Grilled shrimp is a delicious addition to this flavorful citrus salad. Avocado, grapefruit and mandarin oranges make this meal perfect for lunch or dinner. Grilled Citrus Shrimp Salad is a healthy taste of Florida!
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In Florida there is no shortage of fresh seafood. My husband and I love to treat ourselves to a special date night once in awhile to try one of the terrific local seafood restaurants in the area. This gives me plenty of ideas to recreate in my kitchen! I like to experiment with scallops, lobster, and shrimp. Shrimp are so versatile because you can grill them for a salad or sauté them for pasta. The possibilities are endless.
If cooking shrimp is intimidating to you, follow my steps and you’ll be grilling like a pro!
How do you choose the right shrimp?
I’ve been that person staring at the seafood counter completely unsure of which type of shrimp to buy! Which one is right for the meal? The typical options at my local grocery store are: cooked, raw peeled and deveined, raw with heads removed only, or frozen.
- Already cooked shrimp are great for a quick shrimp cocktail appetizer. That’s the only reason I buy precooked shrimp.
- Raw, peeled and deveined shrimp are the quickest option for meals because the hard work is already done!
- Raw, with heads removed only are a little more work. I will sometimes catch these on a great sale and allow a little more time for the recipe.
- Frozen are actually just as good as the shrimp at the seafood counter! I was unaware for years that my grocery store thaws the bags of shrimp for their display. Many varieties of seafood are frozen which actually allows it to be shipped safely.
- If you are still uncertain just ask for help at the seafood counter in your grocery store! I always ask lots of questions and get great tips.
How do you clean shrimp?
Cleaning shrimp can be a little time consuming. If you can purchase them already peeled and deveined-do it! However, if you’re like me and you catch a sale and want to spend the extra time then here’s the steps to do the job.
It's personal preference if you want to leave the tail on or remove it. I like the look of the shrimp skewer with the tail on. First, you will want to peel the shell off. If you would like to remove the tail simply pinch it off. Then, with a pairing knife make a small slit along the back to the tail. After making that slit you will see a black vein that you can remove with your knife. Once deveined wash your shrimp in cool water. This is a process so allow an extra 20 minutes.
How do I marinate shrimp?
Mix up you marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Reserve half of the marinade separately, to use for your dressing. Add your shrimp and stir to coat them all. Place in the fridge for only 20-30 minutes. You should NOT marinate shrimp in citrus for any longer than 30 minutes or you will risk breaking down the texture of the shrimp.
How to grill shrimp
Grilling any kind of seafood seemed intimidating in the beginning. After a little research I found grilling shrimp pretty easy and quick! They only take 2 minutes per side so this can get your dinner on the table fast. The best method for grilling shrimp is on skewers.
I use wood skewers that I purchase at the grocery store. They need to be soaked in water for 30 minutes before putting on the grill. This is an important step because the wood could actually catch on fire. Soak them while your shrimp is marinating. I skewer shrimp at the the thicker part of body and then again closer towards the tail. I line up about 4 per skewer all going the same direction and not too close together. A crowded skewer will not cook evenly! Plus this makes it easier to flip and insures great grill marks.
Putting the salad together
Have your salad prepared with grapefruit, mandarin oranges, pepitas, goat cheese and avocado. This should only take a few minutes and the dressing is already prepared because we reserved ½ from the marinade we made earlier.
After the shrimp is grilled you can either plate with the shrimp still skewered or slide them off onto the salad.
This salad is gorgeous with all of its colors and the citrus is so fresh and flavorful! I love making recipes that are healthy but have great flavor.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and a 5- star rating. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe Here to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox!
Citrus Grilled Shrimp Salad
Equipment
- grill
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup orange juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt and pepper
Salad
- 1 bag spring mix
- 1 grapefruit
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
- ½ Cup mandarin orange slices
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the shrimp to be marinated. If they are already peeled and deveined, whisk together marinade ingredients, reserving half and add shrimp to marinade. Stir to coat shrimp and place in fridge while preparing salad.
- Heat grill while shrimp is marinating and you are preparing salad.
- Prepare salad by adding spring mix to bowl, sprinkle with mandarin slices, avocado slices, pepitas, crumbles goat cheese and slices of grapefruit.
- Remove shrimp from fridge and skewer shrimp being careful not to crowd. Discard marinade.
- Grill shrimp on a clean and heated grill for approximately 2 minutes per side. Shrimp will turn pink in color.
- Add shrimp to salad and drizzle with reserved marinade.
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Catherine
I love shrimp!! Going to have to try this one!!