Habanero Honey Bacon Shrimp

By
January 2022 View more

Uncle Julio’s shares an heirloom recipe with a twist

By Scott Lodal

Makes 16 to 20 shrimp

Ingredients

1¼ cup honey

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup chipotle peppers
in adobo sauce, diced

2 tablespoons kosher salt

¼ cup lime juice  

1 pound shrimp (16 to 20 count), raw, peeled and deveined (tail on) 

1½ cups queso fresco cheese 

2 tablespoons habanero peppers, minced 

10 strips thin applewood bacon 

Lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Place honey, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, chipotle peppers, salt, and lime juice into a bowl and combine well. 
  2. Cook in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring regularly. 
  3. When sauce begins to boil, reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 
  4. Prepare grill (or cast-iron grill pan) for medium heat.
  5. Place queso fresco and habanero peppers into a bowl; mix well (use gloves). 
  6. Place 1 teaspoon of habanero queso fresco stuffing inside each cut shrimp. 
  7. Wrap shrimp with bacon 1 at a time. Spiral wrap bacon starting from the head of the shrimp up to the tail. 
  8. On metal or soaked wooden skewers, thread each shrimp just below the tail to hold bacon in place. Thread 4 shrimp on each skewer. 
  9. Grill for 4 minutes, then flip shrimp and cook for an additional 6 minutes. 
  10. Baste shrimp with honey chipotle glaze on each side and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm, squeezing fresh lime juice on top. 

Photo courtesy Uncle Julio’s