Restaurant-Style Blackstone Hibachi Shrimp

Table of Contents

1. Unbelievably Quick!

   One of the top reasons to love our hibachi shrimp recipe is its incredible speed. Cooked on a Blackstone flat-top griddle, this method is significantly faster than traditional outdoor grilling. The direct, even heat distribution across the griddle surface ensures your shrimp cooks uniformly and rapidly, meaning less time waiting and more time enjoying. Perfect for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings!

2. Deliciously Affordable & Customizable.

   Dining out for hibachi can be quite expensive, especially when feeding a family. Making Blackstone shrimp at home is not only a fraction of the cost but also offers the freedom to customize every aspect of your meal. You control the quality of ingredients, can load up on your favorite vegetables, and add as much Bang Bang sauce or other delectable dips as your heart desires. This makes it a perfect budget-friendly option for gourmet flavors.

3. A Wholesome & Healthy Seafood Dinner.

   This Japanese-inspired shrimp recipe is a fantastic choice for those seeking a healthy yet satisfying dinner. By utilizing fresh, whole ingredients, you’re providing your body with essential nutrients without compromising on taste. Shrimp is lean protein, and when paired with crisp vegetables, it creates a balanced meal. Furthermore, this versatile recipe can also be adapted to make delightful garlic butter noodles with shrimp, offering even more healthy meal possibilities.

• Soy Sauce: For this Blackstone shrimp recipe, we recommend using low-sodium soy sauce. This allows you greater control over the overall saltiness of your dish, ensuring it’s perfectly seasoned to your taste. However, if regular soy sauce is all you have on hand, it will work just fine; just be mindful of any additional salt you might add.
• Mirin: This sweet, fermented rice wine is a staple in Asian cuisine, imparting a distinctive umami depth and slight sweetness to your hibachi shrimp. If mirin is unavailable, suitable alcoholic substitutes include sake or a sweet marsala wine. For a non-alcoholic alternative, simply combine 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons of honey (or 1 tablespoon of sugar) to achieve a similar sweet-tangy profile.
• Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil is crucial for capturing that authentic Japanese hibachi flavor profile. Its rich, nutty aroma is unmistakable. While it’s highly recommended, if you need a substitute, choose other high smoke-point oils like peanut oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil, which are also commonly used in stir-fries and griddle cooking.
• Shrimp: For the best results, start with raw shrimp that are peeled and deveined. We suggest using large or jumbo shrimp, as smaller sizes tend to overcook quickly on the high heat of the Blackstone. If using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them completely before cooking. You can do this by placing the package in the refrigerator overnight, or for a quicker method, place the shrimp in a colander under cold running tap water for about 10-15 minutes. Regardless of whether they’re fresh or thawed, it’s absolutely vital to pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels before cooking. This step prevents steaming and ensures you get that beautiful, caramelized sear on the griddle.

Pro Tips for Perfect Blackstone Hibachi Shrimp

1. Tails On or Off? Your Choice!

   When preparing your shrimp, you have the option of cooking them with the tails on or removed. An interesting tip is that the tails are often easier to remove after cooking. Leaving them on can also add a certain aesthetic appeal to your dish, and for some, it provides a convenient handle for eating, especially if serving as an appetizer. Consider your serving style and personal preference!

2. Master the Art of Constant Movement!

   Any Blackstone hibachi recipe—whether you’re cooking rice, succulent seafood like our rockfish tacos, or tender chicken—involves cooking at high temperatures. For this shrimp recipe, we’re aiming for a sizzling 400°F! At such intense heat, and characteristic of most Blackstone griddle grilling, it’s absolutely crucial to keep the ingredients moving to prevent burning. The shrimp cook incredibly fast—typically just 4 to 6 minutes. Allowing them to sit in one spot for too long will not only lead to an uneven cook but will also cause them to stick to the flat top, making them difficult to flip and potentially tearing the delicate flesh. Use your spatulas to continuously stir and turn them for a perfectly cooked, golden-brown finish.

3. The Visual Cues: Knowing When Your Shrimp Are Done.

   Determining the perfect doneness of shellfish, especially shrimp, becomes second nature with a little practice. The key visual indicators are simple yet critical: as soon as the shrimp’s flesh transforms from translucent grey to a beautiful, opaque pink, it’s time to get them off the heat immediately! Overcooked shrimp quickly become rubbery, tough, and frankly, unappetizing, diminishing the entire hibachi experience. Pay close attention to this rapid color change – it’s perhaps the most important detail to master for flawlessly prepared hibachi shrimp every single time.

🎯 Pro Griddle Tip

Achieving consistent results on your Blackstone griddle hinges on accurate temperature control. The most effective way to truly determine the surface temperature of your griddle is with an infrared temperature gun. This inexpensive tool is a game-changer, especially when you’re managing multiple ingredients and different cooking phases, ensuring every component of your hibachi meal is cooked to perfection without guesswork. It’s a lifesaver for preventing hot spots and ensuring even heat distribution!

The quintessential dipping sauces for Japanese hibachi shrimp are a vibrant, sweet, and tangy ginger sauce, often made with grated ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a touch of sugar. The other beloved accompaniment is a creamy, mayonnaise-based sauce, famously known as Yum Yum sauce or Bang Bang sauce. Many home cooks also enjoy a spicy sriracha mayo or a simple lemon-butter garlic sauce to complement the shrimp’s flavor.

It’s a natural physiological response! When any crustaceans, including shrimp, are exposed to heat, the muscles in their body contract rapidly. This contraction causes them to curl into that familiar “C” or “U” shape you commonly observe. To minimize excessive curling and maintain a straighter shape, a neat trick is to gently thread a wooden or metal skewer through the shrimp (from tail to head) before cooking. This helps hold its form as it cooks.

While both involve cooking shrimp over heat, grilling and hibachi cooking are distinct techniques. Grilling typically involves cooking food directly over an open flame or intense radiant heat, often on a metal grate, like a traditional charcoal or gas grill at home. It imparts a smoky flavor and distinct grill marks. Hibachi cooking, on the other hand, is performed on a flat iron griddle (like a Blackstone). This method uses conductive heat, where the food cooks directly on the hot surface. Timing is absolutely critical in hibachi cooking, as the griddle operates at very high temperatures, meaning food cooks quickly and can easily burn if not managed properly. The flavor profile is often characterized by a rich sear rather than smoke.

Properly stored, hibachi shrimp can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For reheating, the stovetop method is highly recommended to best revive the texture and prevent overcooking. Warm the shrimp in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat for just 1-2 minutes until heated through. We also suggest reheating shrimp separately from any rice or vegetables, as shrimp warms very quickly. Microwaving is an option, but proceed with caution! Heat them in very short, 15-second intervals, stirring in between, to avoid transforming the delicate flesh into an unappetizingly rubbery texture.

For hibachi-style cooking, large or jumbo shrimp (21-25 count or larger per pound) are generally preferred. Smaller shrimp tend to cook much faster and can become overcooked and rubbery very quickly on the high heat of a griddle. Larger shrimp are more forgiving and retain their succulent texture better.

Absolutely! Adding quick-cooking vegetables like thinly sliced onions, bell peppers, snow peas, or sliced mushrooms directly to the griddle alongside the shrimp is a fantastic way to create a more complete and flavorful one-pan meal. Just ensure they are cut into uniform pieces for even cooking and add them a minute or two before the shrimp, as some vegetables may require slightly more cooking time.

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Blackstone Hibachi Shrimp

Recipe by Renae Gerhardstein