Grilled Shrimp with Citrus Chili Vinaigrette

We got a glimpse of summer last weekend in San Francisco, so I capitalized by cooking up my favorite BBQ treat: grilled shrimp. Topped with a light, bright citrus chili vinaigrette, this dinner felt like summer on a plate. 

While I usually doctor up my shrimp with spices and marinades, this time I went for simple with just olive oil, salt and pepper. This way, the citrus chili vinaigrette could do all the talking. Slightly adapted from the Six Seasons cookbook, this citrus chili vinaigrette is tangy, sweet, and a little spicy with the addition of fresno chilis (or chili flakes). It’s so good, I could drink it with a straw – or just put it on everything.

A few cheap and useful kitchen gadgets will make this recipe (and almost all others, TBH) significantly easier. Use a Microplane zester and a citrus juicer to pull this vinaigrette together in 5 minutes. And since most shrimp cook in less than 4 minutes, that means that dinner is ready in under 10.

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Grilled Shrimp with Citrus Chili Vinaigrette

Simply grilled shrimp, topped with a tangy, sweet and slightly spicy citrus vinaigrette, adapted from the Six Seasons cookbook. Dinner is ready in 10 minutes!

Course Main Course

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

For the Citrus Chili Vinaigrette:

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 orange, zested and juiced I used cara cara for extra sweetness, to reduce the amount of honey used
• 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 fresno chili pepper, sliced Fresnos tend to milder than jalapeños, but feel free to omit if you are sensitive to spice. Alternatively, use crushed chili flakes.
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the shrip

For the Grilled Shrimp:

• 1/2 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• mixed cherry tomatoes (optional)
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. For the citrus chili vinaigrette: Add all ingredients to a lidded jar, and shake to incorporate. Adjust to taste. This vinaigrette can be made a few days ahead of time, and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. The longer the chilis are in the dressing, the spicier it will become. If you prefer just a little zing of spice, add the chilis directly before serving.

2. For the shrimp: toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Skewer the shrimp and tomatoes, if using, alternating in a decidedly haphazard way for prettier presentation. Heat the grill to medium, and then grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, until the outside of the shrimp have just changed color. Don't overcook or they will be chewy!

3. Remove the skewers from the heat, and drizzle (ok, douse) in the citrus chili vinaigrette. Top with cilantro and additional chilis if you like some extra heat.

Recipe Notes

If using bamboo skewers, make sure that they are pre-soaked for at least 20 minutes to avoid burning.