This is one of those brilliant recipes that comes together out of necessity. With no time to shop, I need a quick and easy appetizer/snack for a group of friends that were coming by. On hand I had a bag of frozen jumbo shrimp left over from a job earlier in the month, plus a half of a jar of my Classic BBQ Sauce and a couple small cans of pineapple juice from a cocktail recipe I developed for a client. I rummaged through spices and, given what I had to work with, I decided on a yellow curry based dry rub.
Grilling shrimp is pretty straight forward, but it so often comes out over-cooked and rubbery. Shrimp needs to be cooked quickly; no more than 3 to 4 minutes per side just long enough for it to become pink and opaque. Cooking it in the shell and peeling afterward results in more flavorful shrimp and no need for added oil as it won’t stick to the grill. Plus your guests will do most of the work if you serve it as peel & eat!
I had a little time, so I brined the thawed shrimp to ensure that they would stay plump and juicy. For two pounds of jumbo shrimp I dissolved 1/3 cup of kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar in 4 cups of cold water, added the shell-on shrimp and stuck them in the fridge for about an hour; 30 minutes for shrimp without the shells. The brining is optional, but if you are unsure about grilling shrimp it might give you a little peace of mind.
The Hawaiian BBQ dipping sauce was the easiest part of the whole thing. I took 1 cup of my Classic BBQ Sauce and stirred stirred in some pineapple juice and then reduced it back down. Easy peasy.
- 2 pounds shell-on jumbo shrimp, deveined
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
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- 1 cup Classic BBQ Sauce or your favorite
- ¾ cup pineapple juice
- -
- Extras:
- http://www.bullbbq.com/grilling-accessories/kabobs/signature-stainless-steel-skewers or double-prong skewers
- Brine shrimp if desired (see above). Rinse and pat dry shrimp then add to a large mixing bowl. Stir together the dry rub ingredients and sprinkle over the shrimp. Toss well to coat the shrimp. Thread on skewers and place in fridge until ready to grill. Will hold covered in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
- Stir together the BBQ sauce and pineapple juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer to reduce the sauce to desired consistency. Set aside to cool.
- Set up grill for direct heat grilling over medium heat. Brush and oil grates before cooking.
- Remove shrimp from fridge and lay skewers on preheated grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or just until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove immediately.
- Serve warm, room temperature or chilled with pineapple BBQ sauce.
Cheers and Happy Grilling!
~Jeff
