These shrimp foil packets are one of the easiest summer dinners, packed with juicy marinated shrimp, sweet corn, tomatoes, and fresh zucchini. I love that they’re cooked on the grill, which makes them perfect for cookouts and camping trips!
Love shrimp? You need to try my spicy firecracker shrimp and bang bang shrimp next! For another easy seafood dinner, try this salmon and rice in foil.
When I visited Australia, shrimp on the barbie was actually a thing (really). These shrimp foil packets are my Stateside version, where juicy jumbo shrimp, sweet corn, ripe tomatoes, and fresh zucchini get wrapped in foil and grilled. The flavors are zesty and fresh in a tropical-meets-Tex-Mex way, with hints of coconut, lime, and cilantro, spiced up with fajita seasoning.
Why You’ll Love These Grilled Shrimp Foil Packets
- Lock in the flavor. Cooking in foil is the easiest way to lock in loads of flavor. It’s one of my favorite cooking methods for seafood, chicken, and even steak. The meat comes out of the foils super juicy and filled with the flavors of whichever marinade or ingredients you cook along with it.
- Easy clean up. These shrimp foil packets are made for summer dinners. Foil meals are great for camping, and you can prep them ahead so they’re ready to go from the cooler to the grill.
- Customizable. The best part is that you can customize your shrimp foil packets with your favorite veggies, seasonings, and add-ins. Swap the marinade for something fiery, like the sauce I use for camarones al ajillo, or mild, like garlic butter. You can even make surf-and-turf or a whole grilled shrimp boil in foil packets!
What You’ll Need
Below are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need for these shrimp foil packets. Of course, most of what you see here is flexible, so feel free to change up the flavors to whatever suits you. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable recipe and method.
- Onion – Chop up a yellow onion or another mild onion, like sweet or red onion.
- Garlic – Fresh cloves, or you can substitute ¼-½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Shredded Coconut – This can be sweetened or unsweetened. You could also use flakes.
- Lime – You’ll need the zest and fresh lime juice. Zest before you juice it!
- Cilantro – Or parsley, freshly chopped.
- Olive Oil – Or another mild-flavored oil, like avocado oil.
- Soy Sauce – I use low-sodium soy sauce. You can substitute coconut aminos or tamari if needed.
- Shrimp – Raw, jumbo shrimp are extra juicy. Make sure they’re peeled and deveined. If you use frozen shrimp, thaw them and drain the excess liquid.
- Corn – Canned or frozen corn kernels both work here (remember to drain canned corn beforehand). You can also shave the kernels from cooked corn on the cob.
- Zucchini – Sliced into ¼” rounds, then halved.
- Tomatoes – I like sweet, ripe cherry or grape tomatoes. You could use cocktail tomatoes or larger varieties, like roma tomatoes, and chop them.
- Fajita Seasoning – You can season your shrimp foil packets any way you’d like. I find homemade fajita seasoning ties in so well with the coconut-lime marinade (and it’s great on shrimp fajitas, too!). Other good options are Cajun seasoning or jerk spice, or you can keep it mild like these lemon garlic and herb shrimp packets.
Recipe Tips
- Use thick aluminum foil. It’s a good idea to double up and layer two sheets of foil when making foil packets. You don’t want the foil breaking and falling apart once the ingredients are inside.
- Don’t overfill the packets. Just like filling a burrito, you don’t want to over-stuff these foil packs. Make sure that you can easily close and seal the foil over the filling without any gaps.
- Flip halfway through cooking. Make sure to flip your shrimp halfway through grilling; this way, everything cooks evenly. If you’re cooking these in the oven, however, you can skip this step.
- Open the foil shortly after cooking. Be mindful of the hot steam inside, but don’t wait too long to open your foil packs after grilling. Shrimp cook quickly, and leaving them sealed inside the foil can cause them to overcook in the residual heat.
Serving Suggestions
Once you’ve popped open your shrimp foil packets, you can transfer the contents to a plate or enjoy them right from the foil. Serve this shrimp and veggies over fluffy rice or tabouleh, or make it a surf-n-turf moment and pair them with a juicy grilled steak. On a hot summer night, all I want is shrimp foil packets with a big Mediterranean Cobb salad on the side and a Campari spritz to wash it all down.
If you’re cooking over a campfire, pair these shrimp foil packets with grilled potatoes in foil and dinner rolls. Don’t forget s’mores for dessert!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Transfer any leftover shrimp and veggies from the foil packs to an airtight container. Then, store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I wouldn’t recommend this recipe for freezing.
- Reheat. Reheat leftovers in the oven, microwave, or on the stovetop until they’re hot throughout.
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Marinate the shrimp. In a blender, combine onions, garlic, coconut, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, and soy sauce; blend until smooth. Place marinade and shrimp in a resealable bag and toss to coat. Set aside for 5 minutes.
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Fire up the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
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Prepare the foil. For each foil pack, prepare two sheets of aluminum foil; place the sheets one on top of the other for durability and lightly spray with cooking spray.
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Assemble. Divide the corn, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and marinated shrimp evenly between each foil packet, arranging the ingredients in the center of each foil sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and fajita seasoning.
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Fold and seal the packets. Fold the sides of the foil over the shrimp, covering completely; seal the packets closed.
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Cook. Transfer the foil packets to the grill, cover, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn over the packets and continue to grill for 7 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.
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Serve! Carefully open the foil packets and stir the contents. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley and enjoy.
- Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Cook shrimp foils for about 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and shrimp is pink.
Serving: 1Foil Packet | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1583mg | Potassium: 617mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 26.3mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 4.5mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Cook Shrimp in Foil Packets
Before we begin: Don’t forget the foil! I got a box of 500 precut foils from Amazon. I saw it as an investment, seeing as I go through them so quickly in the summer. With your foils ready, follow the steps below to make these easy shrimp foil packets:
- Make the marinade. First, blend the onions and garlic with lime juice, zest, cilantro, olive oil, and soy sauce in your blender or food processor.
- Marinate the shrimp. Afterward, add the shrimp to a Ziploc bag with the marinade. Set that aside to soak for 5 minutes while you light the grill and prep the foil packs.
- Prepare the foil. I recommend two sheets of foil per pack for durability (unless you’re using heavy duty aluminum foil). Lay the sheets out, one on top of the other, and coat them lightly with cooking spray.
- Assemble. Now, divide the corn, zucchini, and tomatoes between the foils. Top with marinted shrimp, then season to taste with salt, pepper, and the fajita seasoning.
- Close the foil packs. Start by folding the sides of the foil sheets over the shrimp filling so that it’s covered. Then, fold and pinch the ends to seal the packet completely.
- Grill. Place the foil packets onto a hot grill. Cook for 12 minutes, turning the packets over halfway through, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Open and serve. Finally, carefully peel up the foil (watch for the hot steam) and stir the shrimp with the veggies. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve!
Oven Method
To bake your shrimp foil packs in the oven instead, simply place the closed foil packets into a 400ºF oven for 15 minutes. If you’re using this method, you could also replace the foil with parchment paper, like my salmon en papillotte recipe.
