Grilled Chipotle Shrimp

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.

We love cooking with chipotle, and I especially 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 for the ultimate chipotle grilled shrimp dinner!

How to make a Chipotle Shrimp Marinade

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! Next add some flavor with the garlic and shallots, and sweetness with 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

• Prepare grill for direct heat cooking.
• Grill chipotle shrimp over 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!

Wine Pairing for Grilled Chipotle 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!

More Grilled Seafood Recipes

• Grilled Shrimp with Garlic Wine Butter Sauce
• Spicy Sriracha Grilled Shrimp
• Grilled Oysters
• Maple Chipotle Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp
• Perfect Grilled Salmon

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Grilled Chipotle Shrimp Skewers Recipe