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Hey, friends, it’s officially the beginning of grilling season here in Iowa. Well, it is when we have a nice, sunny, 70 degree day. We are still having quite a few rainy, chilly days.
Luckily I happened to plan this Caribbean shrimp pineapple kabobs recipe for a gorgeous, sunny day (actually it rained later in the day, but I found my rain-free window). Really, I can’t complain one bit about our rain; we are lucky enough to be enjoying really green leafy trees, flowers, and bright green grass. If you are reading this post from California, sorry. I would send some rain water your way if I could.
So, I was all excited to grill some kabobs for lunch on a sunny day. I ran out to turn on the gas side of the grill to pre-heat it (yes, we have a grill that is half gas, and half charcoal. I much prefer charcoal, but I was happy to have the option for the convenience of the gas grill). I closed the lid and ran back inside to let the grill heat up and to set up my photography equipment in the living room. I was running all over the place.
About 3 to 5 minutes later I glanced outside our kitchen window and noticed that the grill was smoking up a storm. Um, not normal when the grill has no food on it. I ran outside and lifted the lid to discover that flames were A-BLAZIN!
Panic-ridden I ran inside to grab a cup of water to put out the fire. I crossed my fingers that it wasn’t a grease fire, which I guess it usually is when there is a fire involved with a grill. I threw the water on the grill and the fire was extinguished. Phew! Relief set in.
I turned off the grill and waited for Paul to get home before trying again. I had visions of setting our detached porch on fire that would spread to our lovely house and Paul would come home for a normal Wednesday lunch to find quite the emergency.
Soooo, about that fire extinguisher that we don’t have. We are purchasing one ASAP! Like before the next time we, okay, I grill!
Moral of the story: don’t leave your grill unattended like I did. Only YOU can prevent PORCH fires!
Grill fires aside, these Caribbean shrimp pineapple kabobs are delicious; there really isn’t a better word for it.
Tender shrimp has been rubbed down with the spicy, sweet, aromatic Caribbean rub. The sweet grilled pineapple and sweet red pepper are the perfect way to round out the dish. Add in some slightly caramelized, charred red onion and you’ve got yourself one heck of a meal.
These guys are insanely easy to make; in just 25 minutes lunch/dinner is served. Plus they are super fun to eat. Anything on a stick is fun to eat, right?
A big shout out goes to Pinch of Yum. I just love that blog! I had made her super simple Jerk chicken recipe a few times and loved it. I had been wanting to make some shrimp kabobs for a while and knew the spice mixture would be perfect with the shrimp. Right on the nose with that one.
I guarantee that I will be making this recipe a few times this summer. That’s saying a lot. Food bloggers rarely make the same dish more than twice. Sad life. Not really, though; my taste buds are never bored. This recipe is too delicious, summery and too simple not to make again.
Next backyard bash we have I am making these babies. Don’t worry I’ll have the fire extinguisher standing by.
Enjoy!
Caribbean Shrimp Pineapple Kabobs
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 (8 shrimp kabobs) 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Gluten-free, Seafood, Grilling
Description
These kabobs are bursting with flavor. The shrimp has a Caribbean rub that adds depth and spice. The grilled pineapple, red onion, and red bell pepper are perfect with the shrimp. Plus the kabobs only take 25 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- FOR THE SHRIMP AND CARIBBEAN RUB:
- 1 pound shrimp, shelled, (use wild-caught when possible)
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- FOR THE PINEAPPLE AND VEGGIES:
- 1 red onion
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 red bell peppers (or sub in any color you prefer)
- 1 large pineapple
Instructions
- FOR THE SHRIMP AND CARIBBEAN RUB:
- You will need 8 to 13 skewers. If using wood skewers soak them in water for at least a half hour.
- In a small bowl mix together all of the spices. Add the grapeseed oil and stir until well incorporated.
- Use a paper towel to pat the peeled shrimp dry. Rub the jerk spice mixture onto each shrimp, using about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of rub for each shrimp. Place them on a platter or rimmed cookie sheet, cover with foil and place them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
- FOR THE PINEAPPLE AND VEGGIES:
- Trim off the ends of the red onion. Peel off the skin and the first outer layer of the onion. Turn the onion on its flat end. Cut the onion into quarters. Separate the layers of onion from each other and place them in a medium-sized bowl.
- To the onions add the juice of the 1 lime and the teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble your kabobs. The lime juice and salt help to soften the onion pieces so that when they are cooked they don’t have such a harsh, raw onion taste.
- Next cut up the red bell peppers by cutting off the top and bottom. Stand the pepper up onto its end and slice down the middle. Remove the pith and seeds. Trim off any white pith left on the pepper. Cut the peppers into 2 inch square pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside.
- Next cut the pineapple by cutting the top and bottom off. Set the pineapple upright on its flat surface. Use your large chef’s knife, or a large, sharp serrated knife to cut along the curve of the pineapple to remove the skin. Once the skin is removed use a paring knife to trim off any brown eyes that are left behind.
- Use the large chef’s knife to cut off the flesh as close to the core as possible. Cut the large pieces of flesh into 1 to 2 inch squares. Place all of the pineapple into a large bowl and set aside for assembly.
- To assemble the kabobs, first thread on either an onion piece, or a red pepper piece, leaving 2 inches of space at the end of the kabob for a handle.
- Next thread on a shrimp: Start at the thick end of the shrimp and also thread it onto the skewer near the tail end, creating a “C” shape with the shrimp. Move it all the way down to the end by the pepper or onion.
- Next thread on an onion or red pepper chunk, followed by a pineapple chunk, followed by a red pepper or onion, followed by a shrimp. There should be about 3 pieces of shrimp per skewer and 2 pieces of pineapple per skewer with onion and red pepper chunks in between. I like to start and end each skewer with an onion or pepper chunk to “book end” the rest of the ingredients. I also like to make sure the pineapple is not touching the shrimp, to prevent the acid from turning it into ceviche (cooking shrimp by using acid).
- Repeat this process until you run out of shrimp. I had 8 kabobs with 3 pieces of shrimp and 2 pieces of pineapple on each.
- Any remaining onion, pepper, or pineapple I threaded by type onto its own skewer and cooked these skewers along with the other kabobs. I enjoyed having the extra pineapple and veggies.
- You can cover and refrigerate your raw kabobs for up to 1 hour, or cook them right away.
- minutes before you are ready to cook your kabobs, preheat your grill for low to medium heat. If using a charcoal grill then adjust the coals so the heat is at a low to medium heat. You may also use an indoor grill if needed.
- Cook the kabobs with the lid closed for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, 10 minutes total. The shrimp should be pink in color, opaque, and tender. The pineapple, peppers, and onion should have a slight char and be tender, yet still slightly crunchy.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
- If you have any leftovers, remove the food from the skewers and store the shrimp in a separate container from the pineapple and veggies, to prevent the acid in the pineapple from altering the texture of the shrimp.
Notes
Recipe for Caribbean Rub adapted from Pinch of Yum’s Super Simple Jerk Chicken
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