A sweetly tangy Thai Chili Sauce with just enough spice to grab your attention clings to tender, smoky grilled shrimp for a meal that comes together in under 30 minutes from scratch.
Having a new favorite sauce is like having a new hammer—everything starts to look like a nail, or in this case, everything on the grill looks like a smear-able recipient. When we reworked a sauce for Thai Chili Sesame Chicken Wings a few months ago, it was an instant favorite around our table.
The sweet, tangy, spicy sauce is addictive, leaving me no choice but to create more ways to use it. It was perfect for Thai Chicken Pizza and chicken wings, so why not grill a few shrimp, and test it on some seafood too.
Oh my, summer grilling just got more interesting.
Though the sesame seeds are optional, the added texture is nice and I love the rich contrast of the black sesame seeds on the shrimp. Black sesame seeds are more flavorful (and fun) than white or brown sesame seeds and contain 60% more calcium than the lighter seeds.
Since I was in a sesame seed kind of mood, it was only appropriate to dress the asparagus with a few of the tan seeds, which settle nicely once the asparagus is tossed with butter. Quinoa is a perfect bed for the shrimp, making it easy to capture every bit of tasty sauce.
Making your own Thai Chili Sauce at home gives you the freedom to adjust the flavors to suit any preference. Add more honey if you like it sweeter, dried chili peppers to kick up the heat, or vinegar and lime for more tangy bite.
Shrimp cooks in less than 10 minutes and there is always excitement when the family sees it on the menu, so you can bet this dish will grace our table more this summer for smiles all around.
RECIPE TIPS:
- Larger, meaty shrimp 10-16 count are an excellent choice for the grill, using a fish basket or skewers work best for containment.
- Add more honey for a sweeter sauce, dried chili peppers to kick up the heat, or vinegar and lime for more tangy bite.
- Fresh lime juice takes this sauce to a completely new level, so don’t be tempted to skip the fresh squeeze just before serving.
Grilled Thai Chili Sesame Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 whole limes 1 cut in half, 1 sliced into wedges and set aside
- 1/3 cup butter — melted melted
- 24 large shrimp (12-16 count) about 2 pounds; peeled and deveined, tails on
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce Red Boat
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce Panda Brand
- 4 cloves garlic — minced minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
- black sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- If using a gas grill, preheat grill for 5-10 minutes before cooking the shrimp–there is usually enough time to do this while preparing the shrimp. If using charcoal, start it early enough to make sure coals are hot and glowing before cooking shrimp.
- For the sauce: Combine the honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sherry, chili garlic sauce, garlic, and dissolved cornstarch in a small sauce pan and stir to combine over medium heat. Cook until sauce begins to bubble and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Squeeze the juice from one of the lime halves into the melted butter, stir to combine. Once the shrimp are peeled and deveined (leave the tails on), place in a bowl and squeeze the juice from the other half of the lime over the shrimp and toss.
- Place the shrimp on skewers so the skewer goes through part of the end by the tail and part of the thicker end to form a crescent shape. Line the shrimp on the skewer one after the other without smashing the shrimp together or crowding.
- Once the grill is ready and the sauce is made, brush the shrimp with lime-butter on both sides.
- Grill over medium-high heat about 2-3 minutes on each side, brushing more butter on after turning, until the shrimp turns from grey to bright pink in color and the flesh appears opaque. Brush each side with sauce and grill for 1 minute.
- Remove from the grill and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges and additional sauce at the table. Squeeze lime juice over the shrimp just before eating.
Notes
- Larger, meaty shrimp 10-16 count are an excellent choice for the grill, using a fish basket or skewers work best for containment.
- Add more honey for a sweeter sauce, dried chili peppers to kick up the heat, or vinegar and lime for more tangy bite.
