This is hands down my favorite recipe for grilling seafood. Shrimp and Mahi Mahi kabobs are marinated, skewered and grilled. A dollop of Jalapeno Butter finishes the dish to bring the flavors to a whole new level of excitement.
Shrimp and Mahi-Mahi marinated in lime juice, garlic and olive oil, and then grilled. But wait, The best part comes at the table with this Jalapeno Butter.
This is simply softened unsalted butter with finely chopped jalapeno added. When the seafood skewers hit the plate, just dab them with some of this butter and the sweet and spicy goodness melts into the sweet seafood meat. Divine. And an incredibly easy way to liven up any Mexican seafood meal.
Tips on Skewering Seafood
With a few exceptions, seafood and shellfish are low in fat, therefore can dry out easily during the cooking process. So taking that extra step with a marinade can prove to be a lifesaver.
Not only does a proper marinade, which includes some fat like butter or olive oil, will not only keep the flesh from sticking to a grilling surface, but will also keep the seafood moist.
And keep in mind, thick firm-textured fish works best for Kabobs. A few good examples are mahi-mahi, swordfish, tuna or salmon. Cod, a less firm fish, may cause you problems and not hold on to the skewer.
Fish is quick cooking, and now that you’ve cut it into chunks for kabobs, the kabobs will cook in a flash. You’ll only need a couple minutes per side for the seafood to be flaky and tender. Once the fish looks opaque, you can rest assured the fish is fully cooked.
Let’s take a look:
Recipe for Grilled Shrimp and Mahi Mahi Kabobs
I hope you give this recipe for Mexican Grilled Shrimp Kabobs 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 seafood kabob recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Mexican Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Tacos with Lime Dressing and Crunchy Vegetables
- Green Chili Shrimp Quesadillas
- Adobe Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
Looking for more Mahi Mahi ideas? Don’t miss my recipe for Mahi Mahi with Honey Mustard Tarragon Sauce. Easy and delish.
And if you’re looking for more seafood recipes, don’t miss my Seafood Category. You’ll find plenty of great ideas including the most popular seafood recipe on my site for Heavenly Halibut.
Easy and delicious and our favorite recipe for grilling shrimp.
- 1/2 pound shrimp deveined, shells removed, tails intact
- 1/2 pound mahi mahi
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 Cup butter room temperature
- 1 small jalapeno deveined, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped, for garnish
- chives for garnish optional
- Prepare the seafood. Peel and devein shrimp. Cut the Mahi-Mahi into cubes to somewhat match the size of the shrimp for even cooking.
- Make the marinade: put the squeezed juice of 2 limes with the olive oil and garlic in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to blend and add some salt and pepper. Put the prepared seafood in the marinade and stir gently until it is completely coated. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Remove seafood from the marinade and thread alternately on skewers. Grill or broil , turning occasionally, until cooked and tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Baste with more marinade if the pieces appear to be drying out.
In the meantime make the jalapeno butter; blend the softened butter with the chopped chiles and thoroughly blend.
Arrange the skewers on plates on a bed of rice. Pat chili butter over all. Scatter with torn cilantro leaves.
Shrimp and Mahi Mahi Kabobs …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Larry says
June 2, 2012 at 12:43 pmIt looks delicious LA – I think. Seriously, the like the marinade but I love the chile butter idea. I read it to Bev and she grinned and said “I believe that recipe is right up my alley, right up my alley.”
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:07 pmLet me know how you like it.
Stephanie@PlainChicken.com says
June 2, 2012 at 3:46 pmLooks incredible!
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:07 pmThanks Stephanie!
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
June 3, 2012 at 6:01 amI’m always in the mood for seafood. Love the jalapeno butter. Great idea Lea Ann. Butter kicked up a notch! Looks like from Larry’s comment you’ve got three jalapeno butter lovers already.
Sam
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:07 pmSam, and such simple flavors. I’m always tempted to throw in some chipotle, or Tabasco or something, but always keep it simple.
Joanne says
June 3, 2012 at 7:38 amMy family makes a lot of grilled skewers but none with seafood! Need to change that.
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:06 pmActually, this is the only seafood skewer recipe in my database. Can’t believe I’ve not blogged about it before.
Heather @girlichef says
June 3, 2012 at 11:08 amOh, this is fantastic. Summer on a plate, for sure! I like that plate, actually…it’s a big, festive, jumble of beauty and deliciousness ;P
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:06 pmI agree Heather, Summer on a plate. I make this a lot over the hot months.
Karen says
June 3, 2012 at 2:03 pmOh, I want to try this with some tuna I have in the freezer… sounds delicious and we’d love the jalapeno butter!
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:05 pmAny kind of fish would work Karen. Let me know how you like it.
Susan says
June 3, 2012 at 4:03 pmI’ve seen some similar recipe online but I love the Mahi-Mahi in your skewers! This sounds like the perfect summer dish and a must try.
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:05 pmI’ve had this recipe for 20 or so years, can’t remember where it came from. Maybe I copied it from a restaurant, which is what I used to do a lot. It’s one of my favorites.
dan says
June 4, 2012 at 7:51 amWow! you’re killing me. Jalapeno butter? Right up my alley.
Good photos, I almost got in my car and came for leftovers.
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:03 pmYou’re always welcome for leftovers Dan.
Vickie says
June 4, 2012 at 8:59 amYou had me jalapeno butter. I cannot WAIT to try this. And I love that photo. The red, yellow and green are my colors, and those plates are so festive. Ole’, Girlfriend!
Lea Ann says
June 4, 2012 at 3:03 pmBob liked that photo also. I just thought there was no place for your eyes to go…but everywhere. 🙂 I have no idea why I’ve not blogged about this recipe before. So easy, and so good, and healthy. And I’ve used it for years and years. Let me know how you like it.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
June 5, 2012 at 4:00 amSimple recipes seem to be the favorite…they let the main ingredient shine.
Lea Ann says
June 7, 2012 at 5:31 pmThanks Karen.
Jenn's Food Journey says
June 5, 2012 at 6:36 amA summer dish at it’s best! Looks amazing! And I’m loving the jalapeno butter!! It would go with just about anything!
Lea Ann says
June 7, 2012 at 5:31 pmI agree Jenn. Funny I’ve never used it with anything but this recipe. I’ll have to expand my horizons. 🙂
Barbara says
June 6, 2012 at 4:49 amBusy plate or not, this looks great! Love seafood on the grill and your jalapeno butter is a smashing idea.
Lea Ann says
June 7, 2012 at 5:32 pmThank you Barbara.
Chris says
June 14, 2012 at 4:39 pmLaughing with you, yeah, I’ve done that and then didn’t notice until looking at the pics on the PC. Ooops….wrong plate!
I’m loving a chipotle/cilantro butter lately too.
Lea Ann says
June 14, 2012 at 8:29 pmAnd I’m loving that chipotle/cilantro butter. Thanks for the idea. 🙂
Adriana says
July 6, 2020 at 9:15 amHow much mahi mahi do you use? I don’t see it listed under the ingredients.
Lea Ann Brown says
July 6, 2020 at 6:20 pmHi Adriana – thanks for your note and letting me know about the mistake. It’s 1 pound total seafood. 1/2 pound shrimp, 1/2 pound mahi-mahi. I’ve corrected the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions.