Grilled Greek Shrimp Pitas! Plump, marinated grilled shrimp are tucked into a pita pocket stuffed with bright, fresh vegetables in this mouthwatering handheld meal that is perfect for the summertime!
Summer is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to fire up the grill! While grilling may bring to mind thoughts of heavier foods like hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks, there are lots of lighter options that are great on the grill.
My Grilled Greek Shrimp Pitas are a great example of veggie-packed fare that is both flavorful and fun! Plump and juicy shrimp are marinated for a short time in a deliciously herb-infused marinade, then grilled to perfection on either an outdoor grill or on a grill pan for that taste of summer!
Stuffed full of fresh, crunchy veggies and served with store-bought tzatziki sauce, every bite will make you feel like you’re on a Mediterranean summer holiday.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are fairly simple. You’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Dried Mint
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Dill
- Garlic
- Sea Salt
- Shrimp
- While wheat pita bread
- Fresh vegetables — I recommend tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, red onions and butter lettuce or mixed greens!
- Optional: Store-bought tzatziki sauce
Shrimp Marinade
This Greek-inspired shrimp marinade is so easy to make, and is actually perfect for use with just about any protein. Simply combine oil with dried herbs (I used mint, oregano and dill, but you can play around with flavors and use others such as marjoram and basil), fresh lemon juice, grated or minced garlic and sea salt and whisk together until fully combined, then pour over the shrimp in a bowl or into a zip-top plastic bag to marinate!
The shrimp does not have to marinate for very long — 15 minutes is all it takes to let it soak up some of those delicious flavors! In fact, I recommend keeping the marinating time under 1 hour to ensure that the lemon juice does not begin to “cook” the shrimp. (This is actually how ceviche is made!)
Grilling Shrimp
Shrimp is a great protein for grilling because it cooks so quickly! First, you’ll want to prep your shrimp depending on how you’ll be using it.
I often buy frozen, raw, peeled, deveined shrimp to have on hand for easy, quick-cooking meals such as stir-fry or tacos during the week. It’s easy to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or by running under water in the sink for a few minutes. I remove the tails then cook on the stovetop, in the oven or on the grill.
You can also purchase fresh peeled, deveined shrimp or easily do the work yourself! Depending on how the shrimp comes, you’ll need to peel, devein and remove the tail. This video shows how to do it!
Once the shrimp is marinated or seasoned, place it on a hot grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, then flip and cook until opaque. Shrimp can be place directly on a grill pan, but may fall through the grates of a regular outdoor grill. To fix this problem, simply skewer shrimp onto a metal kabob skewer or soaked bamboo skewers, or use a grill basket.
The doneness temperature for shrimp is 120ºF, which doesn’t take very long to achieve, so keep an eye on them while they’re on the grill to avoid overcooked or rubbery shrimp!
Not a fan of shrimp? You can use this same marinade for chicken, fish, beef or even vegetables! Make sure to discard any remaining marinade that has been in contact with raw meat or fish.
Video
Greek Grilled Shrimp Pitas
