It All Began…
… at Markipedia’s 60th birthday party when our friend and neighbor Connie brought a big bowl of grilled shrimp to add to the buffet. They were delicious and the perfect addition to the spread of hors d’œuvres I had planned. Naturally, I got the recipe from her.
These shrimp are so good that I wanted to turn them into an elegant first course. Me being me, and with Connie’s approval, I made a few changes and additions to her recipe, and the final product came out beautifully. I hope you enjoy this Spicy Grilled Shrimp; it would be perfect for New Year’s Eve!
~ David
Spicy Grilled Shrimp
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 20-24 large shrimp (about 1 pound)
- 2 to 3 cups watercress leaves (or arugula)
- lemon juice
- slivers of red pepper (hot or sweet), for garnish
Instructions
- Combine sambal oelek, olive oil, cilantro, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium-size bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving their tails intact. Add to the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
- Just before grilling the shrimp, wash and dry the watercress leaves and divide among four plates. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
- Heat grill to high. Place five or six shrimp on each of four metal skewers. Reduce grill heat to medium and add shrimp skewers, cooking about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second, until pink and firm. Allow them to cool slightly, then place a skewer of shrimp on the bed of watercress on each plate. Garnish with the red pepper slivers and serve.
- Makes 4 first course servings.
© 2026 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
angiesrecipes
December 27, 2025 at 5:29 amLooks light, yet so flavourful! I would probably end up eating all the appetizers :-))
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 8:03 amThanks, Angie… I may or may not have eaten an entire batch myself!
FEL!X
December 27, 2025 at 6:07 amAlways a good choice to come on shrimps – if grilled, steamed, in a gravy or …
Thanks for your always delicious recipes during the year – if I cooked them or not, it is always like a feast to comb through them!
Felix
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 8:04 amThanks, Felix! I appreciate all your comments throughout the year. And Mark and I wish you a Happy New Year, too1
Mimi Rippee
December 27, 2025 at 6:27 amWell you had me at the first ingredient!!! They’re beautiful, besides. Happy New Year!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 8:05 amThanks, Mimi — I love my sambal oelek! Happy New Year!
Barb
December 27, 2025 at 8:03 amI love grilled shrimp and these sound delicious! It’s amazing what a good marinade can do!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 8:05 amI love how grilling brings out the sweetness in shrimp — add a little heat and I’m in heaven!
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
December 27, 2025 at 9:04 amNice skewer and nice recipe, too! I’ve got some sambal oelek in my cupboard and this should get my juices going for the New Year!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 5:12 pmThanks for noticing the skewer, Fran. I made sure it fit into the photograph! I hope you enjoy the recipe, and I wish you a very happy and healthy new year!
Mad Dog
December 27, 2025 at 11:42 amThey look fabulous!
I had some delicious shrimp dishes this week. I combined Gambas al Ajillo (you could skip the garlic) with Morcilla de Burgos and a little fresh cilantro …and then Monkfish poached in Shrimp Stock.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 5:12 pmIt is definitely a good time of year for shrimp recipes, Mad Dog! Yours all sound wonderful. I really love monkfish, but it’s very hard to find here… And when you can’t find it, it’s outrageously expensive!
Eha Carr
December 27, 2025 at 2:09 pmThis looks great and the taste just wafts off the page. Enjoyable array of spices – I always find it interesting when Worcester sauce is added to any Eastern ones and wonder how that originally came about. Served like a work of art as usual . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 5:14 pmI’m so glad you like the recipe, Eha. Since there is some Moore, that takes Worcestershire sauce back to India, it wouldn’t surprise me that it went eastward as well as West to London. It does have a decent amount of tamarind and mustard seed, both of which are great South Asian ingredients. Thanks for your kind words about the plating.
Karen (Back Road Journal)
December 27, 2025 at 2:41 pmI think shrimp has to be one of the best appetizers at a party. These certainly do look tasty.
Cocoa & Lavender
December 27, 2025 at 5:15 pmI agree 100%, Karen. If I see shrimp at a party, I head right to them!
sherry
December 27, 2025 at 11:57 pmi love me a prawn dish! Sadly hubby does not eat seafood! so we don’t eat it at home. THis looks wonderful David. Happy new year to you and Mark.
sherry
Cocoa & Lavender
December 28, 2025 at 7:58 amThanks, Sherry — I’m glad you like the recipe! Happy new year to you and Mr. P, as well!
2pots2cook
December 28, 2025 at 3:58 amWhat a treat! I would enjoy the whole batch and leave the rest of menu to others, just like Angie …
Cocoa & Lavender
December 28, 2025 at 7:55 amI certainly would not judge, Davorka!
Ronit Penso
December 28, 2025 at 11:36 amThese look so delicious! The aromatic marinade is so perfect for grilling. Happy New Year! 🙂
David Scott Allen
December 29, 2025 at 12:47 pmThanks, Ronit — the does work well on the grill. Your other comment gave me lots of ideas!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
December 29, 2025 at 9:01 amDavid, this shrimp looks beautiful – perfectly grilled with such lovely aromatics, and really bursting with flavour. A wonderful dish.
David Scott Allen
December 29, 2025 at 9:28 amThanks, Ben — I really love all the flavors within…
Ronit Penso
December 29, 2025 at 11:02 amI’m trying again, as my comment seems to have vanished somehow. I really like the marinade you’ve concocted here, it’s so full of flavors and aromas. I can also see it working well with chicken. 🙂
David Scott Allen
December 29, 2025 at 12:46 pmHi Ronit — how frustrating this all is. I think now that I have taken your comments out of spam, there should be no more problems. Aargh.
As to your point, I think this would be wonderful with chicken, especially thighs, or with scallops.
Ronit
December 29, 2025 at 1:08 pmI’m glad the comments have been freed out of the spam prison! I started doubting my sanity!
Scallops are definitely another great option.:)
David Scott Allen
December 29, 2025 at 1:09 pmSeveral people had to free my comments form spam prison. It gets rather annoying! But know that your sanity is in tact!
Jeff the Chef
December 31, 2025 at 8:15 amYou had me at sambal oelek! I love it! Happy New Year!
David Scott Allen
December 31, 2025 at 1:59 pmThanks, Jeff — Happy New Year to you, as well.
Valentina
December 31, 2025 at 2:37 pmOh how delicious, David. I love spicy shrimp so much, and how delightful to serve it with watercress (which I think is underused). Beautiful as any course. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
December 31, 2025 at 2:42 pmThanks, Valentina. I also love watercress — my favorite is to have it with Vietnamese beef! But these shrimp are a close second.
Inger
January 3, 2026 at 9:30 pmI love the idea of adding some spice to skewered shrimp! We kept getting busy after every time the Gulf shrimp truck came by, so our freezer is stocked! A good problem, especially with an exciting new shrimp recipe!
David Scott Allen
January 4, 2026 at 7:37 amI love the idea of a freezer stocked with Gulf shrimp! I hope you enjoy these!
Raymund
January 6, 2026 at 11:30 amThese shrimp look seriously bold and bright, David, that sambal oelek marinade with all the herbs and lemon zest sounds like it packs a real punch. Serving them over watercress is such a clean, sharp contrast too. This feels like the kind of appetizer that disappears the second it hits the table.
David Scott Allen
January 7, 2026 at 1:39 pmThey do disappear quite fast, Raymund — I am glad you like the addition of the watercress. It really elevates the dish.
Marcelle
January 12, 2026 at 5:37 pmOh my, this shrimp looks so good! I could eat this salad every day for a week… maybe longer! I love your marinade recipe already, thank you David!
David Scott Allen
January 12, 2026 at 5:48 pmHonestly, I am with you — I could eat this every day! Thanks, Marcelle!
Christina
January 26, 2026 at 6:15 pmAlways YES to grilled and spicy shrimp, David! My only caveat would be the cilantro, but an easy switch to Italian parsley! Thanks for sharing!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 28, 2026 at 5:15 pmWell, I knew that — I made them for someone else who doesn’t like cilantro, and I used basil. Quite lovely.