Spicy Barbecue Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers

It is 8pm, and I am laying side ways across my bed, soaking up the fact that I have nowhere to be and no reason to go to bed early or to say up late. The last week in Ecuador has been nothing short of amazing, but to get all of that goodness into 4 days, you must go go go!

The last week I have been eating my fair share of seafood, while I can: Ceviche de Camarones, Tilapia Frito, Crovina Asado. Mejillones, almejas, y pargo. (Shrimp ceviche, fried tilapia, grilled sea bass. Mussels, clams, and red snapper). One would think I'd be done with it by now, ready for a hot burger or a sizzling chicken breast but I am not. Bring on the fresh shellfish! How lucky am I to travel all this way to dine like this? 

And it's not just seafood of course: it's fruit too. We ate a grapefruit straight from a tree, and munched on fresh cacao fruit from a purple-ish red pod. We sipped coconut water, ate passion fruit and passed field after field of pineapples.

This dish has a bit of everything going for it: the best of both worlds. The two ingredients I saw the most of the last week: succulent shrimp and sweet pineapple. Slathered in BBQ sauce for a North American twist. A splash of hot sauce--ají- to give it some zip.

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Spicy Barbecue Shrimp & Pineapple Skewers

Published June 13, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Spicy barbecue sauce is the perfect compliment to sweet pineapple! Perfect for the grill, but can be cooked in your oven, too.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined 
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce of choice
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (depending on spice preferences)
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed into bite-sized pieces 
• Metal or wooden skewers

Directions:

1. Mix together melted coconut oil, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. In the morning, place shrimp in a ziplock bag for marinating. Pour 1/2 of barbecue sauce mixture into bag over shrimp, and toss the shrimp to coat them in the sauce. Close the bag, and place in fridge for 4-6 hours, or until ready to cook. Reserve the rest of the sauce for using after cooking.
3. Assemble: use metal skewers or wooden kabob sticks and skewer shrimp and cubes of fresh pineapple in an alternating pattern.
4. Turn your oven to the Broil setting and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and pink, and starting to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. Note: You may also cook the skewers on a grill. Light your grill and bring it to high heat. Cook skewers for 2 minutes and the flip, cooking for 2 additional minutes or until shrimp are opaque and starting to char.
5. Serve over a bead of rice or cauliflower rice.