BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

by Lynne on July 4, 2010

Post image for BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

This post is dedicated to Patti A., as I haven’t had a chance to do the Angel Food Cake with Strawberries recipe that she requested. This ones for you, girl!

Today is the 4th of July, and I can hear the fireworks going off as I’m writing this. Finally, and hopefully, the weather will warm up now. I cleaned and readied my BBQ grill today for the first time since last summer. I was so happy to get that chore done, so there will be minimal preparation for future grilling. I have that whole Red Snapper that I want to grill next, plus recipes for Chicken Wings with Lime Sauce and Chicken Curry Kabobs that are marinated in a yogurt sauce. I love my grill. Maybe I’ll go out and give it a big hug right now!

You start the Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp by precooking the bacon to partially render some of the fat. It will look gross, but don’t brown it, because you need it soft to wrap around the shrimp. Exercise whatever self control is necessary for this procedure.

Shrimp Matrix

The marinade is red from the paprika and cayenne, sweet from sugar and has zing from the lemon juice, curry powder and cumin. Combined with the smoky notes from the bacon, this is an irresistible combination. I usually remove the tails, but left them on this time for the photographic drama. So, on or off, your preference.

Grill Ready

The amount of time to grill the shrimp will depend on how hot your fire is and the distance from the heat. Just cook them until the bacon is crispy and a little charred.

On the Grill

If you are putting these out as an appetizer, they won’t last long. I made them for a family gathering once and I noticed that everybody had disappeared. I searched and they were all standing around the platter with the BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp. They weren’t talking, just chewing. They did that until the shrimp were all gone. I had to muscle my way in to grab a few for myself. Anyway, I just want you to be ready for this phenomenon.

Shrimp Plated

And then…sigh…the last morsel is gone.

Shrimp Aftermath

Print Recipe Print Recipe

BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

6 First-Course or 3 Main-Course Servings

1 pound of bacon, thin center-cut style

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 ½ pounds large shrimp (20-25 count), shelled, deveined, tails left on or off, your preference

1. Cut the slices of bacon on half. In a large heavy skillet, partially cook the bacon over moderate heat to render some of the fat without allowing the pieces to crisp. Remove the slices as they are done and drain on paper towels. They will still be flobby and look unappetizing. They need to be soft so you can wrap them around the shrimp, and you will finish cooking them on the grill.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne, curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt and black pepper. Stir in the olive oil, sugar and lemon juice. Add the shrimp and partially cooked bacon, and toss well to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, light a charcoal fire. Remove the shrimp from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Wrap a half-slice of bacon around each shrimp and thread on a skewer. Overlap the ends of the bacon on the tummy of the shrimp, poking the skewer through that point and out through the back. You can also use a toothpick to individually secure the bacon, if you are using a wire basket or other means to keep the shrimp from falling through into the fire.

4. Place the skewers on a sheet pan covered with aluminum foil and drizzle the remainder of marinade over the shrimp.

5. Brush your grill rack with a little oil and set it about 5 inches from the glowing coals. Grill the shrimp skewers for about 5 minutes, until the bacon begins to be crispy. Turn skewers over and grill until the bacon is browned, and the shrimp is opaque throughout. Serve hot or warm.

{ 11 trackbacks }

10 Recipes Hot off the Grill for Memorial Day | Yummly
May 24, 2011 at 11:43 am
Bacon Birthday Brunch |
October 25, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Shrimp Creole Inspired by Emeril Lagasse
April 2, 2012 at 12:47 am
Bbq Curry Shrimp | Single mom eats
May 16, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Clueless in the kitchen? | Single mom eats
July 17, 2012 at 2:07 pm
Global Challenge #1 – Navy Seals | The Global Challenge
July 31, 2013 at 3:52 pm
Paleo Appetizers - sugarfreeglow.com
January 9, 2014 at 3:36 am
How To Cook Shrimp Wrapped With Bacon | bbq - super bbq recipes
October 27, 2015 at 1:34 pm
Bbq Shrimp Skewer | sweet - bbqsaucerecipes
January 9, 2016 at 12:12 pm
The 5 Best Tailgating Meats And How To Serve Them | Reams Foods Blog
September 23, 2016 at 10:19 am
The 5 Best Tailgating Meats And How To Serve Them | Reams Food Store
September 14, 2018 at 11:32 am

{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }

Patti July 5, 2010 at 11:11 am

Thanks Lynne! wow, they look amazing. I printed the recipe so I can give them a try. Have a great day!

Andrea @ Fork Fingers Chopsticks July 5, 2010 at 8:15 pm

Bacon and shrimp – a combo I adore. I’m sure this will be a fantastic appetizer for one of my cookouts. Glad you were able to snag a few without having to take someone out. I know you’re a tough gal.

Joanne July 6, 2010 at 4:49 am

It really is true that everything tastes better with bacon. But I think that phrase should be amended to “everything tastes better with bacon…especially when grilled”. These look fabulous! A definite crowdpleaser. I could devour a stick (or five).

Carla July 6, 2010 at 9:22 am

Oh my, I’m drooling. Gall, that looks good!

redmenace July 6, 2010 at 2:10 pm

I’m quite certain I can think of nothing better than bacon wrapped shrimp. Thank you for the lovely inspiration!

Lentil Breakdown July 7, 2010 at 10:59 am

Ok, I have pretty much given up bacon, but you are playing the temptress here! Yowza, that looks good! And your spice combo sounds like a winner too. Damn you!

Gaby July 7, 2010 at 2:15 pm

omg I love these bbq bacon wrapper shrimp! they sound super delish and I am for sure making them for my next party!

sippitysup July 7, 2010 at 2:57 pm

I did not get here in time to vote on the previous post, but I probably would have voted for this one and so… thanks for reading my mind. GREG

Grapefruit July 7, 2010 at 4:38 pm

I don’t even eat Bacon & don’t like Shrimp – but your beautiful photos have me craving shrimp. That marinade sounds really flavorful and I’m sure it would work pretty well with poultry as well – the addition of more chili powder and some yogurt would turn it into a tandoori paste (almost!).

Christine@Christine's Recipes July 7, 2010 at 9:32 pm

Thanks for dropping by. Love your gorgeous BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp, very attractive.

Monet July 7, 2010 at 11:19 pm

Tangy shrimp on the grill…sounds delicious! I’m always looking for great shrimp recipes during the summer months (nothing sounds better!) and this recipe seems packed with flavor. I love your pictures, as always they make me hungry and inspire me to improve my own photography

Grapefruit July 9, 2010 at 2:27 pm

Just tagged you for an award over on my blog!

Carole May 25, 2012 at 7:31 pm

My goodness, don’t you have a way with bacon. Thanks for linking this to Food on Friday.

Lauren May 22, 2013 at 3:23 pm

Just made these and they are AWESOME!!! I added some honey to the marinade (paste really) and paired pineapple with the bacon shrimp and they are delicious!

Lucy July 3, 2013 at 9:27 am

Can you bake or roast these instead? City girl, no grill 🙁

Lynne July 3, 2013 at 7:17 pm

Hi Lucy ~ You could cook them under the broiler in your oven. Just keep an eye on them so they’re not charred too much. Another idea would be to cook them on a grill pan on the stove top burners. Just be sure to partially cook the bacon first in all cases. I would love to know how they turn out. Lynne xo

Lynne November 30, 2013 at 2:07 pm

from an email:

Dear Lynne,
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have been making them for the last two years for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This Thanksgiving I was asked to make “a little more” so I went to BJ’s and got the big bag of shrimp and the three pack of center cut bacon. This year 16 people with two who don’t eat shrimp at least till they tried yours !!! I am always asked how did you find these and I tell them these are Lynne’s who I met on the internet !!! They all want the recipe so I send them the web-site. This year I made 80 as a appetizer and put them five to a skewer and we timed the ” flash feast” and it took around fifteen minutes till they were all gone, either in someones stomach or reserved on someones plate, not to last and back for more !!! Everyone loves how the sweet beginning and the heat follows. So thanks again from the sixteen of us who think this is as good as it gets and hope you and yours have a great Holiday.

Best Regards,
Ted

Sabrina June 25, 2014 at 2:11 pm

A friend of mine’s dad use to make the most AMAZING BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp on the planet every year for Labor Day when we were in college. That was many years ago now, and I found myself still craving them… Recently, I bought my fiance his 1st grill and after a few months we grew tired of using it for the same things, so I went on the hunt for a BBQ bacon shrimp recipe. I found this one about 2 months ago, and tried it immediately. We’ve probably eaten them at least 5 times since then, and I now have the recipe memorized! I can’t wait to impress my friends next week when we’re on vacation. I’ve even made them on an indoor grill pan (since I’m not allowed to operate the man-grill I bought my fiance-LOL) and they were just as fabulous. Precooking that much bacon is a lil tedious but sooooo worth it in the end. My fiance, my taste buds, and I thank you!!!

Sabrina June 2, 2015 at 6:37 pm

A year later, and we’re still addicted to this recipe! At this point, I have it memorized… But I have a question. Have you ever made these in advance and refrigerated over night? My aunt & uncle’s 30th anniversary is Sunday so we’re having a Bbq and the fam is requesting these. Attempting to prep these in a house full of the loudest New Orleanians you’ll ever meet isn’t really an option, so I’m hoping preparing them the day before is. Please let me know if you’ve done this, and any tips you may have on keeping them in the fridge over night.

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: