Sangria-Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Grilled Shrimp Skewers in a red wine sangria marinade made with wine, orange liqueur, and citrus. Quick and easy these marinate while you wait for the grill to heat up— serve with steamed rice and a salad for a healthy dinner! 

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If you want to elicit cheers of joy from the dinner table, these skewers of grilled citrus- and-wine marinated jumbo shrimp are your answer.

Occasionally it’s nice to give grilled meats hours and hours to marinate.

But then again, it’s even nicer, to decide you want to have shrimp skewers for dinner and then have them on the table less than an hour later.

Because these shrimp skewers (or kebabs as they’re sometimes called) are marinated in all the ingredients you would normally find in a pitcher of sangria: red wine, tangerines, key limes, orange liqueur, and honey, you don’t need to marinate them for very long at all.

The acidity in all those ingredients in some respects “cooks” the shrimp, so the shorter the marination time the better. That way we don’t overcook the shrimp.

what you need to make these shrimp skewers

These skewers are pretty straight-forward, healthy, and light with not too many ingredients or equipment needed. There are just a couple of things you will need to pick up (namely, skewers) if you don’t already have them. Let’s go over the list, shall we?

• Metal Skewers. I prefer these to wooden ones because they don’t need to be soaked in water before you use them. If you only have wooden skewers make sure you submerge them in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering with the shrimp and fruit.
• Peeled and deveined shrimp. I like to buy them already peeled and deveined but you could also do this yourself at home.
• Olive oil
• Red wine. Varieties that work well for this dish are zinfandel or merlot. It’s OK to use not so stellar wine, but if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t use it.
• Salt and pepper
• Small citrus fruits. Pick fruits that are in season and are small enough to fit on a skewer. Tangerines, little key limes, and kumquats all work really well.
• Orange liqueur. Think Grand Marnier, triple sec, or Cointreau.
• Honey
• Fresh pineapple chunks
• A grill or grill pan. You could also broil these for 4-5 minutes under the broiler.
• Lemon wedges. For squeezing over the grilled shrimp.

Tips for success

Like I said, these are basically foolproof and really hard to get wrong, but I’ll give you some pointers to make sure they are delicious the first time!

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl then add the shrimp.
2. After 15 minutes, give the shrimp a stir so they marinate evenly.
3. Only marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes. Any longer and they will start to “cook” in the wine.
4. Now that you’ve marinated the shrimp, thread the shrimp onto the skewers with the citrus fruits and pineapple.
5. Make sure your grill or grill pan is at a medium-high heat. If the grill is not hot enough it will take the shrimp too long to cook and they’ll be tough.
6. Once the grill is nice and hot, cook the shrimp, pressing down on the citrus halves so they get lightly charred. They should only take 2-3 minutes on each side.
7. Squeeze shrimp skewers with lemon juice and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and enjoy!

will frozen shrimp work?

Yes! Just make sure to thaw them first. You can leave them in the refrigerator overnight or thaw them in a bath of cold water for about 30-45 minutes.

Don’t try to thaw them in hot water or they will start to cook. Once thawed, peel and devein if necessary, and pat dry.

how to store leftovers

Honestly, there probably won’t be any, but if you do have some, keep the shrimp and pineapple in a tightly-sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Toss the citrus.

The grilled shrimp would be great in salads!

other shrimp recipes you might enjoy!

• Spicy Papaya and Lime Shrimp Skewers
• Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas with Coconut and Lime
• Mexican Gazpacho with Avocado and Grilled Shrimp
• Tequila Lime Shrimp and Pierogies
• Shrimp and Melon Ceviche Tostadas
• Coconut Shrimp Tortas {Mexican Shrimp Sandwich}
• Weeknight Shrimp Tacos
• Grilled Shrimp and Steak Kebabs with Grilled Tomato Salsa

throw a shrimp on the barbie!

You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say that. If you try this sangria marinated shrimp skewers recipe, let me know OK? Share a photo and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno using so I can see or leave me a comment below!

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