Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple

I’ve heard the cuisine popular along the southernmost coast of the Gulf called “Mexi-ribbean”.  That term works for me, and it’s perfect for Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple.  This is a fantastic dinner recipe that you can have on the table in 25 minutes including cooking rice.  You can also serve Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple in a lettuce wrap or a tortilla, and sit down to eat even faster.

I like to serve Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple over Coconut Rice.  If you don’t have the stuff to make coconut rice, that’s okay.  White rice, brown rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, even leftover rice all work.  In fact, I’ve gone so far as to chop it up and serve it with tortilla chips.  I called it Shrimp Salsa and took it to the Bald Eagle Bash benefit a few years ago.  It was a hit!  We had a long line at our food booth much of the day, and ran completely out pretty early.  

The spicy part of this recipe comes from Tajín seasoning.  You’ll find it on the Latin  food aisle.  It’s a spice blend of mild chili peppers, lime, and sea salt.   Once you have Tajín in your kitchen, you’ll find plenty to do with it!  Sprinkle it on watermelon.  Use it to rim a margarita glass.  Mix some with a little brown sugar and use a dry rub for grilled chicken.  I love to season sweet potato fries with Tajín before baking.   The blend is nice, not blow-your-head-off hot.  I love it. 

I’ve used both canned and fresh pineapple for Spicy Shrimp and Pineapple, depending on what I had.  Either is fine.  If you’re using canned pineapple–plus planning to make rice–save the liquid to use as part of the water you need to cook the rice.

I love, love, love summertime food so much! 

Print Recipe

Spicy Shrimp with Pineapple

Ingredients

• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off as you prefer
• 2 t. Tajin seasoning
• 2-3 T. olive oil
• 1½ cups pineapple chunks, canned or fresh, drained
• ½ a red bell pepper, diced or thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 small lime, both zest and juice
• ½ t. Worcestershire sauce
• chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Instructions

• Pat the shrimp dry. Sprinkle with Tajin seasoning. Heat a skillet and add the olive oil. Working in batches, add the shrimp to the hot oil in one layer. Cook 2 minutes on the first side, flip over and cook 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate as each batch is cooked.
• When all the shrimp is cooked, add a little more oil to the pan. Quickly sauté the pineapple, red pepper, scallions, and lime zest in the same skillet until the pepper is very soft.. Add the lime juice and Worcestershire. Return the shrimp to the pan and continue to cook only long enough to reheat the shrimp. Taste and add more Tajin if needed.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro if using. Serve with tortillas or over rice.