better to use paper towels to pat dry the shrimp," she told The Takeout. "Drying shrimp in the fridge takes too much time and space." There are other advantages to this method, too. Using paper towels will "give you more control" when it comes to "how dry you want the shrimp to be," explained Chung — plus "it's fast."

Outside of drying the shrimp before cooking it, there are a few other key ways to cook up the most delicious grilled shrimp possible. When it comes to the actual act of grilling the shellfish, chef Shirley Chung advised that you cook it at a very high heat. "It's important to have a very hot grill and give shrimp enough cooking space," Chung revealed — though she also warned against overcooking the fish by leaving it on the grill for too long. Generally speaking, jumbo shrimp shouldn't take much more than five minutes — three on one side and two on the other — to grill to completion. Smaller ones will be even quicker. 

As for the actual ingredients that go into making great grilled shrimp, marinating the shellfish could work wonders for your dish. While some believe that dry brining shrimp is important for the best results, Chung suggests doing things a bit differently. "Use oil in the marinade to help with fast caramelization of the shrimp," the chef added. Try using olive oil with Italian seasoning, or nutty sesame oil to go with ginger and lime flavors.