Margarita Shrimp & Vegetable Kabobs

Margarita shrimp kabobs bring the flavors of a salt-rimmed cocktail to the grill. The marinade is a simple trick: tequila, fresh lime juice, and a packet of Italian salad dressing mix shaken up with vegetable oil. The dressing mix carries all the garlic, oregano, and dried herbs without having to measure each spice separately, while the tequila and lime handle the citrus punch.

Cleaned medium shrimp and cut-up vegetables (onion, zucchini, mushrooms, yellow squash, bell peppers: whatever looks good at the market) bathe in that marinade for one full hour. Any longer and the acid in the lime juice starts to denature the shrimp and turn them mealy. An hour is the sweet spot.

Drained shrimp and vegetables thread onto skewers, alternating for color, then hit a greased grill over hot coals for 10 to 15 minutes. Shrimp go pink, vegetables pick up grill marks and stay crisp-tender. Served over rice for a full plate.

Pro Tips

• Stick to the one-hour marinade. Lime juice will start to ‘cook’ the shrimp like ceviche if left overnight and the texture turns chalky.
• Use two parallel skewers per kabob or flat metal skewers. This keeps shrimp and vegetables from spinning when you flip them.
• Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes first. Dry wood chars through on the grill.
• Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate as the shrimp. Chunks too large leave you with raw centers; too small, charred nubs.

Variations

• Add pineapple: Thread chunks of fresh pineapple between the shrimp for sweet caramelized notes.
• Mango-chipotle twist: Swap half the lime juice for mango purée and add a minced chipotle in adobo to the marinade.
• Chicken version: Substitute bite-sized chicken breast for the shrimp; increase marinade time to 2 hours and grill time to 15 to 18 minutes.