Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon! Ridiculously good grilled or oven roasted and flavored with chili and lime. Two tricks ensure crispy bacon without overcooking the shrimp. Perfect for your next backyard BBQ!
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Looking for a crowd-pleasing appetizer? Make bacon wrapped shrimp! It’s kind of ridiculously good.
Seriously, this one is really easy and crazy good. Bacon and shrimp make a very happy couple.
How to make bacon wrapped shrimp
For this recipe, we’ll dust the shrimp with some lime and chili powder, then wrap them in bacon rashers. You can either put them on the grill or bake them in the oven.
Tips for the best bacon wrapped shrimp
Here are a few tips that can help make bacon-wrapped shrimp even better:
1. Salt the shrimp: When grilling shrimp, I recommend soaking them in brine first. The brine helps the shrimp retain their moisture. Even when exposed to the high heat of the grill, brine shrimp can remain plump and juicy.
To make the brine, simply stir together kosher salt, sugar, and water in a bowl until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the ice and shrimp and let sit for 30 minutes (no longer or the shrimp will be too salty).
2. Pre-cook the bacon: Be sure to pre-cook the bacon a bit before wrapping it around the shrimp. (We heat the strips in the microwave.) Otherwise, the shrimp will be overcooked in the time it takes the bacon.
love shrimp? Love appetizers? Try these!
- crab cocktail
- Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Mayo
- Grilled garlic shrimp skewers
- Mexican shrimp cocktail
- Pickled shrimp
Shrimp wrapped in bacon
You will need about 1 strip of bacon for every 2 shrimp.
I highly recommend salting the shrimp first. The brine prevents the shrimp from drying out in the time it takes for the bacon to cook.
When grilling, I recommend using long, flat skewers, which make it easier to flip the shrimp on the grill. If you don’t have flat skewers, I used two thin bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes beforehand) to the same effect.
ingredients
For the brine (optional but recommended):
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1/4 Cup (diamond crystal) kosher salt (if using Morton Kosher salt, use only 3 tablespoons)
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1/4 Cup sugar
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4 cups water
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1 Cup Ice
For the bacon wrapped shrimp:
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1 lb (count 12 to 20), rawpeeled and deveined shrimp (tail on)
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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citrus peel from 1 lime
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2 tablespoon lime juice
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1/2 teaspoon Chipotle powder or chili powder (less or more to taste)
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6 to 10 stripes slim baconhalved (half as many bacon bits as shrimp)
method
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Salt the shrimp (optional but recommended):
Whisk together the salt, sugar and water until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add the ice and shrimp and let sit for 30 minutes (no longer). Remove the shrimp from the brine.
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Prepare grill or preheat oven:
Prepare the grill over high, direct heat (if grilling) or preheat the oven to 400°F. If you are grilling and using thin bamboo or wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes first.
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Season shrimp:
In a small bowl, combine lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, and chipotle powder. Stir the shrimp into the lime and chipotle mixture; Make sure each piece is well coated.
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Partially cook the bacon:
Spread the bacon pieces on several layers of kitchen paper on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with another layer of kitchen paper. Microwave on high until bacon grease begins to melt but bacon is still slightly pliable, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
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Wrap the shrimp in bacon:
Wrap ½ a piece of partially cooked bacon around each shrimp piece at a time.
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Prepare shrimp for cooking:
If grilling, thread the shrimp onto skewers.
If using the oven, attach each bacon to the shrimp with toothpicks. Place the bacon-wrapped shrimp on a foil-lined baking pan. Brush the remaining lime and chipotle mixture onto the outside of the bacon-wrapped shrimp.
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Grill or bake shrimp:
Grill uncovered 3 minutes on each side (less or longer depending on heat of your grill) or bake in 400°F oven for 8 to 11 minutes or until bacon is lightly browned and shrimp is cooked through.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 145 | calories |
| 12g | Fat |
| 1g | carbohydrates |
| 8g | protein |
