These Shrimp Pineapple Skewers are the ideal Summer dinner! A simple Hawaiian inspired marinade infuses the shrimp with delicious flavors and they're skewered onto kabob sticks with fresh pineapple, then grilled to perfection.
Pair these Pineapple Shrimp Kabobs with rice and a Spicy Pineapple Margarita and you'll be feeling like you're on island time.
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Why You'll Love These Kabobs:
- Quick. This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make, including marinating time.
- Easy. Simple to make with easy step by step instructions.
- High Protein. Shrimp has 20 grams of protein per 3 ounces.
- A Summer Favorite. We're firing up the grill for this seasonal recipe.
For more easy Shrimp recipes, try this Shrimp on the Blackstone, Baja Shrimp Tacos, Shrimp Scampi without wine, and Shrimp and Sausage Pasta.
Ingredients:
Shrimp: My favorite Shrimp type is Pink Argentine. It's a deep water shrimp that is medium sized and isn't fishy tasting with a nice firm texture. When I can buy them peeled and deveined from the butcher, I almost always do in order to save on time and mess.
Pineapple: Use a fresh pineapple because the texture is firmer and will stay on the skewers much better than the canned pineapple.
*For the full recipe ingredients and quantities, visit the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- If you want to add more flavor, brush on bbq sauce or teriyaki sauce right onto the shrimp when grilling.
- Don't have a grill available? These can be baked in the oven too. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and bake, flipping half way through. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. It should be between 8-12 minutes.
- Want to add veggies? Add red bell pepper and onion chunks on the kabobs too.
How to Make Shrimp Pineapple Skewers:
Step 1: *If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes. Peel and devein shrimp, then rinse and dry.
Step 2: Cut the fresh pineapple into large chunks. You need about 4 pieces for each skewer and there are 8 skewers, so about 32 pieces.
Step 3: Twist the tails off the shrimp and discard. Add the shrimp into a medium sized bowl and pour in olive oil, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and salt. Toss to combine, then let them sit for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Pour out the marinade in the bowl, leaving only the shrimp. Take a skewer and alternate between pineapple and shrimp with about 4 pieces of pineapple and 4 shrimp on each skewer. Repeat. *Note: I find it easiest to add the shrimp skewers all to a cookie sheet, then I'll grab a clean cookie sheet for when they come off the grill.
Step 5: Heat the gas grill to medium high heat. We're keeping the grill open, so we do need a higher heat (about 450 degrees closed). Allow it to heat up for a few minutes, then place the skewers over the grates. It's easiest to place the skewers perpendicular to the grates so they don't fall in. Grill for 3-4 minutes.
Step 6: Flip the skewers and grill the other side of the shrimp and pineapple until the internal temperature of the shrimp reaches 145 degrees.
Step 7: Transfer to a serving dish and top with green onions. I like to serve with a side or drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Don't leave the shrimp in the pineapple marinade longer than 15 minutes or the acidity will start to make the shrimp a bit mushy.
- Make sure the grill temp is really hot (450 or higher) before adding the kabobs. I like to lie them perpendicular on the racks instead of parallel so that they don't fall through.
- I leave the grill open when cooking, so it takes a bit more than 2-3 minutes on each side like it usually would in the pan. Rely on internal temperature over time and use an instant read thermometer to make sure they are 145 degrees in the midpoint of the thickest part, before removing them from the grill.
Pair these Shrimp with this Coconut Rice, Summer Risotto, Yellow Mediterranean Rice, or Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
Storage:
Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Use within 2 days. To reheat, I simply add into a skillet and heat for 1-2 minutes on each side to warm them up.
More Summer Dinner Recipes To Try:
If you tried this Shrimp Pineapple Skewers Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Shrimp Pineapple Skewers
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 skewers
Description
These Shrimp Pineapple Skewers are the ideal Summer dinner! A simple Hawaiian inspired marinade infuses the shrimp with delicious flavors and they're skewered onto kabob sticks with fresh pineapple and grilled to perfection.
Ingredients
Shrimp Pineapple Kabobs:
- 1 and ½ lbs peeled and deveined shrimp (medium 16/20 ct) *preference for Argentine Shrimp
- 2-3 cups of pineapple wedges (approximately 32 pieces)
- 2 tablespoons green onion for garnish, sliced on a bias
- Optional: I recommend serving teriyaki sauce on the side for drizzling or dipping. Kinder's Teriyaki Sauce is my favorite.
Marinade:
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
*You also need skewers for kabobs (wood or metal) *I prefer metal because you don't have to soak them first.
Instructions
- *If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes. Peel and devein shrimp, then rinse and dry.
- Cut the fresh pineapple into large chunks. You need about 4 pieces for each skewer and there are 8 skewers, so about 32 pieces.
- Twist the tails off the shrimp and discard. Add the shrimp into a medium sized bowl and pour in olive oil, pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and salt. Toss to combine, then let them sit for 10 minutes.
- Pour out the marinade in the bowl, leaving only the shrimp. Take a skewer and alternate between pineapple and shrimp with about 4 pieces of pineapple and 4 shrimp on each skewer. Repeat. *Note: I find it easiest to add the shrimp skewers all to a cookie sheet, then I'll grab a clean cookie sheet for when they come off the grill.
- Heat the gas grill to medium high heat (about 450 degrees closed). We're keeping the grill open, so we do need a higher heat. Allow it to heat up for a few minutes, then place the skewers over the grates. It's easiest to place the skewers perpendicular to the grates so they don't fall in. Grill for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the skewers and grill the other side of the shrimp and pineapple until the internal temperature of the shrimp reaches 145 degrees.
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with green onions. I like to serve with a side or drizzle of teriyaki sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Don't leave the shrimp in the pineapple marinade longer than 15 minutes or the acidity will start to make the shrimp a bit mushy.
- Make sure the grill temp is really hot (around 450 degrees) before adding the kabobs. I like to lie them perpendicular on the racks instead of parallel so that they don't fall through.
- I leave the grill open when cooking, so it takes a bit more than 2-3 minutes on each side like it usually would in the pan. Rely on internal temperature over time and use an instant read thermometer to make sure they are 145 degrees in the midpoint of the thickest part, before removing them from the grill.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
Geo says
So good! Loved these and so great for summer.
Tara Smithson says
Thanks so much for the review Geo. So glad you enjoyed these!