A simple, easy, and healthy appetizer – these blackened shrimp grapefruit skewers are a hit with any crowd. Shrimp with a kick, combined with creamy avocado and sweet, juicy Winter Sweetz Texas Red Grapefruits is a perfectly balanced paleo and Whole30 treat for any party.
This post is sponsored by the awesome people at Winter Sweetz Texas Red Grapefruits. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting Physical Kitchness!
Last Thanksgiving was a ‘bummer-giving’. Not to be all Debbie Downer, but it was pretty pitiful guys. Plans fell through, restaurant outings failed, kids got sick, and I cried. Let me explain…
We had moved to a new city roughly 5 months prior, so ‘popular’ was not an adjective to describe our current situation. After a snafu with an attempted gathering with new friends, we decided to celebrate humbly as a little family and go out for Thanksgiving dinner. Call it mom brain after having had a baby 3 months prior, but I didn’t even think to make a reservation. “We’ll just walk in to find any open table we’d want!” I thought with innocent, naive hopes and dreams.
I guess everyone else and their mother decided to go out to eat that same evening. What the heck?! People, GO EAT AT HOME. Leave the restaurants open to lonely souls with small kids that just want some warm food and sympathy. Kidding…(but not really).
Long story short, we ordered pizza as we realized our toddler had a temperature and the baby was OVER IT. We sat in our little kitchen as I cried, missing family and wishing we were closer. My husband promised me one day we’d laugh, and he’s probably right. I’m still not laughing, but I can look back and smile at the unfortunate situation.
This year we had a legit place to go to for Thanksgiving (or as we called it, friendsgiving). And it totally made up for Thanksgiving 2016 and all it’s glory. No pizza for us – just turkey, salmon, green bean casserole, pie (all the pies), and of course, blackened shrimp grapefruit skewers to snack on before the big meal.
I don’t think I’ve made an appetizer so simply, that was packed with so much flavor, with the perfect array of textures…like ever. The combo of slightly spicy blackened shrimp with creamy avocado and a kick of sweet and tart Winter Sweetz juicy grapefruit is heaven. Plus these blackened shrimp grapefruit skewers are pretty. And paleo. And Whole30 compliant. Oh and did I mention delicious? It’s the healthiest and yummiest appetizer to serve this holiday season (aka prime time for sweet, Texas grapefruits).
I highly suggest using 6″ bamboo skewers (click HERE to purchase) in order to fit each of the components of this recipe on one stick. And be sure to segment your Winter Sweetz Texas Red Grapefruit to get the sweetest, optimal flavor in every piece of juicy grapefruit. For more information on proper segmentation, click HERE.
And be sure to enter the 12 Days of Sweetz contest hosted by Winter Sweetz for your chance to win a cooking or entertaining prize every day. To enter, click HERE.
PrintBlackened Shrimp Grapefruit Skewers
- Yield: 20-30 skewers 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 Winter Sweetz grapefruits, segmented
- 1 large Haas avocado
Instructions
- Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside
- Pour olive oil into a large pan over medium heat, then add the peeled (and thawed if applicable) shrimp
- Cover the shrimp with 1/2 of the spice mixture, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the shrimp and add the rest of the spice mixture, cooking an additional 3 minutes, until the shrimp is pink and fully cooked. Remove from heat
- Segment the grapefruit and cut the avocado into 1-2″ cubes
- Start arranging the skewers, with the grapefruit first. Hold the grapefruit segment horizontally, then pierce the center of the right side, moving to the left. Next, add the blackened shrimp, piercing through the middle of the shrimp. Lastly, add the piece of avocado
- Garnish with green onions or chives
Wow these look like they would just POP with flavor Chrissa, and I”m so thankful that you were surrounded with a wonderful friendsgiving this year for your sweet family. That Thanksgiving does sound like it was a tough one, but it often seems like God uses those tough times to help us appreciate the fun more memorable peaceful times too.
These. Look. InCREDible. How do you come up with food so tasty and so beautiful? Your story about Thanksgiving kinda reminds me of how I feel just about every year around New Years. New Years Eve always gets so much hype, but I inevitably end up at home with my last couple of friends who couldn’t find anything better to do either >:] Glad you were able to have a Friendsgiving, sometimes that’s the best way to celebrate:)
LOTS of experimentation!! HA I’m the same with with NYE, except it usually involves me sleeping by 10pm!