Description
Using a cast iron grill pan, you can create flavorful and fragrant grilled shrimp and pineapple skewers from the comfort of your own home kitchen. These skewers are topped with Chimichurri and served with a side of coconut rice, giving you the best Caribbean flavors. You’ll feel like you’re on vacation without ever leaving your home.
Ingredients
Grilled Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers
- 8 wooden skewers
- 1 1/2 lbs peeled & deveined jumbo shrimp
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups fresh chopped pineapple
- 3 tablespoons chimichurri sauce
Coconut Rice
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
Coconut Rice
- Combine all of the ingredients for the coconut rice into a saucepan and place over high heat.
- Let the rice come to a full boil, lower the heat to the lowest setting, and cover the pot for 18 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork after 18 minutes and serve.
Grilled Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers
- Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes prior to cooking. This ensures that they will not burn on the grill pan or on an open flame grill.
- Combine shrimp, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil in a large bowl. Let shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Do not pass 15 minutes, or the acid from the lemon juice will start to cook your shrimp.
- Sprinkle the pineapple lightly with salt, pepper, and olive oil. The pineapple should be cut into small chunks with a thickness that matches the shrimps thickness. This will help the shrimp and pineapple cook evenly.
- Place the shrimp and pineapple onto the skewers. (I was able to fit about three shrimp and three pineapple chunks onto one skewer.)
- Preheat and lightly oil a cast iron pan over medium high heat.
- Once the pan is smoking hot, grill each skewer for about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Plate, and drizzle Chimichurri on top of each skewer. Serve with the coconut rice & enjoy!
Notes
Soaking the skewers is an important step, especially if you decide to make these skewers over an open flame grill.
Do not go over the 10-15 minute window for marinating. Since we are using lemon juice in the marinade, it can begin to cook the shrimp the longer it sits. This is how ceviche is made, but we’re not making ceviche here.
The width of the shrimp and the pineapple much be equal to ensure even cooking.
The chimichurri sauce is a game changer in this recipe. The skewers are good without it, but the addition of the chimichurri adds that brightness and tanginess that is needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Western Caribbean
