I blame the bacon. Seriously, this one is really easy and crazy good. Bacon and shrimp make a very happy couple.

How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

For this recipe, we coat the shrimp with some lime and chili powder, and then wrap them in slices of bacon. You can either put them on the grill or bake them in the oven.

Tips for the Best Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Here are a couple of tips that can help make bacon-wrapped shrimp even better:

  1. Brine the Shrimp: When grilling shrimp I recommend brining them first. The brine will help shrimp hold onto its moisture. Even when exposed to the high heat of the grill, brined shrimp can remain plump and juicy. To make the brine, just whisk together kosher salt, sugar, and water in a bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add ice and the shrimp, and let it sit for 30 minutes (no longer or the shrimp will get too salty).
  2. Pre-Cook the Bacon: Make sure to pre-cook the bacon a bit before wrapping them around the shrimp. (We microwave the strips.) Otherwise, the shrimp will be over-cooked in the time it takes for the bacon to be cooked.

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I highly recommend brining the shrimp first. The brine will help keep the shrimp from drying out in the time it takes for the bacon to cook. If grilling, I recommend using long, flat skewers which make turning the shrimp on the grill easier. If you don’t have flat skewers, I’ve used two thin bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes beforehand) to the same effect.

1/4 cup (Diamond Crystal) kosher salt (if using Morton’s kosher salt, use only 3 tablespoons) 1/4 cup sugar 4 cups water 1 cup ice

For the bacon-wrapped shrimp:

1 pound (12 to 20 count), raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (tail on) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Zest from 1 lime 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or chili powder (less or more to taste) 6 to 10 strips thin bacon, cut in half (half as many pieces of bacon as there are shrimp)

If you are using the oven, secure each the bacon onto the shrimp with toothpicks. Place the bacon-wrapped shrimp on a foil-lined baking pan. Brush remaining lime chipotle mixture on the outside of the bacon-wrapped shrimp.