Hot Weather Grilled Lemon Garlic Shrimp Keto Skewers

Hot Weather Grilled Lemon Garlic Shrimp Keto Skewers with Zucchini & Avocado Salsa (Keto, Low-Carb).

This super-refreshing yet very satisfying recipe is perfect for summer grilling. It’s fast (under 30-40 minutes prep+cooking), may be spicy “hot” option, very high in healthy fats and proteins, and extremely low in carbs. No need to use oven, which is great when it’s hot outside. Serves 4.

Keto Skewers Ingredients (Serves 4)

For Shrimp and Vegetables:

1.5 pounds (680g) big/jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined (tails left or not – up to you)
3 medium zucchinis (around 600g total weight), sliced into ½-inch half moons or circles
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil or avocado oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced (around 2 tbsp)
Zest and juice of 2 large lemons (around ¼ cup or 60 ml of juice)
2 tbsp of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped (plus additional for garnishing)
1 tsp of paprika (smoked for extra flavor)
½ tsp of red pepper flakes (optional, for some extra heat)
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp of black pepper
Wooden or metal skewers (if wooden ones are used, pre-soak in water 20-30 minutes).

For Fresh Avocado Salsa (Topping):

2 medium ripe avocados (around 300g of flesh), cut into cubes
1 cup (150g) of cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup (40g) of red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lime (around 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optionally: 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped for some extra heat

Keto Skewers Instructions

Marinating: In a large bowl mix olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro/parsley, paprika, red pepper flakes (if used), salt, and black pepper. Add shrimp and zucchini slices. Make sure everything is well combined and set in the fridge for 15-30 minutes (but not more than 30 min for shrimp as it may “cook” in the acid).

Salsa:

While shrimp marinates prepare avocado salsa – gently combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Put it aside (or cool). It will add refreshing element to this dish.

Grilling preparation:

Heat grill to medium-high temperature (around 400°F or 200°C). Thread shrimp and zucchini alternately onto skewers (around 4-5 pieces of shrimp and zucchini per skewer).

Grilling:

Grill for 2-3 minutes each side (total 5-8 minutes) until shrimp turns into pink/opaque color and zucchini becomes soft. Brush the skewers with remaining marinade during the last minute. Then take off the grill.

Presentation:

Serve hot keto skewers topped with abundance of avocado salsa. Decorate with extra cilantro and lemon wedges if desired. Optionally, accompany with salad.

Keto Skewers Tips:

Alternative cooking option – you may cook the keto skewers indoors using grill pan or broiler in the oven 3-4 minutes each side.
If you want this meal even hotter, then add some extra red pepper or jalapeno.
Fresh, light and no need in heavy cooking – just perfect for summer evening. The leftovers store in the fridge up to 2 days.

Keto Skewers Nutrition facts (per serving, approximate).

Based on nutritional information provided for the standard products used (calculated via online recipe analyzers – values may slightly vary depending on exact products used). The net carbs are very low.

Calories: 380-420 kcal
Total fat: 26-28g (majority of healthy fats from olive oil and avocados)
Protein: 32-35g (high content of lean protein from shrimp)
Total carbohydrates: 12-14g
Dietary fiber: 6-7g
Net carbs: 6-7g (perfect for ketogenic diet)
Sodium: 800-950 mg (salt content may vary)

Detailed Breakdown for these keto skewers (per Serving): Shrimps are good source of lean protein with very low amount of carbs; zucchinis and avocados contain dietary fiber and healthy fats; lemon and garlic give plenty of flavor but almost no carbs. This fits into regular keto macros (e.g., less than 20-50g net carbs per day).

Enjoy your healthy keto skewers dish which is hydrating and tasty – and will not make you feel heavy in the hot weather.

Let’s look at avocado and olive oil!

Avocado and olive oil can serve as great ingredients for the low-carb (keto) diet due to their perfect compliance with its main tenets – the extremely low quantity of carbohydrates, plenty of healthy fats, nutrient density and high satiety level.

1. Extremely Low (or Even Zero) in Carbohydrates

• Olive oil: 0g of net carbs per serving. It is purely fat, thus will not increase the amount of carbohydrates but only the quantity of fats which will be necessary to stay in ketosis.
• Avocado: 17g of total carbohydrates in one avocado (about 200g) and 13g+ of fiber which means there will be no more than 4g of net carbs. The fiber is slowing down the process of digestion and has a minor effect on the blood sugar level.

Therefore, it is ideal food for keeping the daily number of net carbs as low as possible (usually less than 20-50g on keto).

2. High in Healthy Fats (mostly monounsaturated)
   
   Low-carb diets imply obtaining most of the calories from fats – up to 70-80%.

• Olive oil is 73% monounsaturated fats (oleic acid), which is good for heart, lowers inflammation and allows obtaining an energy steadily without insulin spikes.
• Avocado is 70-80% fat, too, mostly monounsaturated ones which allow entering into ketosis through obtaining ketones.

Such fats provide energy which we cannot obtain from carbohydrates, preventing keto flu and increasing the level of satiety.

3. Promotes Satiety and Helps Controlling Appetite
   
   Fat-digestion takes time and food with such ingredient will fill you up for many hours. Thus, it helps reducing overeating and snacking – a major advantage against the high-carb foods provoking blood sugar crashes and hunger attacks. In many studies devoted to the low-carb diets people report that consuming fats in the form of such foods helps staying in the regime.
   
4. Nutrient-Dense with Extra Health Benefits

• Avocado: contains lots of potassium (higher than in banana but with lower number of carbs), vitamin E, vitamin K, folate, and antioxidants. It will help maintaining electrolyte balance (essential when on keto) and heart health.
• Olive oil (mostly extra-virgin): polyphenol and antioxidant-rich product which also has anti-inflammatory properties. It may have positive effect on the cardiovascular system functioning which can be helpful for many people on low-carb diets.

Using in low-carb cooking

Drizzling of the olive oil is applicable for salads and roasted vegetables. Can be used in marinades, for grilling (shrimp recipe).
Adding avocado to salads, using as dressing or as a substitute of mayonnaise.

Conclusion: both products are “keto superfoods” since they will provide with a lot of fat which you need with minimal or even zero carbohydrates, as well as other benefits of nutrition.

Olive oil and avocado in your shrimp skewers recipe are exactly what makes it so yummy and keto!