My family and I love seafood all year round, but the holidays are when we really indulge – especially on shrimp. For as long as I can remember my Mom has made Cajun Shrimp for Christmas Eve dinner, which is shrimp baked with butter and Cajun seasoning, the latter half of which is sopped up with warm sourdough bread. This dish is as sinful and delicious as it sounds, and we look forward to eating it all year long…especially while sitting in Christmas Eve church service. Raise the candle, blow it out, run to the car, and head home for shrimp. (I kid, I kid!) Anyway, Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Shrimp with Chimichurri Dipping Sauce is not only giving Cajun Shrimp a run for its money in the perfect for the holidays department, but sensational shrimp dish department!
I decided to give our favorite holiday treat a twist by turning it into a poppable appetizer swapping Cajun spice for a homemade, 4-ingredient BBQ seasoning rub, wrapping each jumbo shrimp in salty bacon, and then whipping up a bright and zingy Chimichurri Dipping Sauce to serve with them, which I want to slather over EVERYTHING. I think the fact that I ate 1/2 the recipe the first time I made these shrimp speaks for itself! I can imagine these bacon-wrapped shrimp being served as a Christmas Eve appetizer, Christmas Day nibble between meals, or on a platter at your New Years Eve party. The smokey-sweet BBQ rub on the shrimp and savory bacon are totally indulgent tasting, while the fresh Chimichurri dipping sauce – a mixture of fresh herbs, lemon, and seasoning – makes each bite sing.
Start by making the homemade BBQ rub. Combine 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon each brown sugar and black pepper together in a small bowl then set aside.
Next cut 8 slices bacon into thirds.
Finally, pat 1lb jumbo shrimp that’s been peeled (tails left on,) and deveined dry between sheets of paper towels. Look for shrimp that say “16/20 count” which means there are 16-20 shrimp in a pound. These are going to be considered “jumbo”. If you can only find smaller shrimp, that’s ok. You’ll want to maybe cut the bacon into quarters and reduce baking time.
Assembly time! Setup stations with the BBQ seasoning, the shrimp, and bacon.
First sprinkle each shrimp liberally with the seasoning mix, place it on the center of a strip of bacon, and then wrap it around the center of the shrimp. Don’t be afraid to pull and stretch the bacon if you need to!
Place the shrimp seam side down on a cooling rack topped, foil-lined, and nonstick-sprayed, baking sheet. You could use toothpicks to secure the bacon if you’re worried about it unraveling.
Pop the shrimp into a 450 degree oven to bake for 13-15 minutes. In the meantime, make the Chimichurri Dipping Sauce. As I mentioned, this stuff is unbelievable paired with meats of any kind – not just seafood – especially steak. To the bowl of a food processor, add 1 bunch parsley torn from the stems, 1/2 bunch cilantro torn from the stems, 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, salt, and pepper then process until the herbs are finely chopped. Next, stream in 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil while processing then let it whir until the sauce is very smooth.
Once the shrimp are cooked through and the bacon is sizzling, transfer them to a platter with a dish of the dipping sauce. Present to your friends and family, then dig in!
What I recommend is not waiting until the holidays to bake a batch of these bad boys — they are too delicious to only enjoy for a small portion of the year!
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