Name: Grilled Shrimp with Garlicky Parmesan Orzo Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Continental
Ingredients: 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 3 tbsp butter; 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning; ½ lb orzo, cooked according to package instructions; 2 tbsp butter; 2 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; ½ cup grated parmesan cheese; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

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You can have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with this flavorful, company-worthy Grilled Shrimp with Garlicky Parmesan Orzo.

Shrimp skewers plated over the garlicky parmesan orzo and served with grilled garlic bread

A Recipe That is Quick, Easy and Company-Worthy

We all love quick and easy, no fuss meals. But, what’s even better than a quick and easy meal? A quick and easy meal that’s company-worthy.

This grilled shrimp with garlicky parmesan orzo recipe will impress at any dinner party and the entire dish is on the table in under 30 minutes. Your guests will be blown away by the flavor in this dish and they’ll think you slaved for hours.

But don’t worry, your family will love this dish just as much as guests. And, they will think you’re a rock star when you make it on one of those busy weeknights. Trust me.

ingredients needed to make the grilled shrimp with garlicky orzo

A Shrimp and Pasta Combo

This recipe is a wonderful combination of succulent shrimp and flavorful orzo. And the ease comes with the preparation.

The shrimp are prepared with the great flavors of Old Bay Seasoning (a very traditional spice mix for seafood) and melted butter. Simple, but so good. And, since raw shrimp only take 4-6 minutes total to grill, your cook time is minimal.

The orzo pasta is equally simple to prepare. While you are cooking the orzo, you prepare the garlicky sauce. This tasty sauce is a simple combination of butter, garlic and parmesan cheese with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Simply put those ingredients in a small bowl and microwave until melted. That’s it. You have a delicious “pan sauce” without having to dirty up a pan!

Combine the orzo with the sauce and you have your garlicky orzo. Place the grilled shrimp on top of a serving of the orzo, grab a piece of garlic bread and a glass of wine and you’re ready to go.

Shrimp peeled and ready to be skewered and brushed with butter mixture

Shrimp skewered and brushed with old bay and melted butter mixture

Easy to Prep Ahead of Time

To make this dish even easier to serve for company, you can do the prep work ahead of time. Skewer the shrimp, prepare the Old Bay butter sauce and brush on the shrimp.

Then, chop the garlic and the parsley and measure out the butter, parmesan, salt and pepper. Refrigerate everything until you’re ready to finish the dish.

Once your guests arrive, grill the shrimp and cook the orzo. Dinner will be on the table in no time.

The combination of Old Bay, butter and shrimp is absolutely amazing and the orzo is simple but has amazing garlic and cheese flavor. When you put the shrimp and the orzo together, it’s a total flavor party in your mouth!

Since this cooks up so fast, I suggest you get the shrimp skewers ready and the ingredients for the orzo prepped before you start any cooking. Once the orzo has been cooking for a few minutes, I would put the shrimp on the grill. Make sure you watch the shrimp closely, it cooks very quickly.

Whether you’re having a dinner party or part of your weekly family meal plan, you can easily round this dish out. Serve it with a side salad, some good, crusty bread and a chilled glass of white wine for a truly wonderful dinner experience.

Orzo being in a pot boiling in chicken stock

Cooked orzo in the pot with garlic butter, parmesan and parsley before combining

Tips and Tricks

As for the size of the shrimp, I find large shrimp work best. And, depending on where you shop, sometimes it may be jumbo shrimp in order to get a good size shrimp. But, if you can’t find any larger shrimp, you can substitute medium shrimp.
If you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s too cold to grill, an indoor grill pan or large skillet works to cook the shrimp.
The shrimp can be skewered and brushed with the butter mixture several hours before grilling and refrigerated.
The shrimp cook very quickly, so be careful not to over-cook. They’re done when they are opaque in color.
Since this recipe cooks so quickly, make sure you have everything prepped and ready to go before you start any cooking.

Ingredients Needed to Make Grilled Shrimp with Garlicky Parmesan Orzo

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

For the Shrimp:

Large shrimp
Butter
Old Bay seasoning

For the Orzo:

Orzo
Butter
Fresh garlic
Salt
Black pepper
Grated parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley

How to Make Grilled Shrimp with Garlicky Parmesan Orzo

Thread shrimp onto 4 skewers.
Place 3 tbsp butter in a microwave safe dish and melt in the microwave.
Stir in Old Bay seasoning.
Brush melted butter mixture onto both sides of shrimp skewers.
Heat grill to medium-high heat.
Grill shrimp for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions.
While orzo is cooking, put 2 tbsp butter, garlic, salt and pepper in a microwave safe dish.
Melt in the microwave.
Drain cooked pasta and toss with butter mixture, parmesan and parsley.
Serve shrimp over the orzo.

More Easy Recipes for Seafood Lovers

Grilled shrimp skewers plated over garlicky parmesan orzo and serve with grilled garlic bread

Yield: 4