barbecue of champions
Talk about a refreshing summer meal…spicy cajun shrimp with juicy, flavorful pineapple salad takes the cake for sure. Although you don’t need a grill to master this recipe, if you do have a grill, this is the perfect backyard alternative to barbecue. Shrimp is rubbed in a spicy cajun blend and grilled on skewers, while fresh, juicy pineapple is charred on the grill, giving it a sweet, caramelized flavor. The greatest thing about this recipe is that it comes together so easily. And using skewers make it the perfect meal if you’re serving many people. Just double the recipe, and you have yourself a party dish. Serve it with some crisp white wine or a fun summer cocktail to turn your grill sesh up a few notches.
⟶ the recipe
cajun shrimp with charred pineapple salad
ingredients
1-2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
½ pineapple, peeled, cored, cubed
½ red onion, sliced
1 seedless cucumber, sliced
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 limes, juiced
Salt and pepper
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
40 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Place shrimp in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and cajun seasoning. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes (place in the fridge if marinating for more than 30 minutes).
Heat the grill, and place pineapple cubes on the grates, flipping after about 4 minutes. Char the other side for another 4 minutes, until pineapple is tender and both sides have dark grill marks.
Transfer pineapple to a cutting board and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, toss onion, cucumber, cilantro, and lime. Once pineapple is cool enough to handle, cut it into smaller chunks, and toss into the salad.
Thread shrimp onto 4 or 5 skewers, about 8 shrimp per skewer, depending on the length. Place skewers on the grill and cook, while turning, until shrimp are opaque and look charred.
Spoon pineapple salad onto plates, then top with the shrimp.
⟶ recipe notes
- If you don’t have a grill, you can also cook pineapple and shrimp using a grill pan. Alternatively, you can char the pineapple and shrimp (without the skewers) under the broiler on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
⟶ modifications
- You can easily adapt this dish to use a different protein–chicken and beef would certainly work. Or make the dish vegetarian, but swapping the shrimp for meaty veggies like eggplant, squash, or portabella mushrooms
⟶ make it ahead
- You can make the pineapple salad ahead of time and chill in a refrigerated container until ready to use
