Get tailgating season started off right with this tasty
Cajun Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Dipping Sauce!
Ah, college football is almost back, and I couldn’t be more excited! I find pro baseball to be rather slow, so the summer is usually pretty boring in terms of sports. That’s probably a good thing, though, since there’s plenty of yardwork to keep me busy, and we’re always looking for extra time to go for a bike ride. Truthfully, this summer has been pretty good for sports. The World Cup and the Tour de France both provided plenty of mid-summer excitement…but I’m still ready for my college football!
The long Labor Day weekend is one of my favorite times of the year! It signals the beginning of college football, but it’s also a celebration of the end of the summer. Around the Spiced house, that means Labor Day weekend is a huge grilling bonanza!
Earlier this summer, I partnered with Wilton Armetale to showcase their line of awesome grillware. (If you missed that post, go back and check it out. The roasted grapes were absolutely delicious!) Since then, I’ve been using several other pieces from Wilton Armetale’s Gourmet Grillware, and I can honestly say that it’s super awesome! Not only does it make grilling a cinch, but you can grill and serve in the same piece. Take this Football Griller, for instance. Could this be any more perfect for tailgating??
I’ve mentioned before that some of the best food I’ve ever eaten was cooked in a parking lot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Football is serious business down South, and you can’t have football without tailgating, right? If there’s anything LSU fans know, it’s football and food! I grew up in the Carolinas, which is a hotbed for college basketball. When I moved down to Louisiana for grad school, I can honestly say that I was blown away by the enormity of football in the South. RV’s begin rolling into town on Wednesday or Thursday for a Saturday game, and the party extends well past the final whistle. I think I heard somewhere that LSU’s Tiger Stadium becomes the 4th largest city in Louisiana on game nights. We’re talking serious football, folks. Serious football…and seriously delicious food to go along with it!
Every August, I get this odd craving for Cajun food. Actually, it’s not odd at all. I know exactly what causes this craving, and it’s pretty closely related to the start of LSU football! Well, that craving hit me the other day, and I decided to throw some Cajun Grilled Shrimp on the grill. I started with the biggest shrimp I could find, and then I tossed them in a quick and easy Cajun spice rub. I threw those bad boys on skewers and put ’em right into the grill pan. (Truthfully, I didn’t even need the skewers because the grill pan makes it super easy to grill smaller foods like shrimp or veggies.) And what better way to make Cajun Grilled Shrimp than on grillware shaped like a football?
In addition to their Gourmet Grillware, Wilton Armetale also has an awesome line of serveware, too. I came across their line of Collegiate Serveware earlier this summer, and I pretty much started drooling over this LSU Chip & Dip plate. This piece is perfect for both tailgating at the big game or just entertaining at home! (They have plenty of other colleges, so check out the collection to find your team.) If college football isn’t your thing, I’d recommend checking out Wilton Armetale’s extensive line of other serveware. My wife was all about the awesome border on the Symphony tray! (She loves straight lines. Circles just aren’t her thing. What can I say? She’s an engineer.)
Regardless of whether you’re hosting a college football party in your backyard or a wine + cheese pairing in your living room, Wilton Armetale has got the grillware and serveware to make it one stylish event! I’ve also already started checking off Christmas ideas for the family, too. I’m pretty sure the Steer Carving Board from the Texas line needs a permanent spot in my Dad’s kitchen! As for me, I’m off to make some more of this Cajun Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Dipping Sauce. Oh, and Geaux Tigers!!
Ingredients
- wooden skewers
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp oregano
- 1 pound shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined but with tail still on
- 15-20 mini peppers
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp cream-style horseradish sauce
- 2 tsp ketchup
- 1 tsp dill pickle juice
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
- In a small bowl, combine all of the spices (salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, onion powder, cayenne and oregano).
- Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.
- Toss the shrimp in the spice rub until well coated.
- Thread the shrimp onto the skewers; set aside. Thread the mini peppers onto separate skewers.
- Place grill pan on grill; preheat grill to medium-high.
- Place the skewers with the mini peppers on the grillpan and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- After several minutes, rotate the mini pepper skewers and add the skewers of shrimp.
- Let shrimp grill for 2-3 minutes per side, or until pink in color and fully cooked.
- Remove shrimp and peppers from the grill and serve hot.
- Using a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until well combined. (Tip: This Dipping Sauce will taste better if you make it earlier in the day and then cover it and place it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.)
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Wilton Armetale, but the opinions and recipe are entirely my own.
I’m not as much into college ball as I am the NFL games, but if you put a plate of these spicy shrimps in front of me, I’ll root for any team you want me to! Well, any COLLEGE team. Don’t go makin’ me root for anyone except my PACKERS <3
These look seriously delicious, Dave!
Don’t worry, Becca…I won’t try to convince you to root for anyone other than the Packers. But I gotta warn you that we can’t be friends on October 26th. We might have a conflict of interests that day! 🙂
Ohhh, I am SO sorry to hear that our friendship will be strained. No worries, my friend… I usually pass out bacon as a consolation prize to the losers :p
Then I’m sad to hear that I won’t be getting any bacon!!
*smackdown* OK.. .it’s on! #GoPackGo will be emblazoned across your gorgeous grill when you wake up in the morning.
I am loving the horseradish AND cayenne on these shrimp – wow – what a spice punch!!!
And that grillware/serveware looks fantastic – specially like that almond shaped grilling dish – wowzers!
Thank you so much, Shashi! Almond shaped? You mean football shaped? We really gotta get you watching some more sports! Haha! 🙂
The dipping sauce sounds amazing. I love grilled shrimp too.
Thanks, Dannii! This sauce is the perfect side for grilled shrimp…we even used a little dab of the dipping sauce for tacos the next night. 🙂
Pro Basebal RATHER slow??? You’re being generous my friend.
Croquet or petanque are far more thrilling and engaging than pro baseball imo.
Thank God we had the World Cup this summer to keep us entertained, and that September 4th is just around the corner.
I’m so excited for the NFL to start.
I have good vibes about the Giants this year. It can’t be worst than last year, right? 0-8 that was brutal!
I’m loving the shrimps btw, great football food! #WolfPackEats
Well, I was just being nice to baseball there, Mike! I mean I can get through a game when I go live, but I think baseball stays around just to remind us how awesome football is! Giants seem to be all over the place…again. But one thing for sure is they are an entertaining team to watch!
Love your football grill pan! That is super awesome. I love Wilton Armetale platters, they are great for keeping foods warm.
Are grill is working over time before the Fall weather rolls in and I’m thinking we’ll be having some shrimp this week. Looks delicious! Pinning
Thank you so much, Cindy! I agree that the grill is getting a serious workout in here as Labor Day rolls around…but it’s (almost) football season. We gotta make sure our grills are in shape for the tailgates, right? 🙂
You have a football griller! OMG Louisiana has infiltrated your soul! Ridiculous football paraphernalia aside, these shrimp look outstanding! Perfect for a tailgate! Bring on the spice and beer!
Hahaha…spoken like a true college basketball fan! I would have agreed with you 100% until I moved down to Louisiana. You can’t help but become a football fan…oh, and a Cajun food fan! Let’s get this season started!!
Haha! I may not be a huge football fan but I am a fan of tailgates and tailgate/superbowl food… Guilty! I should probably just wear a sign that says, “I’m here for the food not for the game…Deal with it.”
You should totally make t-shirts that say that. I bet you’d make a fortune selling those!
All you have to say is spicy and hot — my Honey and I are there. We buy Ro-tel by the case and horseradish?? Well you just can’t go wrong. Great recipe
Haha…I totally agree with you, Marisa! Bring on the spicy food!! (It helps chase the winter chills away…)
I ran across your recipe over on Pinterest, and had to stop by to tell you how delicious this shrimp looks. I post a weekend healthy recipe roundup over on my blog. I’ve linked to your recipe, and can’t wait to give it a try.
Thank you so much for stopping by, Kristi! This grilled shrimp is one of our favorites around here…and I’m just counting the days until all of the snow on top of my grill melts so I can make this again. I appreciate you linking up to this recipe…I’m heading over to your blog now to check it out! I hope you have an awesome Sunday!
I ran across your recipe and really want to try it, but I live in an apartment complex where I don’t have a grill. So I was just wondering if this recipe can be done in the oven? I really, really want to make this.
Hey Karla! So yes, you can absolutely make this indoors. However, to get the nice grill marks, you will need a grillpan. You can just preheat the grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop, and then proceed with the recipe. (I’d recommend laying a piece of foil over the grillpan to mimic the top of a grill.) You could even do this in a regular fry pan, but you might need end up with the same grill marks. Either way, it should work just fine. Shrimp doesn’t take long to cool at all…just several minutes. Oh, and it’s worth considering the smell that comes with cooking seafood indoors. Try to do this on a day when you can open the windows in your apartment, or else you might be smelling Cajun Shrimp for several days. 🙂 If you make this indoors, come back and let me know how it turned out!
Hi David! I was just poking around your site and came across this – I absolutely LOVE Cajun and Creole food! I started when I bought Chef Paul Prudhommes Louisiana Kitchen years ago. I think out of all my cookbooks that one might be the most tattered and splattered! I also have a Justin Wilson cookbook in about the same shape! These look amazing! Soon to be on my grill!
Dorothy! Cajun and Creole food is one of my absolute loves! I spent a few years living down in Baton Rouge, LA, and I love that part of the country. From the food to the history to everything about it! We’ve already talked about how I can’t get crawfish and alligator up here in the north, but I can still make a lot of my favorite Cajun dishes up here. I usually post a bunch around Mardi Gras season every year…mainly because I really miss south Louisiana around Mardi Gras time every year! I’ve got a fun burger idea coming up in the next few weeks…stay tuned for that one! 🙂
Hi David!
Your Cajun Grilled Shrimp looks awesome and I plan to try it soon! Are the mini peppers jalapeños? If so, do your pre-treat or blanch them before grilling? My family is from southern Louisiana but this recipe will make its appearance at a Longhorn tailgate! Hook ’em!
Thank you so much, Elaine! The mini-peppers are actually mini-bell peppers. I get them in a 1-pound bag in the produce section at my local grocery store. All I do when grilling those is just combine a little bit of olive oil with your choice of spices (I typically just use an Italian mix), then brush those bad boys with the mixture before putting them on the grill. They don’t take very long at all! (If you’re grilling jalapenos, I typically remove the seeds and ribs, and then soak them in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes. Check out this post: http://spicedblog.com/grilled-jalapeno-poppers.html).
So you grew up in southern Louisiana but become a Texas fan? How is that even possible? Haha…just kidding! Most of my family went to UT, so I grew up a Longhorn fan myself. At least we can unite against A&M, right? 🙂
Were did you buy those Skewers
Hey Dan! Those skewers are sold by R.S.V.P. Here is a link to them on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Mk8Ouo They are pretty handy when grilling foods that are a bit more difficult to skewer. Enjoy!
Made this last night and was a HUGE hit! How long will the dipping sauce keep in the fridge?
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Ashley…it’s definitely one of our favorites around here. And that dipping sauce…it’s so good on so many different things. (Try dipping chicken fingers or fries in it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!) The sauce is relatively stable, but I wouldn’t recommend keeping it more than 4-5 days after you make it. (And I would keep it covered in the fridge, too.) Thanks for commenting!
Made these foe a friends get together, they all loved it. The sauce is a must when you do the shrimp. Next time I am going to kick up the heat a notch!
Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know that everyone enjoyed these grilled shrimp, Terri! I agree that the dipping sauce really takes these to a whole new level! (Plus, I bet that sauce would be great on so many other things…like french fries or chicken fingers!) Thanks again!! 🙂
Glad to have found your blog. I was looking for a spicy dipping sauce for shrimp. About to make it for aperitif.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Nadia!! This spicy dipping sauce is amazing…we use it for more than just this Cajun grilled shrimp. I hope you enjoy it! And Happy Mardi Gras! 🙂
Do u use Mayo or miracle whip
Hey there, Kristi! I use mayo for the sauce. I don’t think Miracle Whip would bring the same flavor and consistency. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do! 🙂
Hi – perfect appetizer to make for Sunday football!!! Heck anyday!! Game on Sunday evening. Pack against the Queens. GO PACK GO!! Thank you.
Hey Juli! This is indeed excellent football food. I’m partial to the Saints, but their defense is pretty suspicious this year. Either way, enjoy these shrimp…and good luck to the Pack! 🙂
Recipe looks yummy. Where did you purchase the double bamboo skewers? What is the length of them? I love the fact that the shrimp cannot spin when turned over to cook on the other side.
Hey there, Chris! My apologies on the delay in getting back to you. Thanks so much for your kind words about the recipe…it really is one of our favorites around here! So those double skewers are just awesome for shrimp on the grill. I just looked ’em up on Amazon, and here’s the link: http://amzn.to/2nfzAOH They’re more expensive that ‘regular’ skewers, but I like to keep both types on hand depending on what I’m grilling. The double ones are good for veggies, too!
I made this on Mother’s Day for my sister in law b/c she loves spicy foods. I grilled 2 lbs of shrimp & there wasn’t any left. Not. A. Single. One. She, & everyone else in my family, LOVED the shrimp & sauce!!! Now my family is begging me to make it again for our Memorial Day cookout! Great recipe! Thank you SO much for sharing!
Wow! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving that comment, Brandi! 🙂 It looks like you have a new family favorite for summer grilling! I really appreciate you taking the time to stop back by, and I hope you and the family have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Cream Style Horseradish Sauce? Can you send a photo of what you are using?
THANKS!!
Hey Shannon! Horseradish can typically be found as either ‘prepared horseradish’ (often refrigerated) or ‘cream-style horseradish’ (often in condiment aisle). I just checked my fridge, and I’m all out of cream-style horseradish, but here is a link to an example: http://www.reesespecialtyfoods.com/product/cream-style-horseradish I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy these Cajun Grilled Shrimp…they’re one of our favorites! 🙂
Thank you! Super excited to make this!
Watching LSU and Florida now! Making this for dinner with grilled veggies!! Geaux Tigers!!
Ugh, well that game didn’t go as planned. Maybe tomorrow night we should make Cajun Grilled Gator? At least we finally get them back in Death Valley next year. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment, Leslie…and Geaux Tigers! Hope you enjoyed the grilled shrimp + veggies!