Pat the shrimp dry. On a rimmed tray, blot the shrimp very dry with paper towels. Damp shrimp steam instead of sear, and no amount of seasoning will fix that. Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until each one is barely coated.

Make the garlic-lemon butter. Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat, or in 20-second microwave bursts. Stir in the minced garlic, the lemon zest, and the red pepper flakes, then set it aside. You want it fragrant, not browned browned garlic turns bitter by the time the shrimp come off.

Get the grill hot. Medium-high, roughly 450–500°F. For charcoal, that’s ashed-over coals with the grate 4–6 inches above them. Oil the grates with a folded paper towel held in tongs. Thread 4–5 shrimp per skewer through the thickest part of each one. Pro tip: run a second skewer a half-inch from the first so the shrimp lie flat instead of spinning when you flip.

Grill fast. Lay the skewers on and leave them alone for 2–3 minutes don’t poke, don’t peek until char lines appear and the edges blush pink. Flip, then go 1–2 minutes more. Pull them when the thickest part has just turned opaque. The cue is the curve: a relaxed C means done. A shrimp that curls into an O was on the heat too long.

Lemon time. Slide the shrimp off the skewers straight into the garlic butter, then squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon and toss to coat. This is the trick that carries the whole recipe: the acid shows up last. A long soak in lemon juice tightens shrimp proteins the exact same way heat does that’s how ceviche cooks so marinated shrimp hit the grill already rubber-bound. A quick toss in warm butter and fresh juice after grilling gives you every bit of the lemony brightness with none of the pre-cooking.

Rest and serve. Let the bowl sit for 2 minutes, tossing once so the butter keeps moving. Scatter over the parsley and serve with lemon wedges. There’ll be a buttery pool at the bottom of the bowl that’s not a mistake, that’s your sauce. Spoon it over rice, bread, or whatever’s underneath.