Sweet & Spicy Grilled Shrimp w/ Peppers, Jalapeño, & Caramelized Pineapple
This recipe is all about vacation inspiration.
One of travels great pleasures is the chance to immerse yourself in local cuisine. So when I rendezvoused to Tulum last week, exploring their culinary tastes and textures was a top priority.
The occasion was my 30th birthday, and the trip was pretty damn incredible. Tulum is a very cool, funky little beach town populated with boutique hotels, swanky yoga retreats, and lots of amazing, local food. Eco-consciousness plays a major role in how Tulum sources its cuisine, so what I was dining on was largely fresh fish (shrimp and snapper are favorites), locally grown fruit (mango, papaya, guava), organic veggies (avocado heaven!) and the odd shot (… or 12) of tequila. And though my margarita haze grew progressively blurry over my four-day fiesta, one particular Thai-Mex dish left a lasting impression. A sexy sauté of shrimp, pineapple, and chile atop a pillowy bed of rice, this dish was so insanely tasty that I had to remake it at home.
Caramelizing pineapple sounds like an annoying task, but it’s a killer dinner upgrade that takes barely 10 minutes. My Tulum meal featured slow-roasted pineapple seared with mezcal, but for this rendition I opted to simply sauté the pineapple in coconut oil with a pinch of salt + cinnamon – Easy, peasey. The shrimp is equally straight-forward, just toss ’em in a coating of salt, pepper, & chili powder, then grill. And lastly, a sweet & spicy sauce — courtesy of sriracha and pineapple juice — plus sliced red pepper, onion, and jalapeño make this a fast ‘n fit meal ready in just 20 (dos diez) minutes.
This is obviously clutch for quick weeknight fixes, but it’s a great recipe for groups, too – Easily doubled or tripled, you can scale this to feed a crowd while the preparation remains consistently seamless. I suggest serving this over jasmine rice — the subtle floral flavor is a dream against the pineapple — but healthier swaps like brown rice or quinoa are yummy, too. And if you don’t have pineapple juice on-hand, use orange juice! It’s all about keeping things flex.
Like the Tulum version, this dish strikes just the right balance of sweet and spicy. A tickle of tang (sriracha) mixed with fiery heat (chili + jalapeño) keeps the pineapple from becoming too overpowering. While the chili rub lends an unexpected smokiness to the grilled shrimp that tastes SO good against its charred skin, they would honestly be great eaten all on their own. But it’s the veggies + caramelized pineapple that really seal the deal – The mellow flavor of the coconut oil-sauté combined with the bouncy sweet & spicy sauce is just TROPICAL, period.
If one bite doesn’t immediately transport you to the beach, you cray girl.
And if you really wanna turn thangs up? Serve this IN a pineapple!!
With tequila, of course.
Sweet & Spicy Grilled Shrimp w/ Peppers, Jalapeño, & Caramelized Pineapple
Ingredients:
- SHRIMP:
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsps Chili Powder
- 1 lb Raw Peeled & Deveined Shrimp
- Cooking spray to grease
- SAUCE:
- 1/3 cup Sriracha
- 3 tbsps Ketchup
- 2 tsps Sesame Oil
- 1/3 cup Pineapple Juice
- VEGGIES:
- 8 – 13 oz Pineapple, cubed (should yield 2 cups)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 tbsps Coconut Oil, divided
- 3 Red Peppers, sliced
- 1 Yellow Onion, sliced
- 2 Jalapeños, diced
Directions:
- Amply grease grill or griddle with cooking spray, then heat over medium-high flame.
- Place shrimp in large mixing bowl. Combine the salt, black pepper, and chili powder until they are mixed into one seasoning, then sprinkle over shrimp and toss to coat. Thread shrimp along metal skewers.
- In another, small mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Toss pineapple cubes in salt and cinnamon. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat, then add in pineapple and caramelize until fragrant and beginning to brown, ~7 minutes. Once pineapple is caramelizing, stir in red pepper, onion, jalapeño, and remaining tbsp of coconut oil, then allow all ingredients to simmer until needed.
- Place shrimp on pre-heated grill or griddle, then sear for ~4 minutes on either side until cooked through. With a pastry brush coat grilled shrimp with sweet & spicy sauce, then add remaining sauce to the veggie skillet. Serve together, pairing with your choice of grain if desired.
tulum!
Holy flavor! Love all of the bright colors, tasty veggies and that bang-POW of a sauce. Looks amazing!
thanks so much Karly! xo
That sounds like such a fun trip! And this shrimp has summer cooking written all over it. Beautiful photos, too!
thanks Jessica!! it’s definitely a great spot to check out 🙂
Wow! Caramelizing pineapple sounds totally worth it. This looks awesome I love it 🙂
Beautiful photos Christine! This looks absolutely delicious. I’ve always wanted to caramelize pineapple at home and I think I finally will after seeing this!
thanks so much Lauren! xo
This looks amazing! I love shrimps and who says no to caramelized-anything? I’m salivating over your photos haha..
thanks girrrl! xo
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