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pink shrimp kabobs with green sauce

Basil Garlic Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Jalapeno Honey Sauce

A quick marinade of basil, vanilla and garlic infuses head on shrimp with an herby, sweet flavor bringing the taste of summer into your tongue. These skewers come together quickly and are a crowd pleaser. The added fat in the shrimp heads keeps the rest of the shellfish tender and succulent. A finishing touch of spicy sweet jalapeno, honey and lemon drizzle gives these kabobs a real kick. This recipe is fun, bright and full of punchy flavors. This is a great appetizer on it's own or a great entree when peeled and thrown into spaghetti.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinade Infusing 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Servings 2 People
Calories 208 kcal

Equipment

  • 4 Bamboo Skewers soaked in water
  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

Shrimp Marinade

  • 1/2 Pound Head on Shrimp Medium Size, about 10 shrimp
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 1 Cup Fresh Basil About 20 leaves
  • 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic
  • 1 Vanilla bean
  • Sprinkle Salt

Jalapeno Honey Drizzle Sauce

  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper
  • 1/2 Tsp Honey
  • 1 Tbsp Reserved Basil Mixture
  • 1 Half Lemon

Instructions
 

Basil, Vanilla Marinade

  • Chop garlic into large chunks and place in food processor.
  • Remove basil from stems and shred leaves lightly with hands before placing into food processor with garlic.
    green fresh basil elaves
  • Pour olive oil into food processor and process until a fine texture is achieved.
    *Reserve 1 tablespoon of basil garlic mixture for the finishing drizzle*
    Pour mixture into medium bowl.
  • Slice open vanilla bean and scrape the pods contents into basil mixture. Add salt and mix thoughly.
  • Add shrimp to bowl and mix with spoon to cover with marinade mixture. Let chill in fridge for 20 minutes.
    While the shrimp marinates, mix up the Jalapeno Honey Drizzle.
    raw shrimp in bowl with basil marinade
  • Slide shrimp onto skewers, placing 1 bamboo stick on either side of the shrimp, this will stop the shrimp from flipping while grilling.

Honey Jalapeno Sauce Drizzle

  • Slice jalapeno and remove seeds. Chop into small pieces. Place pieces in small bowl.
  • Squeeze lemon juice into bowl, adding reserved basil mixture and honey. Mix ingredients together and set aside.
    green jalapeno honey sauce in silver bowl

Grill the Shrimp Skewers

  • Place shrimp on grill in indirect heat, not over open flame and cook on each side for 5 minutes.
  • Remove shrimp skewers from grill. Snap heads and peel shrimp before drizzling or dipping into Jalapeno Honey Sauce.
    shrimp with green sauce

Nutrition

Serving: 2servingCalories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 131mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 711IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Keyword basil with shrimp recipe, bbq seafood appetizer, Grilled shrimp kabobs, head on shrimp recipe, shrimp skewer recipe
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