These Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers are succulent, juicy, and totally crowd-pleasing! Perfect for parties or date night in, they take just minutes to prepare and assemble! The shrimp are sautéed in a peppered olive oil drizzle that doubles as a dipping sauce, too! {Paleo-friendly}
Where do I EVEN BEGIN, Spiriteds? These Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers are something straight out of fancy restaurant. But, actually, they can be straight out of your own kitchen, too, if you want. How amazing is THAT?
These Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers take after the tomato caprese salad kabobs I see floating around the Internet webs. However, these skewers don’t contain cheese and, thus, remain dairy-free and paleo.
The succulent shrimp might be the lead. It doesn’t hurt that these same shrimp are sautéed to perfection in a peppered garlic drizzle. The drizzle is so ridiculously amazing, I ate it straight out of the saucepan. So there is that. But let’s not forget they are also paired with juicy tomatoes and piquant fresh basil. Hell yes, I’m all in.
If you are, too, then keep reading and put this recipe in your fingertips!
Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers are
- Paleo-friendly
- Easy to make
- Quick to assemble
- Succulent, flavorful, and crowd-pleasing
Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers ingredients
- Shrimp. I don’t break the bank on these more than I have to, so I usually work with medium-sized shrimp. are or jumbo will also work. They will shrink as they are cooked, so I avoid starting out with small or mini shrimp.
- Grape tomatoes. The size is perfect for the skewers.
- Fresh basil leaves. I work with varying sizes, but medium-to-large leaves work best with the skewers.
- Olive oil. I start out with two tablespoons and add more as needed.
- Fresh garlic cloves. Start with one and add more as desired.
- Sea salt and coarse black pepper. I go big on the pepper compared to the amount of salt I add. But you can play around with the flavor balance YOU will like.
- Equipment: Wooden skewers, which I usually see near the grilling section of my local grocery store.
How to prepare Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers
Here are the quick steps to assemble your own Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers.
- First, I heat the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in the saucepan. While that is warming up, I rinse the fresh basil and tomatoes, letting them dry while I head back to the seafood.
- Then I sauté the shrimp in the garlic peppered olive oil drizzle. Be still, my heart.
- Once that’s done, I start assembling the ingredients onto the skewers. It’s that easy.
VARIATION: You CAN put these on skewers and make them into kabobs. But, if you want something even easier and faster to assemble, then skip the long skewers and head straight for the toothpicks. They work wonders. In this case, I thread one piece of shrimp, one basil leaf, and one grape tomato onto my toothpick and call it done.
You might be wondering…
- Can I make these ahead of time and store them? If you want to serve them warm, make them just prior to serving. If I’m making them for a party, then they are the last food I prepare before guests arrive. To serve them cold, make your skewers the same day and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them that afternoon or evening.
- Should I use fresh shrimp? Fresh is best, however if you use frozen, then thaw them according to package directions. Adjust prep times accordingly.
- Does it matter what size shrimp I use? Use any size you like. If you use jumbo shrimp and toothpicks in place of skewers, just keep an eye on the weight as they may start to get a little heavy.
More crow-pleasing appetizers!
- Olive Tapenade {Vegan + Paleo}
- Lemon Avocado Dip {Vegan and Paleo}
- Paleo Tzatziki Sauce
- Roasted Salsa Verde
Happy appetizer-ing, Spiriteds! I’m glad you’re here! ❤️
Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers
These Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers are succulent, juicy, and totally crowd-pleasing! Perfect for parties or date night in, they take just minutes to prepare and assemble! The shrimp are sautéed in a peppered olive oil drizzle that doubles as a dipping sauce, too! {Paleo-friendly}
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 12 skewers 1x
Ingredients
- 24 fresh shrimp
- 24 grape tomatoes (about 1 pint)
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (more as desired)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 12 skewers
Instructions
- Rinse tomatoes and basil leaves and set aside to dry.
- In a medium saucepan, combine shrimp, olive oil, garlic, pepper, and sea salt, sautéing until shrimp are cooked through. Save drizzle leftover in pan to use as a dressing on the finished skewers.
- For each skewer, thread one shrimp first, followed by a grape tomato, basil leaf, another tomato, and finally, another shrimp. For large basil leaves, fold them in half before adding to the skewer.
- Repeat for each of the remaining skewers.
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for an hour or two.
Notes
To make mini toothpick versions, you’ll need 12 shrimp, 12 basil leaves, and 12 grape tomatoes. Build your mini skewers by first thread the shrimp, followed by the basil leaf, and finally with the grape tomato. Preparation instructions and remaining ingredients remain the same. Use any extra garlic peppered olive oil as a drizzle.
Leave a Reply