Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp for Full GAPS

These cilantro lime grilled shrimp get their flavor in two short stages: a lime-and-chili marinade before grilling, then olive oil and fresh cilantro at serving. The shrimp should be firm, pearly and opaque through the center, with a glossy herb dressing over the top.

This recipe serves four and uses two pounds of raw shrimp. Allow about 45 minutes overall, including a 30-minute refrigerated marinade. The time on the grill itself is brief, about two minutes per side for the size specified. Have the clean serving bowl, measured olive oil, chopped cilantro and salt ready before you start cooking.

Choose and prepare the shrimp

Use the raw, peeled and deveined 16–20-count shrimp named in the card. Plain frozen shrimp works once thawed. Thaw it in the refrigerator, drain it well and keep it cold until you mix the marinade. Ready-cooked shrimp is a different starting ingredient and will not follow the cooking time below.

The marinade is 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice and ⅛ teaspoon pure red chili flakes for the base batch. Toss gently so each shrimp gets a little lime and chili. Keep the measured ¼ cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil aside for the finish. It does not go into this marinade.

Chop the cilantro before measuring its half cup. It goes on after grilling, together with the olive oil and mineral salt to taste. Pure chili flakes and plain mineral salt keep the seasoning simple; check for added sugar, starch or seasoning blends when choosing them.

How to grill and finish the shrimp

1. Mix the marinade. Put the prepared raw shrimp in a large bowl. Add the lime juice and chili flakes and toss gently until evenly coated. Keep the olive oil and cilantro separate.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Keep the raw shrimp chilled until the grill is ready. The lime may make the outside look a little less translucent; the shrimp still needs to be cooked through.
3. Heat the grill. While the shrimp marinates, preheat a clean grill to medium heat. Have metal skewers ready, or preheat a clean grill basket. Keep a clean serving bowl and utensils separate from those used for the raw shrimp.
4. Drain and arrange. Drain the shrimp and discard the used marinade. Thread the shrimp securely onto skewers, or spread them in a single layer in the basket. Leave room to turn them. If a larger batch will not fit in one layer, work in batches.
5. Cook briefly and check the center. Grill for about 2 minutes per side, then check the thickest shrimp. The flesh should be firm, pearly and opaque all the way through. If using a food thermometer, check for 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Continue cooking as needed, then remove promptly. Keep the heat moderate and avoid burned or blackened pieces.
6. Add the dressing off the grill. Move the cooked shrimp to the clean serving bowl. Add the measured finishing olive oil, chopped cilantro and mineral salt to taste. Toss gently until the shrimp look glossy and the herbs are spread throughout. Serve without putting the oil-dressed shrimp back over the heat.

The card’s 10-minute cooking allowance covers the cooking stage; it is not an instruction to leave the shrimp on the grill for ten minutes. Start checking around the stated two minutes per side. Shrimp size, grill heat and the number of batches affect the actual time, so use the cooked center as your check.

Why the olive oil goes on last

GAPS uses cold-pressed olive oil as a dressing on ready-to-serve food. Here the lime and chili flavor the shrimp before grilling, and the full measured olive-oil amount dresses the cooked dish afterward. Draining an oil marinade would leave some oil on the shrimp during cooking, so the olive oil is kept separate from the beginning.

Set the measured oil beside your clean serving bowl so you can finish the shrimp as soon as it comes off the grill.

Full GAPS choices

This is a Full GAPS recipe after shellfish and the other ingredients have been introduced and tolerated. It is not an Introduction Diet or No-Plant GAPS recipe. The selected version uses wild-caught shrimp, fresh lime and cilantro, pure chili flakes, plain mineral salt and cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil.

Choose fresh or plain frozen raw shrimp without breading, a prepared sauce or other added ingredients. The recipe contains crustacean shellfish. It has no dairy, eggs or nuts added. Keep your own food tolerances in mind when choosing the chili and other ingredients.

Serving and storing

Serve the shrimp as the main part of a Full GAPS plate with cooked vegetables, avocado or a salad you already tolerate. Finish the vegetables before the shrimp goes on the grill so the meal can be served as soon as the olive oil and cilantro are mixed in.

For another warm main course, chicken lettuce cups with shiitake mushrooms put a savory filling into crisp leaves. The chicken salad with capers and homemade mayonnaise is a separate cold meal you can prepare from roasted chicken.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow, covered container at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3–4 days. Keep perishable food out for no more than two hours, or one hour when the temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Serve these oil-dressed leftovers cold so the finishing oil is not used for another cooking step.

Questions before you start

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes. Choose plain raw shrimp, thaw it in the refrigerator and drain it before adding the measured lime juice and chili. Frozen or partly frozen pieces would add water and need a different cooking time.

Can the lime marinade be used as sauce?

Discard the marinade that held the raw shrimp. The finishing ingredients are kept clean and separate, and the cooked shrimp goes into a clean bowl. Use those finishing ingredients as written.

Why is my shrimp tough?

Start checking after the short cooking time given. Once the center is opaque and the shrimp is cooked through, take it off the grill. Leaving it over the heat while you chop cilantro or find a bowl adds cooking time, so prepare the finish first.

Can I make a larger batch?

Use the card’s serving controls to scale the ingredients, then keep the shrimp in a single layer during cooking. More batches take more time. The marinating time stays the same, and all of the olive oil still belongs in the finish.

Equipment and more dinner ideas

You need a grill, metal skewers or a grill basket, a covered mixing bowl, a clean serving bowl, tongs and measuring cups and spoons. A food thermometer is useful for checking the thickest shrimp. Set out everything for serving while the shrimp is in the refrigerator.

For more main-course ideas, the planned Dinner Cookbook is listed in the WFLI Shop. Check its release status there before expecting a download.