If you are looking for a fun grilling recipe, this is it. These sweet and sour grilled shrimp skewers are packed with flavor, from the bell pepper, red onion and pineapple, to the flavorful sweet and sour marinade and sauce. Pair these skewers with your favorite sides for a delicious, light and healthy dinner this summer.

All about these shrimp skewers

These shrimp skewers are more than just grilled shrimp: they are bursting with flavor. The flavorful marinade doubles as a dipping sauce, and is made with low sodium soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, a touch of honey, garlic and scallions. The flavors are a perfect compliment to the naturally sweet shrimp and the sweetness from the pineapple. Grilling the red onion and bell pepper gives them a flavorful char which also compliments the shrimp and sauce. If you don’t like shrimp, chicken is a great substitute as well.

If you like the flavor profile of sweet and sour, you might also enjoy these recipes:

Lightened-Up Sweet and Sour Chicken

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pork

What you will need to make these skewers

shrimp (raw)
- I used jumbo shrimp here, and 1.5 lbs had about 30 pieces of shrimp.
- Depending on the size of your shrimp, each skewer will have a different number of shrimp. You will have to use your judgment here.
- For the size shrimp I used, each skewer had 3-4 shrimp.
fresh pineapple
red bell pepper
red onion
scallions
fresh garlic
low sodium soy sauce
sweet chili sauce
- I used this brand.
sesame oil
honey
unsweetened applesauce
skewers
- You can use wooden or metal skewers. If you use wooden, make sure to soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before grilling to prevent burning.

How to make sweet and sour grilled shrimp skewers

How to make the marinade

To make the marinade (which also doubles as the sauce later on), combine the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, applesauce, honey, and sesame oil. Mince the garlic, chop the scallions and add them to the other ingredients. Stir to combine.

Make sure to reserve the remaining marinade that is unused, because it becomes a flavorful dipping sauce later on!

Marinating the shrimp and preparing the skewers

Make sure the shrimp is cleaned, deveined, and if you wish, remove the tails. Add them to a bowl with 1/2 cup of the marinade, and toss to coat. Allow the shrimp to sit in the marinade for at least half an hour to absorb the flavor. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20-30 minutes prior to using them to prevent burning. Reserve the remaining marinade for later.

In the meantime, chop the pineapple, red bell pepper, and onion into chunks. Once the shrimp have finished marinating, prepare the skewers. Add one shrimp, a piece of bell pepper, a chunk of pineapple, and the red onion to a skewer, and then repeat until the skewer is filled. Depending on the size of the shrimp, each skewer will have 3 or 4 shrimp (I used jumbo shrimp here, 1.5 lbs of shrimp had about 30 pieces of shrimp total).

Grilling the shrimp skewers

Grill the skewers on medium heat for about 5 minutes per side; the main concern here is that the shrimp are cooked through (you are looking for firm shrimp, opaque in color). The vegetables will char slightly, but still have a bite to them.

Simmer the remaining marinade in a small sauce pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until just boiling. Drizzle the sauce on top of the skewers, or serve alongside for dipping.