Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon With Creamy Sweet Red Chile Dipping Sauce

This Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe is stuffed with a sliced pickled Jalapeno and then served with a creamy sweet red chile sauce to take the flavors over the top. A quick marinade in balsamic vinegar adds a depth of flavor to make this shrimp appetizer recipe a show stopper. You’ve got to try this one.  AWESOME.

We all met up over at Tom and Kathy’s house for a typical Highlands Ranch All-American backyard BBQ.

To preface a great meal of beef kabobs, there’s always note worthy appetizers. And one of those appetizers is so incredibly delicious and popular, I just had to share the recipe with you.

Kathy’s Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe is a tradition with our group of friends. A recipe that the crowd simply goes crazy over. Let’s take a look. 

How to make bacon wrapped shrimp

These little bacon wrapped shrimp literally sprout wings and fly off that appetizer platter. They’re simply that irresistible. Easy to assemble and quick to cook. You can easily cook these bacon wrapped shrimp in the oven.

This dish is built on my New Mexico Red Chile Sauce, a foundational recipe in traditional Southwestern cooking. Let’s take a look.

• Sauce for bacon wrapped shrimp Prepare the red chile dipping sauce. Recipe below. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Shrimp marinated in balsamic vinegar Purchase good quality large shrimp. Shrimp that tastes like shrimp. Look for Wild caught American shrimp. Remove shells, remove tails and devein the shrimp. Cut a deep enough slit down the back of the shrimp. Deep enough that you’ll be able to tuck that strip of jalapeno pepper into (see below). Let them marinate in balsamic vinegar for 30 minutes.
• Soak the wooden toothpicks Soak the wooden toothpicks in water for 30 minutes.
• Prepare the bacon I’ve used both thick sliced and regular bacon for this recipe. Even though the thick sliced worked pretty well, it took longer to cook which puts the shrimp at risk for over cooking. Take 12 strips of bacon and lay on a cutting board. Slice them crosswise in half.
• Pickled Jalapeno I like to purchase La Costena canned pickled jalapenos. They’re sliced lengthwise as opposed to sliced into rings. They’re a perfect size for the shrimp and will tuck nicely into that cut down the back of the shrimp. Plus, it’s easy to remove the seeds from these wedges. Removing seeds will reduce the heat factor of the jalapeno. If you like the heat, leave them in. Cut the wedges of jalapenos in half and tuck 1 wedge into the shrimp.
• Wrap the shrimp in bacon Place a shrimp on the narrow end of one of the slices of bacon. Wrap the end around the crook of shrimp and then continue to roll until the bacon surrounds the shrimp. Take one of the soaked toothpicks and drive it through the middle of the wrapped shrimp to hold everything together. Then continue this procedure with the rest of the shrimp.
• Bacon wrapped shrimp in the oven As you finish wrapping each shrimp, place them on a baking sheet large enough so they don’t touch. Air space around each shrimp helps them crisp. Save the balsamic vinegar marinade for basting.
• Cooking bacon wrapped shrimp Preheat the broiler in your oven. Move the top rack to the 2nd closest level from the broiler. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil the shrimp for 2 – 3 minutes. Watch them closely so the bacon doesn’t burn. Turn the shrimp over, and baste with the balsamic vinegar. A silicone basting brush works well here.
• Serve the shrimp Remove the shrimp to your favorite appetizer platter and place the bowl of dipping sauce on the platter. Stand back and watch that happy feeding frenzy unfold before your eyes.

Creamy Sweet Red Chile Sauce

This creamy red chile sauce for bacon wrapped shrimp is a delicious combo of pantry ingredients you most likely already have on hand. It uses Southwestern Red Chile Sauce (with an “e”) which refers to an authentic Southwestern style sauce, rather than a chili sauce (with an “i”) which is a sweeter version. For more on that subject take a look at my article Chili vs. Chile.

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Red chile sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper for a little bit of crunch = Awesome.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp With Creamy Sweet Red Chili Sauce

We all agree we could eat these things every day, every meal.  I’ve made them and they’re easy,  just a little time consuming to assemble, but well worth the effort.

And they are a great make ahead shrimp appetizer. Just keep warm until ready to serve. They also travel well. Just give them a quick spin in the microwave just long enough to warm them up.

I hope you give this bacon wrapped jalapeno shrimp recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

And if you have a favorite party shrimp appetizer recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

Looking for more appetizer recipes wrapped in bacon? Don’t miss this one for Apples on Horseback.

More Shrimp Appetizer Recipes

And if you’re looking for more appetizer recipes, don’t miss my Appetizer category. You’ll find lots of fun party recipes, including the most popular shrimp appetizer on my site for Campechana, Southwestern Mexican Shrimp Cocktail.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp … It’s What’s For An Appetizer.