This Grilled Shrimp Kebobs with Red Pepper Sauce recipe is sure to impress. The shrimp are succulent with a fantastic grill glaze and out-of-this-world red pepper sauce for dipping.
Do you love seafood on the grill? Then, you need to check out this BBQ Thai Mussels recipe for a taste of the Far East. Or, if you are looking to bump your dinner menu up a notch, why not serve these over-the-top Grilled Lobster Tails? They always impress everyone at the table!
This recipe is perfect any time of year! But if you are looking for an amazing Christmas or seasonal dish with all the bright colors of the holidays, then this recipe with red peppers and parsley matches the holiday season colors to a tee.
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE Grilled Shrimp Kebobs WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE?
The ingredients are quite simple. But the marriage of all the ingredients together is what makes this dish wonderful. The glaze you brush on the shrimp adds so much flavor to them. Then, when you add the roasted red pepper sauce, the shrimp shine.
The dish is a little spicy, with a touch of cayenne along with a hint of citrus and garlic. I’m not sure you could do any more to a skewer of shrimp to get any more flavor on one plate!
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
- Large sweet red peppers – don’t substitute other color peppers; the red peppers have great flavor and perfect sweetness.
- Garlic cloves, minced – just a quick chop of the garlic is fine.
- Balsamic vinegar – try to use good balsamic vinegar; it makes a difference.
- Kosher salt – I always use Kosher salt for cooking.
- Fresh ground pepper – I also try to use fresh ground pepper for cooking.
- Cayenne pepper (to taste) – use a small pinch or a large pinch, depending upon how spicy you want your sauce.
- Fresh parsley, chopped – the parsley adds a splash of color and flavor.
Shrimp
- Large raw shrimp – peeled and deveined, they should be 16 – 20 count (16 – 20 per lb).
- Zest of a lime – this adds a wonderful citrus note to the shrimp.
- Juice of a lime – Use real lime juice, not bottled; it has better flavor.
- Olive oil – Use extra virgin oil if you can.
- Garlic cloves – minced or grated, you want it finely minced.
- Kosher salt – again, Kosher salt is a must.
- Fresh ground pepper – try to use fresh ground if you have it available.
- Cayenne pepper (to taste) – use a small pinch or a large pinch; it’s up to you.
- Fresh Parsley, chopped – for color and flavor.
- Bamboo skewers – or you can use metal skewers if you have them.
If you want, you can substitute orange for lime if you like. Either one will provide a beautiful citrus flavor to the shrimp.
How to make Grilled Shrimp Kebobs with red pepper sauce
If you are using bamboo or another type of wooden skewers, you must soak them in water for at least 30 to 45 minutes before threading on your shrimp and putting them on the grill. This will help prevent the wooden skewers from burning while the shrimp cooks.
Preheat your grill to medium-high, about 375 – 400 degrees F. Place the red peppers directly on the grill. Grill the peppers for 15 – 20 minutes, turning them often. You want the skins well charred and blistered.
Place the hot grilled peppers into a resealable plastic bag and set them aside to allow them to cool for about 10 minutes.
Once they are cool enough for you to handle, remove them from the bag, saving any juice in the bag. Peel the skins off, seed, and core the peppers, and place them in a food processor along with the juice from the bag.
Then add the minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper, and chopped parsley. Pulse the mixture until it is fairly smooth. But you still want it to be a little chunky. Set the sauce aside while you prepare the shrimp.
Reduce the heat on your grill to 350 degrees F. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers through the thick end first, then through the tail. This will help them keep their shape while cooking. Also, it will make sure they do not fall off the skewers.
In a small bowl, mix together lime or orange zest and the juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne pepper. Brush the shrimp with the basting mixture and place the skewers on the preheated grill.
Turn the shrimp after 2 – 3 minutes and brush the other side with the basting mixture. Continue to cook the shrimp until they are bright pink and have nice grill marks. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp, as they will become rubbery.
SERVING Time!
Remove the cooked shrimp skewers from the grill and place them on a serving platter or serve on individual plates. Sprinkle the shrimp kebobs with freshly chopped parsley.
You can serve the shrimp with the red pepper sauce on the side as a dip, or if you prefer, you can drizzle the sauce over the shrimp. Either way, pairing the citrusy grilled shrimp with the sweet and spicy red pepper sauce is a match that is hard to beat!
This recipe pairs nicely with rice or a simple salad, and you have a dinner that will impress everyone at the table!
Pro Tips:
- Make sure that if you are using bamboo or wooden skewers, you soak them in water for 30 – 45 minutes before threading on the shrimp and placing them on the grill. This will help to keep the wood from burning while the shrimp are cooking on the grill.
- If your shrimp are frozen, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or place them in a colander and run cold water over them for 10 – 15 minutes until they are thawed. Never thaw seafood at room temperature or leave it on your kitchen counter to thaw.
- Once you taste this amazing red pepper sauce, you may want to serve it as a dip or paired with other fish or meats. It is that good.
- If you like your food spicy, add an extra pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce and the glaze. If you don’t like spice, you can omit the cayenne pepper altogether; it’s up to you.
These grilled shrimp with the sweet and spicy red pepper sauce are great to serve as an appetizer or a meal. I do know you are going to be asked to make them again because everyone is going to love them!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Grilled Shrimp Kebobs with Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 large sweet red pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Shrimp
- 2 lbs. large raw shrimp peeled and deveined (16 – 20 count)
- Zest of 1 lime or orange
- Juice of 1 lime or juice of 1/2 an orange
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
To make the red pepper sauce:
- Preheat your grill to medium hot, 375- 400 degrees F.
- Place the 4 whole red peppers on the grill and grill, turning often until they are blistered and well charred. It should take about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the grill and place them in a resealable plastic bag. Set aside and allow to cool until you can handle them, about 10 minutes.
- Save the juice from the bag. Peel the skins off, core and seed the peppers, and place them in a food processor.
- Add the pepper juices from the plastic bag, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper, and chopped parsley.
- Pulse in the food processor until fairly smooth (you still want it to be a little chunky). Set aside.
To make the grilled shrimp:
- Reduce the heat on the grill to 350 degrees F.
- Thread the shrimp onto the presoaked skewers. Thread each shrimp through the thick end, then the tail, to keep them in a curled shape when you are grilling them.
- In a small bowl, mix together the lime or orange zest and the juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Brush the shrimp with the basting mixture and place the skewers on the preheated grill.
- Turn the shrimp after about 2 – 3 minutes and brush the other side with the basting mixture.
- Cook the shrimp until they are bright pink and have nice grill marks; be careful not to overcook them, as they will get rubbery.
- Remove the shrimp to a platter or serve the skewers on individual plates
- Sprinkle the shrimp with chopped parsley and serve with the red pepper sauce as a dip or as a topping on the shrimp. If you are plating the shrimp, I like to serve the shrimp and pepper sauce over rice.
- Enjoy!!
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