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These grilled mango shrimp skewers are my favorite way to fire up the grill all summer. Juicy shrimp and sweet mango get threaded together and basted in a sticky, tangy Asian-inspired sauce, then grilled until lightly charred and caramelized.
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What makes this dish special
I can eat seafood every day and not get sick of it. Beef and pork, I will quickly get tired of, but seafood? Never. It's easy to prepare and takes half the cooking time. These grilled mango shrimp skewers are a great example. When I worked as a private chef, I cooked this dish for a pescatarian family who requested it all summer long. They loved it so much that it became a standing request as soon as the weather warmed up. Watching them ask for it again and again is what convinced me to share the recipe with you all today.
What sets this apart is the sauce. I am particular about barbecue sauces. A lot of them have too much sugar or just don't taste that great, so I like to make my own. This one keeps the key players, ketchup, vinegar, and honey, then adds mango chutney, ginger, and turmeric for an Asian-influenced twist. The result brings together juicy shrimp, sweet roasted mango, and a sticky, tangy glaze with a little warmth from red pepper flakes.
Recipe
Mango Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra large shrimp peeled, deveined
- ⅓ cup mango chutney
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespooons honey
- 1 tablespooon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large mango peeled, cut into medium chunks
- 1 medium red onion peeled, cut into medium chunks
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- fresh lime wedges optional
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees F.
- Marinate the shrimp. Whisk together mango chutney with ketchup, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Reserve ½ of the sauce and set it aside. Pour the remaining sauce over the shrimp and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Add reserved sauce and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let cool slightly.
- Thread shrimp, mango, and red onion onto skewers, alternating shrimp with fruit and vegetables. Lay skewers on the grill and baste with reduced sauce. Flip the skewer over and continue to baste with the sauce until the shrimp is cooked. Remove from heat. Garnish the skewers with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Marinate shrimp
Let's start with the main component of these grilled mango shrimp skewers, the sauce. Whisk together the mango chutney, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, turmeric, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Set aside half of the sauce and use the remaining half to marinate the shrimp.
Since we're using seafood, you only need to marinate it for 30 minutes. Any longer and the acid in the vinegar starts to break down the shrimp and turns the texture mushy.
However, if you're using chicken, pork, or beef, increase the time to at least 1 hour.
Step 2: Build the skewers
While the shrimp is marinating, simmer the reserved sauce with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until slightly thickened. This becomes your basting and finishing sauce.
When ready, thread the shrimp on skewers with fresh mango and red onion.
Cut the red onion into small chunks, roughly the same size as a curled piece of shrimp.
Large onion chunks need far more time on the grill than shrimp does, so if you cut them big, they will still be raw and sharp when the shrimp is already cooked. Keeping the onion small means everything finishes at the same time.
Recipe tip
If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes first so they do not burn.
Step 3: Grill
Preheat the grill to 400 degrees F. Then, lay the skewers on the grill, basting with the reduced sauce as they cook.
Flip and continue basting until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. The sauce will caramelize and amplify the flavor, which is exactly what we want.
Be sure to watch the skewers closely since the sugars in the sauce can burn quickly.
If you don't have a grill, you can bake the shrimp skewers in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes, basting halfway through. You can also broil on high for 8-10 minutes, basting the skewers halfway through.
Remove from heat and garnish the shrimp skewers with chopped cilantro and squeeze some fresh lime juice for a little brightness.
These grilled mango shrimp skewers came together in no time, and can I just say, it is the perfect summer dish! Serve these with twice baked miso sweet potatoes for an exciting meal!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also thread the shrimp, mango, and onion onto skewers a few hours ahead. Cover and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill.
- Store: Keep cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
More summer seafood recipes
Looking for more summer seafood ideas? Try these:
Anne says
We don’t have a grill. Would you suggest baking them (at what temp and for how long) or broiling them? Thanks! They look amazingly delicious!
Cherry on My Sundae says
Hi Anne, I would broil the shrimp and baste them every 2 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't burn from the sugars in the marinade. I hope you enjoy!