Grilled Miso Shrimp is the umami (the fifth taste sensation) of grilled seafood. Fresh shrimp are marinated in a white miso sauce and grilled, this will be your new favorite summer seafood grilling recipe.

A closeup of perfectly grilled shrimp

Memorial Day is approaching, also known at the unofficial kick off of summer grilling season and if you like grilled shrimp, you’ll fall in love with this recipe!

3 skewers of grilled shrimp

The miso marinade/sauce is mixed with mirin (sweet rice wine) and sake and is very similar to the sauce used for Nobu Miso Cod (without added sugar).

For this recipe I like to use white miso. It is the most mellow and sweetest of all the miso pastes and works best for this recipe. Yellow is saltier and more acidic. Red is pungent and stronger in flavor.

Shrimp kabob style on a slate serving plate
What Sake is best for miso sauce?

I like to use ryorishu, which is similar to white wine.

Grilled Miso Shrimp Serving Suggestions:

You can serve this grilled miso shrimp as an appetizer or mix them with noodles. Additionally, I have a hoisin noodle recipe that I like to serve with them and that recipe is coming soon! I also like to add them to my 20 Minute Vegetable Fried Rice which makes for a quick summer meal.

Side dish suggestion:

Another side dish I like to serve with this shrimp is Edamame and Snap Peas with Sesame Ginger Dressing Recipe.

How long should shrimp be grilled?

About 3 minutes on the first side, just until they don’t feel like they are sticking and lift off the grill easily, then a couple more minutes on the second side. 

Grilled shrimp with a little char and miso sauce

I prefer to grill my shrimp on skewers, if not, you do risk losing some in the depths of your grill. The skewers are very inexpensive and I just buy them from the grocery store. I also prefer the metal ones over wood as wood skewers should be soaked in water before grilling so they don’t burn.

Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Miso Shrimp

Grilled Miso Shrimp garnished with sliced spring onion

Fresh shrimp, marinated in a simple white miso sauce, skewered then grilled.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons white miso * see note
  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger
  • 3 tablespoons sake
  • 3 tablespoons mirin
  • 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Instructions

  1. To a large bowl, add the miso, ginger, sake and mirin. Whisk well to combine. If you want to serve extra sauce for dipping, double the sauce recipe.
  2. Add the shrimp and mix well. Marinate for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  4. Thread the shrimp onto skewers and grill for 3 minutes (they should lift easily and not stick, this is when you know they are ready for turning). Turn and grill for a further 2 minutes or so.

Notes

White is the sweetest and mildest flavor miso and best for this recipe. Yellow is not as sweet with an earthy flavor and red miso is more pungent and stronger in flavor.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 132Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 70mgSodium 1269mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 6gProtein 11g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.