Grilled Shrimp Skewers (with Veggie-Pineapple Skewers)
This easy summer recipe features grilled jumbo shrimp marinated with tequila, lime, cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño, paired with skewered grilled vegetables and sweet pineapple. It comes together in under an hour and is perfect for backyard cookouts or quick weeknight dinners.
Servings 4
Calories 333kcal
Ingredients
Shrimp Marinade
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 small jalapenos finely minced with or without seeds (adjust to heat preference)
- 2 tablespoons tequila (see notes below for substitutes)
- 1 tablespoon honey agave syrup, or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 medium lime zest
- 1 ½ medium limes juice
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp 16-20 size or larger, peeled and deveined with tails attached
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (for grilling)
Veggie-Pineapple Skewers
- 2 large red bell peppers cut into ½” cubes
- 2 large zucchinis cut into ½” rounds
- ½ pineapple skin and core removed, cut into ½ “ cubes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinate the Shrimp
- In a medium bowl, combine the cilantro, garlic cloves, jalapenos, tequila, honey, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, lime zest, lime juice, and shrimp in a medium bowl.
- Toss to coat and cover with plastic wrap, pressing down so it forms a seal with the shrimp.
- Marinate for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the veggies and fruit skewers.
Assemble Veggie-Pineapple Skewers
- In a large bowl, toss the veggies and fruit with oil, and a generous amount of salt, and pepper.
- Place onto metal skewers and set aside.
Grill
- Preheat your grill pan or grill to high heat and brush the pan or grill with oil.
- While the pan or grill is preheating, remove your shrimp from the marinade, letting excess drip off. It’s OK if some ingredients stick to the shrimp. Skewer the shrimps and set aside.
- Grill the veggies and fruit first, until slightly charred and tender, about 5 minutes on each side.
- Grill the shrimp on each side for about 3-5 minutes per side, until opaque and slightly charred. You are welcome to baste the shrimp for some added flavor or feel free to discard it. The shrimp will taste great either way.
Serve
- Serve the shrimp, veggie, and fruit skewers as is or with your favorite side such as rice, grilled corn, salad, or tortillas for tacos. Garnish with lime wedges, roughed chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tequila substitutes: You can add 2 tablespoons of either finely chopped pineapple, ginger beer, citrus kombucha, or 1 tablespoon orange juice with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar to sub out the tequila.
- Use jumbo shrimp: Larger shrimp (16-20 count per pound or bigger) grill better and stay juicy—smaller shrimp can overcook quickly.
- Peeled shrimp: I highly recommend using peeled shrimp so the marinade can easily penetrate the meat.
- Marination time: Marinating the shrimp over 30 minutes will severely degrade the shrimp and make them very mealy. I don’t recommend marinating them over 15 minutes maximum.
- How to adjust the heat: If you remove the seeds of the jalapeno prior to adding it to the marinade, it will be less spicy. However, if you want an even milder chile, fresnos are a great alternative. You can also completely omit the chiles as well.
- Veggie options: Other great veggies to grill are asparagus, corn, mushrooms, onions, anaheim or poblanos, and even carrots!
- Hot pan or grill: In order to get great char and grill marks, it’s important to let the pan or grill get very hot. Once it’s hot, brush with oil. Once you put your items onto the grill, don’t move them for at least 1 minute! You can lift it up and check if they are getting marks, but try to refrain from moving the food around.
- Wooden skewers: If you use wooden skewers, remember to soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to putting the veggies and shrimp on them. This helps prevent them from drying out and burning too much on a grill pan or grill.
- If you are using a grill pan, I recommend using 8” skewers in order for them to fit in your pan.
Storage Tips
- Storage: You can store the cooled grilled shrimp and veggie-pineapple skewers in an air tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- I do not recommend freezing as the reheating process will greatly degrade the quality of texture.
You'll need these supplies:
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- mixing bowls
- grill pan or grill
- tongs
- metal or wooden skewers
- plastic wrap
Nutrition
Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 952mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 3572IU | Vitamin C: 210mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2mg