Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs

All sorts of foods become charred and juicy when threaded on skewers and cooked on a hot grill, but shrimp and scallop kabobs might be the most grill-worthy. Both ingredients are small and evenly sized, which are key characteristics of easy grilled kabob recipes, and they stay juicier when nestled close together on skewers. As they cook, the natural sugars in those juices create a golden brown surface.

The sizzling shellfish in this recipe gets even more flavor from a spicy butter sauce. These kabobs are fantastic as an appetizer, but serve these skewers with a pile of rice or grilled vegetables for a full spread at your next cookout.

What are scallops?

Scallops are mollusks, like clams and oysters, but the part you eat is a big meaty muscle loaded with natural sugars and juices. Those muscles become melt-in-your-mouth soft when grilled. Dry-packed sea scallops are the best for grilling because they are larger than bay scallops, they are processed and packaged without extra water, and they develop the same golden crust as seared scallops. You’ll most likely buy frozen scallops, so thaw them overnight in the refrigerator on a tray lined with a tea towel. If you thaw them under cold running water, you’ll add extra moisture, which you paid so dearly to avoid by buying dry-packed scallops.

Ingredients for Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs

• Butter: High-quality butter makes a noticeable difference to the simple sauce for these seafood kabobs. Choose one of the best butter brands for the most decadent flavor.
• Cajun seasoning: The blend of spices in different brands of Cajun seasoning varies in flavor and heat. Check the label for sodium content too; some brands taste quite salty. Homemade Creole seasoning mix tones down both the saltiness and the spiciness.
• Hot pepper sauce: Like Cajun seasoning blends, hot pepper sauces can range from mild to fiery. Try one of these chili pepper sauce recipes for a unique burst of flavor at any heat level.
• Garlic and onion powders: Garlic powder is simply dehydrated and ground garlic, so it has the flavor of minced cloves but disperses in the hot butter and clings to the shellfish. The same is true of onion powder versus fresh diced onion.
• Raw shrimp: Large shrimp (25-30 per pound) tend to be closest in size to sea scallops, which helps with even cooking. You need only a dozen to alternate with the scallops, so if you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw just that many and return the rest of the package to the freezer for later juicy shrimp recipes. Be sure to buy uncooked shrimp; grilling turns precooked ones into rubber.
• Sea scallops: Like shrimp, scallops are sized by count per pound. To get the ideal number for this recipe, look for super colossal dry scallops (8-12 per pound).

Directions

Step 1: Heat the butter sauce

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the Cajun seasoning, hot pepper sauce, garlic powder and onion powder. Keep 1/2 cup butter mixture warm and set aside for serving.

Step 2: Load the skewers

Peel and devein the shrimp, removing the body shells but leaving the tails on. Alternate the shrimp and scallops on four metal or soaked wooden skewers.

Editor’s Tip: Shrimp and scallops cook at similar speeds on the grill, and alternating them on the skewers creates an attractive presentation. Soak bamboo or wooden skewers for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning while the shellfish cooks. Go ahead and pack the shrimp and scallops close together; it helps keep them from drying out.

Step 3: Grill the seafood

Place the skewers on a well-greased grill rack. Cover and cook on the grill over medium heat or broil in the oven 4 inches from the heat for three to five minutes on each side or until the shrimp turn pink and the scallops are firm and opaque, basting the shellfish occasionally with the butter mixture. Serve the shrimp and scallop skewers with the reserved warm seasoned butter.

Editor’s Tip: Stand at arm’s length as you baste the shrimp, and consider wearing grill gloves. Butter that drips down onto the charcoal or heat elements can cause flames to flare up.

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Shrimp and Scallop Kabob Variations

• Change the butter sauce: Use sweet smoked paprika and more garlic powder for a less spicy, more garlicky sauce. Mix fresh minced rosemary into the hot melted butter for an herbal variation. Zest and juice a lime for a sharp citrusy sauce or half an orange for a sweeter sauce.
• Make a marinade: Use one of these easy marinade recipes for a shrimp and scallop kabobs marinade. Toss the cleaned shellfish in it and set the container in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Drain away and discard the marinade, pat the shrimp and scallops dry, slide them on skewers and baste them with some of the butter sauce as they cook. Dip them in the remaining butter sauce as you eat them.
• Grill vegetables: You can turn this meaty main course into a fuller meal by grilling vegetable kabobs too. It’s best to stick the veggies on their own skewers rather than interspersed with the shellfish because they need more time to cook through.
• Add fruit: If you want other items on the shellfish skewers, choose cubes of pineapple, mango or another sweet fruit firm enough to thread easily. The fruit’s natural sugars will caramelize as quickly as the shrimp and scallops, but unlike vegetables, fruit doesn’t benefit from cooking beyond a seared outer surface.

How to Store Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs

You can store leftover shrimp and scallop kabobs in the refrigerator, but it’s best to serve them as soon as they come off the grill. The shellfish will not taste nearly as good and will have a less appealing texture after sitting in the fridge.

How long do shrimp and scallop kabobs last?

Shrimp and scallop kabobs last three to four days in the fridge. If you can’t eat them all immediately and have to store leftovers, remove the shrimp and scallops from the skewers and seal them in an airtight container.

How do you reheat shrimp and scallop kabobs?

Scallops turn chewy even faster than shrimp when reheated, so the best solution is to put shrimp and scallop kabobs back on a hot grill or in a preheated skillet just until they sizzle. The other option is to enjoy leftovers cold. Serve them chilled on a shrimp and scallops tropical salad, or pile the shellfish on mixed greens and reheat just the butter dipping sauce to drizzle over them as a warm dressing.

Shrimp and Scallop Kabob Tips

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

What’s the best way to clean shrimp for kabobs?

You could buy tail-on shrimp for kabobs, but it’s better to clean shrimp at home. The body shell protects the fragile meat through all stages of processing and transport. The shells create a delicious shrimp stock for hardly any additional cost. Take off the head first if it’s still attached; a quick twist and pull should do the trick. To help ease off just the body shell, use a paring knife to cut a slit between the legs that splits the shell but not the meat inside. Hold on to the tail shell with one hand and peel the body shell off the flesh with the other. Tease out the vein running down the back with the paring knife.

What else can you serve with shrimp and scallop kabobs?

Use the extra space on a hot grill to cook grilled barbecue side dishes alongside the shrimp and scallop kabobs. Tasty options include grilled green beans, stuffed grilled zucchini and jalapeno popper Mexican street corn. Make the shellfish skewers part of a surf and turf meal with grilled ribeye steak and a fresh, crisp salad. As appetizers, serve them on a mixed kabob platter next to Caprese skewers and caramel apple and Brie skewers. Remove the shrimp and scallops from the skewers and pile them on lemon rice pilaf, hot buttered egg noodles or angel hair pasta as an entree.