Another seafood recipe swimming in butter? Heck yes! Today we have a Smoked Tequila Butter Shrimp Recipe for you. As if butter and seafood weren’t enough, for this recipe we added some tequila for a surprise tang to a classic combo. Smoked a platter of shrimp and topped it all off with cilantro and lime wedges. It was incredible! Here’s how you can make this recipe your dinner reality.
Smoked Tequila or Smoked Shrimp with Tequila
Either way, I’m happy. Technically, smoked tequila can be referring to mezcal. Whichever you prefer, tequila or mezcal, works great for this recipe! It all depends on how much of that smoky flavor you want on your shrimp.
Started this recipe with some peeled and deveined shrimp. I placed them all in a large bowl and added in salt, pepper, cumin & cayenne. I also threw in minced garlic, lime juice, orange juice, oil and (of course) some tequila. Then I mixed it all together and placed it in the fridge to marinate for 15 minutes.
Please note, adding citric acid (aka the orange and lime juice) will actually start to cook the Smoked Tequila Butter Shrimp if it marinades too long. It doesn’t start to happen until the 20-25 minute mark, but this is why I only marinaded the shrimp for 15 minutes. It’s just long enough that the shrimp hold the flavor without starting to cook unintentionally.
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Hey, Where’s the Butter?
You may be asking yourself, “Self, Derek said there’s butter in this recipe but didn’t list it above. What happened to the butter?” Good question, but don’t worry. I didn’t forget about the butter, it comes into play later. You can cube some up now and place it in a bowl so it’s ready to go when we need it.
Fire up the grill once the Smoked Tequila Butter Shrimp are prepped. The 15 minute marinade is perfect for letting the smoker preheat. When the smoker has reached temp, grab the shrimp from the fridge and place them in a cast iron skillet or fire safe cooking pan. I have this awesome, rectangular pan made of steel that I used for this cook as a fun switch up.
Time for Smoke Flavor
Place the shrimp on the smoker and let them cook for 15 minutes. Now, the moment we’ve been waiting for… the butter! Add the cubed butter to the shrimp when they’re about 10 minutes away from being done. You’ll want to evenly space the butter around the pan/skillet to ensure no shrimp is left without it! Close the smoker again and let the shrimp finish cooking.
Now, let’s eat! I pulled the Smoked Tequila Butter Shrimp from the smoker once the butter was melted and they were done cooking. Then I garnished the shrimp with chopped cilantro and lime wedges. I served it directly from the pan because I didn’t want to pull them from the wonderful juices and melted butter they were swimming in. Best enjoyed with friends and family. Cheers!
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Smoked Tequila Butter Shrimp
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 2 lbs of Shrimp peeled & deveined
- Lime Wedges for garnish
- Chopped Cilantro for garnish
Quick Marinade:
- 2 oz of Tequila or Mezcal
- 1 tbsp of Minced Garlic
- 2 tsp of Sea Salt
- 1.5 tsp of Black Pepper
- 1.5 tsp of Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp of Cayenne Powder
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1/2 of an Orange juiced
- 1 tbsp of Canola Oil
Butter:
- 4-5 tbsp of Butter cubed
Instructions
- In a bowl, add your shrimp along with all the ingredients for the quick marinade. Mix together thoroughly, then place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat your smoker to 275F for indirect cooking. Add some wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor.
- Pull your shrimp out and discard any excess marinade. Arrange your shrimp in a cast iron skillet neatly.
- Add your shrimp to the smoker to cook for 20 minutes or until they are 145F internal. About 10 minutes before they are done, place your butter cubes thorough-out the skillet evenly and continue cooking until done.
- When done, pull off the skillet and let cool. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serve and enjoy!
