If you love mojitos and shrimp, then serve this no mess summer appetizer at your next BBQ party. Summer is not over, not yet! In Vancouver, we get gorgeous Indian summer up until the end of September.
I won’t lie, shrimp is expensive and higher in cholesterol but at same time it’s full of protein, omega 3 and is full of concentrated source of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient called astaxanthin. Also, it’s hard to find wild or sustainably raised variety. That’s why moderation is key.
So, when we have shrimp it better be good and these Grilled Mojito Shrimp skewers are nothing but delicious. Juicy, minty and sweet. And of course crunchy. Make sure to keep a close eye on shrimp when grilling. Overcooking will dry it out.
I chose large frozen shrimp, 31-40 count per pound, deveined and tail-on. It’s sold in a 2lb bag at Costco, in a freezer section and cost me $16. I defrosted the shrimp in the fridge, then rinsed under cold running water and drained well in a colander.
It is an appetizer, I assumed you will be serving a party. If 24 skewers is too much, divide the recipe according to the size of your party. Between 4 of us, 24 skewers was a perfect amount. Alex also liked the shrimp cold, I prefer to eat it warm, right off of the grill. To make in advance, keep assembled and uncooked skewers in the fridge, covered, and grill the same day right before the guests arrive.
When calculating the calories, I factored in only 1/5 of the marinade that has been absorbed by the shrimp as the majority of the marinade is discarded. If you are on Weight Watchers please note, 1 skewer = 0 points, 2 skewers = 1 Point Plus.
Ingredients
- 48 medium shrimp, raw, deveined & tail on
- 2 tbsp white rum like Bacardi
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 lime, zest & juice of
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 24 small skewers
- Cooking spray
- Large Ziploc bag
Directions
- Soak skewers in cold water for at least 1 hour. In a small bowl, add rum, sugar, lime zest & juice (first zest 1/2 of the lime, then cut in half and squeeze the juice out of zested half), salt and mint. Whisk for 30 seconds until the sugar is dissolved. In a large Ziploc bag, add shrimp and pour marinade over. Seal the bag leaving 1" opening, squeeze the air out as much as you can and massage the marinade into a shrimp until it's all coated. Squeeze the air out one more time, seal the bag completely, place the bag in a bowl (to avoid any leaks in your fridge) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove shrimp from the bag (discarding the marinade and a bag), thread 2 shrimp on each skewer until you run out of shrimp, place on a platter and set aside. Preheat grill on medium high, spray with cooking spray, grill shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side or until it turns pink and nice grill marks appear. Be careful not to burn shrimp. Grills vary, so watch the shrimp closely. The end of skewers might start burning, that's fine, use the BBQ tongs for turning over. Serve immediately (warm) with a lime wedge on a side.
- To make in advance, keep assembled and uncooked skewers in the fridge, covered, and grill the same day right before the guests arrive.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 12 = 24 skewers
Amount Per Serving = 2 skewers:
Calories: 15.9
Total Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 21.3 mg
Sodium: 30 mg
Total Carbs: 0.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Sugars: 0.2 g
Protein: 2.8 g
WW Points+: 1