Grilled Harissa Shrimp Skewers with Basil Oil and Cilantro
Majorly excited today for two reasons:
1) It is Friday. Enough said.
2) I’ve teamed up with the wonderful people over at Mina Harissa to share another recipe for their delicious, good-enough-to-eat-straight from-the-jar harissa sauces.
I know I can be a little dramatic when it comes to describing food (my mom has accused me of using the word ‘obsessed’ far too many times on the blog, oops!), but I could literally eat about fifteen of these grilled harissa shrimp skewers in one sitting. And this recipe only makes six of them, so yeah.
That is truly how good they are!
[Also, check out my fancy shrimp deveining knife! Cool, huh?]
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of harissa and specifically, Mina harissa sauces. They are bold in flavor and can be used in so many different ways–as a condiment and topping, or as a flavor boost in almost any dish (like these spicy harissa lamb meatballs with feta).
One of my biggest pet peeves in life to having to buy an ingredient for only one cooking application–so trust me, I would not be saying this otherwise.
You will never run out of uses for this stuff.
Traditionally, harissa is extremely spicy because it is made almost entirely from red chili peppers. I happen to love spicy food (the more, the merrier!), but if you do not, guess what? You’re in luck!
Mina Harissa makes a mild harissa. It is delicate and flavorful with just the slightest hint of spice. It also lends itself extremely well to marinating seafood and meat as you can be extremely liberal with it and not have to worry about numbing your (or your friends) taste buds before the meal even begins.
And this is the perfect entertaining recipe (such as those upcoming Labor Day parties!) because it is simple and quick to prepare, yet elegant enough to have your friends ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over every bite.
Seriously. Just grab some shrimp, toss them with mild harissa, and let them hang out and marinate in the fridge for an hour or two! Thread them on some wooden skewers and grill away.
Nothing is better than crispy shrimp grill marks.
My favorite way to serve these grilled shrimp skewers is with a generous drizzle of homemade basil oil—simply basil leaves, olive oil, and sea salt pureed in a blender–and fresh cilantro leaves.
The freshness of the herbs pairs extremely well with the harissa. Plus, the contrast in color with the vibrant grilled shrimp is beautiful!
Go get your shrimp on!
Grilled Harissa Shrimp Skewers with Basil Oil and Cilantro
Ingredients:
Grilled Harissa Shrimp Skewers
- 1 lb wild raw unshelled shrimp (or 3/4 lb raw, shelled and de-veined shrimp)
- 1/4 cup Mina Mild Harissa, plus more for basting
- salt
- pepper
- cooking oil spray
- fresh cilantro leaves
Basil Oil
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 ounces of fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
- Marinate Shrimp: Shell and de-vein the shrimp and place in a medium bowl. Toss with Mina mild harissa, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow the shrimp to marinate in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Allow to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling.
- Prepare Basil Oil: Place the oil, basil leaves, and salt in a blender container, and puree/blend until smooth. Place the oil in a small airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use (oil can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks).
- Using small wooden skewers (soak the skewers in water if using on an outdoor grill), thread 3-4 shrimp on each skewer, running the skewer through the neck and once near the tail (see photos above). Lightly season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Place a small amount (2-3 tablespoons) of Mina mild harissa in a small bowl (do not use the marinade for this step) for basting and set aside.
- Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat, and spray with cooking oil. Lay the shrimp skewers in the grill pan (do not over crowd the pan) and grill on for 2-3 minutes on each side–brushing the shrimp with additional harissa as you grill them–or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through
- Drizzle the shrimp skewers with basil oil and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
Mina Harissa is available at some Whole Foods and grocery store locations, and can also be ordered online on Amazon.
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Today’s post and recipe development project was sponsored by Mina Harissa. Thank you for supporting the brands I love and use in my own kitchen!
These look so good I can almost taste them. I think they might have to go on the Labor Day menu!
That basil oil sounds and looks so good. I love basil. Well, and I love harissa + shrimp, so this is my kind of meal!
Ps did you get a grill pan??
Ok, I’ve been wanting to buy harissa for my kitchen for ages, but I didn’t know which brand to buy! Thanks for a great rec, Laura! 🙂
Gotta get some Mina! Thanks girl!
This shrimp looks unbelievable!!!
Thanks Jocelyn! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Yum, I will have to make these with the extra Harissa sauce that I have in my fridge! Brian would love it.
These shrimp are just gorgeous! I need some now…
Thanks Jen! Hope you have a great weekend!
Oh yum, these sound so good, harissa & basil oil sounds like such an amazing flavor combo.
They went so well together!! 🙂
I think I am obsessed 😉
Have recently started experimenting with Harissa and can’t get enough of it!
Isn’t it the best?! So versatile!
Yum! This looks SO good!
Thanks Nathalie!!
This looks fabulous! I need to find out where I can pick some up, besides at your apartment. Did you use your grill pan? It almost looks as though you are outside at a proper grill! PS. I did not “accuse” you of using “that word” too often, just mentioned!
Yeah! Just a grill pan, but it’s really nice for shrimp especially. I’ve actually seen Mina at Giant–it was near the Mexican ingredients (not sure why).
I might exaggerate a little too but I AM obsessed with harissa! I love this recipe! I am making it this weekend for sure. Plus you had me at point #1…FRIDAY! 🙂
Hah! So guilty of exaggerating. Since I know you love harissa, you gotta try these. I think you’ll love them! Let me know!
Laura these take my breath away! Wow, so scrumptious looking and harissa with a basil cilantro sauce – HEAVEN! Grilling them this weekend, thanks!
Thank you SO much!! Let them know how they turn out!
Those grill marks are to die for, and love the pretty sauce!
Thank you, thank you!
YUM! I would like to eat this please!
Shrimps on the barbie! (Sorry.)
Wow, I love the simplicity of these, that you’ve paired them with that beautiful-sounding basil oil … and your gorgeous photos!!
Thanks Helen! The basil oil is awesome–I have another recipe coming up soon that uses it too! 🙂
Hi Laura…. LOVE what you’ve created with our harissa. Can’t wait to try this harissa-shrimp recipe!
wow these shrimp skewers look amazing… and that harrisa marinade especially looks incredible, love the colour! i definitely will be recreating these skewers, they look so delicious. thanks for the great recipe!
My stomach is growling just looking at this. I love with Mina harissa you can practically see how intensely flavorful it is with those vibrant colors!
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This harissa shrimp recipe looks so yummy and exotic. Def making this. Loving harissa right now.
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Wow… Just came across the harissa shrimp recipe. Looks amazing! What a yummy way to use harissa. I have to try this with my jar of harissa. Thank you for the inspiration! Harissa rocks!
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Delicious looking recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. Do you ever make your harissa at home yourself, or do you usually buy it from the store? Thanks!