A delightful and healthy summer entree, grilled shrimp kabobs with sunny chunks of pineapple, and homemade teriyaki sauce are so easy and just plain delicious!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Quick, easy, delicious — shrimp kebabs are perfect for summer meals.
How long it takes: 15 minutes (plus one hour to marinate the shrimp)
Equipment you’ll need: skewers, grill, basting brush
Servings: makes 10 kebabs
You are going to love these grilled shrimp kabobs: jumbo shrimp, marinated in a zesty teriyaki sauce, and golden juicy fresh pineapple chunks, threaded on a skewer, grilled over a nice hot flame. They are easy to prepare and only need to be on the grill five minutes or so, just enough to impart a nice glaze and smoky flavor.
My mom and husband couldn’t wait for these babies to come off the grill the first time we made them. The looks on their faces said it all. My mom kept saying, “Okay, maybe I’ll eat just one more.” And she did–with lots of lip smacking and finger licking.
And the homemade teriyaki sauce! It’s so simple and really imparts a glorious sweet/salty/umami flavor to the shrimp and pineapple. Used as a marinade and then a glaze in this recipe, the teriyaki sauce does double duty, ensuring lots of flavor for your kabobs. It’s great on salmon or chicken, too.
What is teriyaki?
Teriyaki is a Japanese word which describes a cooking method. Teri means a shine or luster, and yaki means to grill or broil. A traditional teriyaki sauce contains mirin (a sweet cooking wine), soy sauce, sugar, and sake. (New World Encyclopedia)The most important advice I have is to make more shrimp kebobs than you think you’ll need. There won’t be any left over, I can almost guarantee it! They’re that good!
About this recipe
While the kabobs don’t need to be on the grill very long, you’ll need a little extra time to marinate the shrimp. Actually that works out perfectly if you’re having guests. Get the shrimp marinating in the fridge and when it’s nearly time to eat, assemble the kabobs, throw them on the grill for a few minutes, and serve. You won’t have to stand for an hour over a broiling hot grill, sweltering in the sun, while everyone else enjoys their frosty drink in the shade. You’ll be able to join them in no time at all. And that’s a happy thing!
How To Make Shrimp Kabobs
Make teriyaki sauce. Combine honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl, whisking to combine.
Marinate the shrimp. Add the shrimp, put the bowl in the fridge, and allow the shrimp to swim awhile in the flavorful sauce.
What kind of shrimp can you use? I recommend frozen jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with the tails on. Thaw under cold running water. If you have access to fresh shrimp, lucky you!
Thread onto skewers. When it’s nearly time to eat, get your grill fired up, and assemble the kabobs. Thread the shrimp in two places, head and tail, so it stays secure. One shrimp, one pineapple chunk, one shrimp, one pineapple chunk. Beautiful!
Turn the marinade into a glaze. Pour the marinade in a small saucepan, and boil it over high heat to kill any germs and thicken it up a bit. You’ll be brushing the marinade on the skewers as they grill, imparting a nice glaze and adding so much flavor.
Grill. Grill the kabobs a couple minutes on one side, brushing with the sauce, flip over, and grill a few minutes on the other side, again brushing with the teriyaki sauce.
The shrimp should be pink, firm, and beginning to curl. Please don’t overcook them! They’ll get tough and dry. The length of cooking time greatly depends on the size of your shrimp.
What to serve with shrimp kebobs
Is your mouth watering yet? Serve the shrimp kabobs with this flavorful freekah salad, Asian salad, or jasmine rice.
Grilled vegetable kabobs go well. Good choices are red onions, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, or bell peppers. For best results, grill the vegetable kabobs on additional skewers since they take a little longer to cook. You can get them cooking first, and then grill the shrimp. We also love grilled haloumi kebabs with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and crispy cubes of grilled cheese.
For a beverage, chilled semi-sweet Gewurztraminer or Sauvignon Blanc are good choices. Bell’s Oberon beer goes great with summer fare. A pineapple margarita is amazing, too. For a no-alcohol beverage, this pineapple water (pineapple agua fresca) is so refreshing and goes well with the pineapple theme.
For a perfect finale, grill the rest of the pineapple and serve it on ice cream with homemade bourbon caramel sauce. Oh, yes!!! Expect some exclamations of delight!
For these shrimp kebobs, there’s no need to close the grill because they cook so quickly and you’ll want a nice sear. For other meats such as pork or chicken, sear the kabobs for a few minutes with the lid open, then close the grill to cook them more thoroughly.
Shrimp cooks so quickly! You’ll only need to have them on the grill for about five minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Can you use it? Yes and no. Cooked shrimp are okay but they won’t absorb the marinade as well. In addition, there’s a risk that they’ll be overcooked when you grill already cooked shrimp. So you can use cooked shrimp but I wouldn’t advise it for this recipe.
A grill basket works perfectly to grill shrimp and smaller vegetables if you don’t have skewers. It’s easier to prep, too, because you don’t have to thread the skewers.
How to make these kabobs your own
- Alternative cooking methods: You can broil shrimp kabobs in the oven or in a grill pan on the stove. The cooking times will be similar, again depending on the size of the shrimp. Or try this recipe for skillet lemon pepper shrimp. It’s super duper good and easy, too! If you like deep-fried shrimp, air fryer breaded shrimp or air fryer coconut shrimp are the recipes for you.
- Use brown sugar instead of honey. Substitute 3 tablespoons brown sugar for the honey. You may need to add a splash of pineapple juice to get the right consistency.
- Make it spicy.?Increase the amount of red pepper flakes in the teriyaki sauce.
- Substitute canned pineapple. Instead of fresh pineapple, use canned pineapple chunks. Fresh is definitely better, but canned will do in a pinch.
- Add garnishes. Top with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds or chopped fresh cilantro.
While grilled shrimp kabobs are best eaten right away, if you happen to have leftovers, remove the shrimp and pineapple from the skewers and put into a tightly covered container. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheat for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave until warm. Overheating them will cause the shrimp to become tough.
Interested in a weekly meal plan (it’s free!) that includes this shrimp recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #35. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
We’ll be adding a new meal plan weekly. If you’re interested, browse all of our meal plans.
Make a salad with leftover shrimp and pineapple. Start with mixed greens, add shredded carrots, sliced green onions, sliced cucumbers and radishes (or other vegetables of your choice). Arrange the grilled shrimp and pineapple on each salad. Drizzle with White Wine Vinaigrette or any dressing of your choice.
More grilling recipes
Grilling imparts such good flavor and it gets you out of the kitchen. Here’s a few more ideas:
- Grilled Marinated Salmon
- Grilled Pork Kabobs with Apple
- Grilled Shrimp Salad with Garlic Parmesan Vinaigrette
- Grilled Chicken Shawarma Drumsticks
- Grilled Zucchini — an easy side, done in 10 minutes!
- Grilled Pizza with Arugula Pesto, Corn, and Ham
- Tequila Lime Chicken
- Grilled Portobella Mushrooms with Spinach and Cheese
- Grilled Asian Chicken
Grilled Shrimp Kabobs with Pineapple
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated or minced garlic, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more to taste
- 1 pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ fresh pineapple, cored and cut into 1 ½ -inch pieces
- Optional garnishes: fresh minced cilantro, toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- For marinade, combine honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
- Add shrimp to marinade, cover, and place in fridge for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
- Soak 10 wooden skewers in water for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove shrimp from marinade, reserving marinade. Cook marinade in small saucepan over high heat, until it comes to a boil, reducing slightly.
- Thread 2 shrimp and 2 pineapple chunks on each skewer. Push skewers through the heads and tails of the shrimp; alternate with chunks of pineapple.
- Heat grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F. Lightly oil hot grill to prevent shrimp from sticking.
- Place skewers on grill and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, brushing with marinade.
- Flip skewers, and brush with marinade one more time. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. It should appear pink and firm.
- Garnish with cilantro or toasted sesame seeds, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Alternative cooking methods: You can broil shrimp kabobs in the oven or in a grill pan on the stove. The cooking times will be similar, depending on the size of the shrimp.
- Substitute 3 tablespoons brown sugar for the honey. You may need to add a splash of pineapple juice to get the right consistency.
- Increase the amount of red pepper flakes in the teriyaki sauce if you like it spicier.
- Instead of fresh pineapple, you can use canned pineapple (fresh is better though!).
- Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds or chopped fresh cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Perfect for cooking under the broiler, too–we don’t have a grill. lol
For sure! They would be great that way.