Thai Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Brochettes

This Thai recipe for grilled shrimp on skewers (brochettes) is succulent and delicious, and is easy to make. Shrimp/prawns are combined with chunks of pineapple, cherry tomatoes, and purple onion for a colorful and tropical summertime barbecue treat. Superb for a barbecue, dinner party, or cookout, these grilled shrimp brochettes are excellent served with Thai coconut rice (see recipe link below), as the coconut compliments the tropical flavors of the grilled shrimp and pineapple. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• SERVES 3-4
• 1 package wooden or stainless steel skewers (if using wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes)
• 12-14 fresh tiger shrimp, preferably large to jumbo-size, shells removed
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks - see below for instructions (or substitute 1 can pineapple chunks, drained)
• 1 purple onion, cut into quarters
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• MARINADE/DIPPING SAUCE:
• 1 Tbsp. oil, such as canola
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian/Chinese food stores) OR substitute 2 additional Tbsp. soy sauce
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lime (approx. 1/4 cup), OR substitute lemon juice
• 1 fresh red or green chili, minced, OR 1-3 tsp. chili sauce, according to how spicy you want it (omit for mild)
• optional: 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce (available at Asian/Chinese food stores)
• 2 tsp. sugar

Preparation:

For instructions on how to buy and prepare fresh pineapple, see my: How to Cut a Pineapple.

1. If using wooden skewers, place them in a little water in your sink to soak (prevents burning).
2. Place shrimp, pineapple chunks, and cherry tomatoes in a mixing bowl. For the onion slices, separate the individual layers of the onion and add to the bowl.
3. Mix the marinade/dipping sauce ingredients together in a sauce pan. Pour 1/2 the marinade/sauce over the shrimp and other ingredients in the mixing bowl. Reserve the remaining half in the sauce pan for use later.
4. Toss the shrimp, pineapple, tomatoes and onion together with the marinade until everything is well saturated. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes while warm up the grill (avoid marinating the shrimp longer than 15 minutes).
5. Thread the shrimp, pineapple, tomato and onion onto the skewers (see picture). Place the finished skewers on a plate. Reserve the remaining marinade at the bottom of the bowl for basting.
6. Grilled the brochettes for approx. 5-8 minutes each side, or until the shrimp are pink, plump, and juicy. Baste the brochettes with leftover marinade from the bowl once each side while cooking.
7. Warm up the reserved sauce (in the sauce pan) - avoid boiling it. Do a taste-test for a balance of tangy and sweet (you may want to add a little more sugar). Also, if you like spicy, you may want to add a little more chili sauce. (Note: The sauce will taste strong on its own, but will be excellent when spooned over the brochettes.)
8. Serve with rice, or your choice of side dishes. For an extra special treat, serve with my Easy Coconut Rice (the coconut of the rice compliments the tropical taste of the shrimp and pineapple!).

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