Last updated on October 12th, 2021 at 03:17 pm
Pineapple, bell peppers, and coconut make these grilled shrimp kabobs a tropical treat. Cooking them on the grill gives them that perfect char. So bust out your skewers, fire up the grill, and get to cooking.
Because the shrimp are marinated before cooking, these grilled shrimp kabobs are some of the most tender I have ever had. And if you have never had grilled pineapple before then you are in for a surprise.
The marinade for this dish is mostly coconut milk with soy sauce for salt, honey for sweet, garlic for flavor, olive oil for non-stick, and orange juice for a citrus punch. This results in a slightly citrusy yet really creamy coconut-y flavor with tender shrimp and charred pineapple and peppers.
Skewered Shrimp
I highly recommend getting yourself some metal skewers for grilling kabobs. I bought this set of 10 skewers that I love. They are flat, so they make it less likely that your food will spin when you try to flip it. The skewers also have a metal disc to help push the cooked food off. And they are reusable with no prep work required before making the dish.
If you do elect to use wooden skewers, then you will have to soak them for at least an hour before they go on the grill. I would typically throw them in a glass baking dish and cover them with water the night before making kabobs. I have not found any good flat wooden skewers to help combat spinning food. So if you know of any, then give me a heads up. Also, please do not try and re-use wooden skewers.
You’ve got to love the oxymoron that is jumbo shrimp. When selecting your shrimp, I recommend getting the largest that you can. Larger shrimp will take the heat of the grill better. Plus you get more to eat for your effort.
Note that with the number of ingredients I have listed here, it took me about sixteen 12-inch long skewers to grill all of the food. Also, do not leave the shrimp in the marinade for longer than the given thirty minutes. We don’t want it to start breaking down the shrimp to mush. Wipe the grill grates down with canola or vegetable oil before grilling to get those mouthwatering grill marks.
Serving Shrimp Kabobs
The grilled shrimp, pineapple, and peppers can be served over rice or quinoa. When cooking either of the starches, use half a cup of unsweetened coconut milk along with the remaining cooking liquid. This helps give a bit of flavor to it that will make it an even better pair for the tropical flavors.
For sides, add some type of grilled vegetable or a simple salad to round out the meal. I would even use my oven-roasted asparagus recipe, but cook it on the grill instead. Grilled corn, hot peppers, zucchini, or green beans could all be great sides for this dish and could be cooked while the kabobs grill. Two for one.
The accompanying sauce can be used to pour over everything, or as a dipping sauce. I have used it both ways and it adds great tropical sweet notes to the dish. It is quick and easy to make the sauce, combining just three ingredients. The corn starch and coconut milk are whisked together, then combined with the cream of coconut, and then brought to a boil. After thickening up a bit, just remove it from the heat.
Finally, to round out the meal, serve it with frozen mint lemonade. Then you have the perfect summer meal. Grilled shrimp kabobs, a sweet coconut sauce, pineapple, bell pepper, and a refreshing frozen drink. Enjoy!
Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Kabobs with Sweet Coconut Sauce
Course: EntreesDifficulty: Intermediate8
servings20
minutes10
minutes30
minutes1
hourFire up the grill and follow this recipe to get grilled shrimp, pineapple, and pepper kabobs with a slightly citrusy yet creamy coconut-y flavor with a perfect char
Ingredients
- Marinade
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1 orange
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
- Kabobs
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
2 large bell peppers, any color
1 pineapple
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Sweet Coconut Sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 cup cream of coconut
Directions
- Make the marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisking together
- Reserve about half a cup of the marinade for brushing the kabobs while grilling
- Add the tail-on peeled and deveined shrimp into the remaining marinade and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes
- While the shrimp is marinating, chop the pineapple and bell peppers into about 1-inch sized pieces
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the corn starch and coconut milk and then add in the cream of coconut
- Place the saucepan on medium heat and stir until the mixture starts to boil
- Let it cook for just a few more minutes while stirring, then remove from the heat and reserve until serving the kabobs
- Just before the shrimp are ready, light and preheat the grill to high heat
- Remove the shrimp from the fridge, get out the skewers, and start assembling the kabobs by sliding shrimp, peppers, and pineapple onto the skewers until full – leave about 1/2 inch at the end of the skewer clear so that you don’t lose your last item while grilling
- Sprinkle the kabobs evenly with salt and pepper
- Place the kabobs on the grill, brush each side with the reserved marinade, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side until the shrimp are opaque and everything has a slight char
- Take the skewers off the grill and serve the kabobs with the coconut sauce made earlier
Notes
- Wiping the grill grates down with canola or vegetable oil before grilling will easily get you those mouthwatering grill marks
- Do not leave the shrimp in the marinade for much longer than 30 minutes
