At a time when limes prices are skyrocketing due crop shortages and being held hostage by drug cartels, a couple spoonfuls of frozen limeade concentrate adds plenty of lime flavor and a little sweetness. Stir in some bottled clam juice for added brininess and a couple shots of tequila (do you need a reason to throw in tequila?) and you have a simple and delicious shrimp marinade a la Margarita!
I cook the whole meal on a grill grid for the convenience of not chasing food that fall between the grates. You may want to skewer the shrimp for the ease of flipping them – I don’t because they cook so fast and I can move them around the grid to accommodate any pieces that are cooking more or less quickly. Wrap the tortillas with foil in bunches of five with foil and warm them on the grill while your are cooking the shrimp.
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined larger shrimp (16/20′s or 20/25′s will work best)
- 1 each red, green, and orange bell peppers, sliced into rounds
- 1 medium red onion, sliced into rounds
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons frozen limeade concentrate
- ¼ cup tequila
- ½ cup bottled clam juice
- Flour or corn tortillas, for serving
- Grilled limes, for serving
- Salsa, for serving
- -
- Extras:
- Grill grid and or skewers
- Place peeled and deveined shrimp in a large shallow bowl and place the pepper and onion rings on a baking sheet. Wrap groups of five tortillas in foil.
- Stir together the olive oil, cilantro garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Measure out 3 tablespoons and drizzle over the vegetables and toss to coat. Stir in the limeade, tequila, and clam juice into the remaining cilantro mixture and pour over the shrimp; mix together so that the shrimp are coated. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Preheat grill (and grid, if using) to direct medium-high heat. If using skewers, thread them now. Make sure grates and grid are brushed clean and well-oiled.
- Grill onions and pepper until soft; about 5 to 6 minutes, turning often. Transfer to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Close the grill cover and wait a couple minutes to allow the grill to heat back up. Once heated, re-oil the grates or grid. Add the packets of tortillas to the grill to heat; turn every couple minutes until heated through. At the same time, place the shrimp on grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side (depending on the size) or until the shrimp are opaque; do not overcook. Transfer shrimp to serving platter. Serve hot with warmed tortillas, grilled limes, and salsa.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~ Jeff
Great idea about the limeade considering the lime shortage! We’ll need to give this a try. Sounds delicious.
Thanks, Stephen! Just a little trick I used to use when coming up with recipes for “she-who-must-not-be-named”. It was great meeting you this past weekend. Let’s get together and cook up some deliciousness!
Cheers ~ Jeff