These Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers are a fresh and easy summer dinner!
Glazing plump, juicy shrimp with my vibrant, tangy Tequila Pineapple BBQ Sauce and then quickly charring them on the grill gets your meal on the table in no time.
Plus you’ll have plenty of sauce left for dipping!
Alcohol-free option available, as well.
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Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
Shrimp is maybe the quickest protein to grill. Even large shrimp take only a few minutes per side.
And like most proteins, they can take on a lot of flavor from spices, herbs, seasonings and sauces.
And my Tequila Pineapple BBQ Sauce definitely fits the bill!
It’s a little smoky, a little spicy, a little sweet and a little tangy, which all adds up to big flavor.
All you have to do is slide the shrimp onto some skewers, brush on some sauce and throw them on the grill.
Before you know it, they’re done. And then you can cover them in more sauce because life is good like that.
And while I prefer this on an outdoor grill, you can also make it on a stovetop grill pan.
What you need for these Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients:
- Medium shrimp (about 26-30/pound), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- Tequila Pineapple BBQ Sauce
- avocado oil for oiling the grates (it has a high smoke point so it’s great for grilling)
Equipment:
- skewers (I prefer metal skewers whenever possible)
- a cutting board or baking sheet
- a basting brush
- a grill glove
- grill tongs
How to make Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
First, make the sauce. You can make it up to 2 weeks in advance if you keep it in the fridge or up to 3 months in advance if you keep it in the freezer (thaw overnight in the fridge).
When you’re ready to eat, prepare your gas or charcoal grill for direct medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, give it a good scrape with a grill brush to make sure it’s clean.
Then, over a cutting board or baking sheet, slide the shrimp onto the skewers. First pierce the skewer through the tail, then through the head, to make it secure. (If you only pierce a shrimp in one place, it’s hard to flip.)
Add about 1/4 cup of the sauce to a small bowl. Brush the sauce on both sides of the shrimp. Discard any unused sauce from the small bowl.
Pour a few tablespoons of avocado oil into a bowl. Fold up a paper towel and, using grill tongs, dip the paper towel in the oil and then slide it along the grill grates to oil them up.
Then carefully place the shrimp on the grill and cover. Let them cook without moving for about 2-3 minutes per side (use a grill/BBQ glove to flip the skewers), then remove to a plate or platter.
Serve with more sauce on the side for dipping or pouring over.
Make ahead and storage
I do not recommend marinating the shrimp in the sauce ahead of time. The acid in the sauce will ‘cook’ the shrimp, making them tough and dry.
The shrimp can be refrigerated after they’re cooked for up to 4 days.
I do not recommend freezing the shrimp.
Variations and substitutions
Please see the Tequila Pineapple BBQ Sauce post for its own variations and substitutions, including the alcohol-free version.
You can use different sized shrimp but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time.
You could also use the sauce to grill chicken, pork chops or fish. Or you can drizzle it over grilled vegetables like zucchini or cabbage.
What to serve with Tequila Pineapple BBQ Shrimp
If you want to make it an all-grilled menu, you could serve it with grilled steak for a surf & turf dinner.
You could try grilled cabbage or grilled carrots on the side.
And you could make this Grilled Fruit Platter for a fun and unique dessert.
But not everything has to be grilled!
These Tequila Pineapple BBQ Shrimp would also be good with this festive Red, White & Blue Salad.
For something heartier, you could try this Creamed Kale or Braised Red Cabbage.
And to help soak up that sauce, you could make up a batch of either this Paleo Cornbread or these Paleo Biscuits.
Other recipes you might like:
- Hawaiian-Style Chicken Skewers
- Smoky Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Crispy Skin Salmon
- Spiced Butter Baked Cod with Green Beans
- Sheet Pan Lemon Salmon with Pesto
Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 batch Tequila Pineapple BBQ Sauce (see link in notes)
- 1 pound medium shrimp (26-30/pound), peeled, deveined, tails on or off
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- First, make the sauce. You can make it up to 2 weeks advance if you keep it in the fridge or up to 3 months in advance if you keep it in the freezer (thaw overnight in the fridge).
- When you're ready to eat, prepare your gas or charcoal grill for direct medium-high heat. Once it's hot, give it a good scrape with a grill brush to make sure it's clean.
- Then, over a cutting board or baking sheet, slide the shrimp onto the skewers. First pierce the skewer through the tail, then through the head, to make it secure. (If you only pierce a shrimp in one place, it's hard to flip.)
- Add about 1/4 cup of the sauce to a small bowl. Brush the sauce on both sides of the shrimp. Discard any unused sauce from the small bowl.
- Pour a few tablespoons of avocado oil into a bowl. Fold up a paper towel and, using grill tongs, dip the paper towel in the oil and then slide it along the grill grates to oil them up.
- Carefully place the shrimp on the grill and cover. Let them cook without moving for about 2-3 minutes per side (use a grill/BBQ glove to flip the skewers), then remove to a plate or platter.Serve with more sauce on the side for dipping or pouring over.
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