When you want delicious grilled shrimp, you can’t be afraid of the flames! This recipe for Easy Habanero Grilled Shrimp is super tasty and super delicious. Best of all, you can get it cooked in only 4-5 minutes!
The Best Shrimp for Habanero Grilled Shrimp
I grew up in Mississippi, so I am very partial to wild-caught gulf shrimp. If you have a choice, select white gulf shrimp, or pink Florida shrimp. Gulf shrimp tend to be much sweeter and more flavorful than imported shrimp. Further, farmed shrimp from several countries are not properly regulated, so you never know what hormones, pesticides, or feed those shrimp are getting. Stick with an American shrimp, and you’ll be happy.
For the shrimp, I peel and devein them, leaving the tail on. You can purchase pre-peeled shrimp, but you’ll get a better-tasting product by peeling yourself. Plus, save the peels to make a great shrimp stock for other recipes like gumbo, bisque, or etouffee. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough or don’t have time to make a stock. Simply put the peels in a reclosable bag and freeze them until you’re ready to make it.
Easy Habanero Grilled Shrimp
After peeling and deveining, skewer the shrimp. I love to use Slide and Serve Skewers. They are fun and it’s much easier to skewer and remove shrimp using these skewers. Plus, they’re reusable and thin, so they don’t take up much space.
For the shrimp, simply securely skewer along the spikes. I thread about 4-5 shrimp per side. Lightly dust shrimp with my Garlic Blend and make a mix of melted butter and my Honey Habanero Flavor Dust, and we’re ready to grill.
Cooking Habanero Grilled Shrimp
When cooking these shrimp, we want FLAMES! You can grill them on a regular grill, but I love to get the shrimp flame-kissed. They taste amazing this way, and they cook amazingly fast. Use the butter sauce to get those flames up!
I usually serve this as an appetizer, as it’s best cooked just when you’ve gotten the grill fired up and the charcoal hasn’t burnt down. If using a gas grill, just cook on high for a fast sear on the shrimp.
Make sure to separate the butter sauce when you’ve made it. You’ll use some on the raw shrimp to get the flames popping, but you’ll also want to have some to brush on the cooked shrimp and serve on the side. Try not to cross-contaminate, and keep your portions separate.
As always, I hope you enjoy!
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Easy Habanero Grilled Shrimp
Description
Make this Easy Habanero Grilled Shrimp recipe for a flavorful appetizer, or serve them with rice and veggies for a delicious, easy entree.
Ingredients
Gulf shrimp, 16-20 count or 21-25 count, 3-5 shrimp as an appetizer, 6-8 as an entree
2 tsp cooking olive oil
4 tsp Melissa’s Garlic Blend, divided
1/2 pound butter if cooking for appetizers for 4; 1 pound for entrees
2–4 TBS Honey Habanero Flavor Dust
Instructions
Peel and devein the appropriate number of shrimp. Lightly toss with oil, then skewer and lightly season with Garlic Blend.
Melt butter and mix in 2 tsp Garlic blend and 1 TBS Honey Habanero Flavor Dust. Note, this Flavor Dust gets spicier the more you add, so mix some up, then adjust for your flavor.
On a hot grill over charcoal flames (preferable) or on a hot gas grill, lay down shrimp skewers and allow to cook for 30 seconds, then brush with butter sauce, making sure to drip some on the flames to get them kissing the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque throughout. Drip the butter mix on the shrimp while cooking to keep the flames popping at the shrimp. Be Careful!
Remove skewers, remove shrimp from skewers, and enjoy with more butter sauce!
