A super easy (and fast!) recipe for delicious grilled shrimp marinated in a spicy and sweet chipotle honey lime marinade quickly grilled to perfection. Perfect for summer grilling season or taco night.
Any shrimp fans in the house?
Be prepared to see some chipotle love around here the next couple weeks. I’ve been on a kick using one of my favorite marinade ingredients. I love both the dried spice and the canned chipotle in adobo sauce. The later is what we’re using today.
Don’t be afraid of the canned chipotle in adobo sauces. I know they may seem scary and spicy, and in all honesty as a raw ingredient, with nothing else, they can be pretty darn spicy. But who’s digging in and eating them straight from a can. Not me!
I’m not lying though when I tell you that using these delicious smoked jalapeños as a marinade, when combined with a few sweet ingredients to balance the heat (like honey and orange juice), is a perfect balance of sweet and spicy.
I love using this combination as a marinade for several proteins, like my Maple Chipotle Cedar Plank Salmon, or my Grilled Chicken with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Glaze. We’ve balanced the ingredients in this marinade recipe specific for shrimp, to not take away from the natural flavors of shrimp, but also create balance for a winning combination.
How to make a Chipotle Shrimp Marinade
We start with a can of chipotle in adobo sauce. Measure out about 1/3 of a cup, both the sauce and the peppers. Don’t be scared! We’re then adding some flavor with the garlic and shallots, and sweetness with the honey and fresh squeezed orange juice (my favorite is to use those small Cutie oranges. They’ve got great concentration of flavor a bit of salt for flavor), and finally some olive oil to bind everything together.
Add 1 lb of cleaned shrimp to the marinade. This may not seem like it, but 1 lb is a lot of shrimp. Just look below.
How Long to Marinate Shrimp
Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. That is enough time for the delicate shrimp to take on the flavor of the chipotle marinade. You don’t want it to marinate too long (2 or more hours) otherwise it may slowly start to cook with the small amount of citrus in it (similar to ceviche).
What Size Shrimp to Marinate & Grill
Shrimp comes in many sizes, when you see 26 – 32 or other variations of numbers, that is how many shrimp per pound you can expect. For this grilled shrimp marinade recipe we prefer to use the 26-32 count, which is what I would consider a medium size shrimp. So now you can rock out your order by saying, I’ll take a pound of 26-32 please.
Note in the picture below you see exactly 32 shrimp skewered up.
How to Grill Marinated Shrimp
Grill these bad boys on direct heat for just two minutes per side. That’s it!
Shrimp does not take long to grill, they are fast and easy.
You can enjoy these grilled shrimp straight from the skewers or use as a filling for tacos. However you eat them, they’re sure to go fast!
Even our kiddos love these. And our boys can take some heat, but not too much, so you know they’re not overly spicy!
Grilled Chipotle Marinated Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lb shrimp, (we use 26-32 count shrimp peeled and deveined)
Chipotle Honey Lime Marinade
- 1/3 cup chipotle in adobo sauce (both peppers and sauce)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined and pureed.
- Place the marinade ingredients in a large gallon sized plastic bag and add the shrimp. Mix together and place in the refrigerator to marinate for one hour.
- Preheat grill for direct cooking.
- Thread shrimp on to metal skewers and discard the marinade.
- Grill the shrimp skewers for two minutes, flip once for about 90 seconds. The shrimp should go from an opaque look to a pink color, but be sure to watch after the flip as it won’t take long to finish the other side.
Notes
Wine Pairing for Grilled Shrimp
For wine I’m reaching for something refreshing with this semi spicy grilled shrimp, like a semi-dry Riesling or a fruity rosé. Something that can handle the mix of smoky and sweet flavors from the marinade, but also counterbalance by refreshing the palate after each spicy bite!
What would you pair?
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