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It’s grilling season and I am so here for it! I love this time of year so much that a few years ago, I decided to dedicate an entire week in May to all things grilling. But fortunately, you don’t need to wait that long since these Spicy Curried Shrimp Skewers with Grilled Veggie Couscous are ready to cook now!
I absolutely love grilling shrimp. You don’t need to do much to them to make the flavor and texture shine, but I still felt like I wanted to make things a little more exciting.
In this recipe, you’ll make a warm and spicy curry sauce and use it two ways — in the couscous salad and as a quick marinade for the shrimp. It’s inspired by Mendocino Farms Spicy Curried Couscous and adds so. much. flavor. to this dish! Grill up the shrimp and veggies side by side, then toss the grilled veggies with the couscous and a little more curry sauce.
I like to serve this with the shrimp on a large platter and the couscous alongside for everyone to build their plates as they prefer, but feel free to arrange the plates yourself. Don’t forget to garnish with a little more cilantro for color and brightness.
Want to serve a lighter version of this dish? Ditch the couscous and serve the shrimp and veggies over a green salad instead!
Ingredients:
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Curry Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Coriander
- Ground Cayenne Red Pepper
- Israeli Couscous
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Fresh Cilantro
- Zucchini
- Red Bell Pepper
- Red Onion
- 21/25 Count Shrimp
step-by-step:
step one: make the dressing
In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, curry powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Taste and season with more cayenne pepper, if desired. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce.
step two: cook the couscous
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the couscous and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
step three: combine the couscous and sauce
Drain the couscous and transfer to the curry sauce. Toss to combine. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and cilantro. Toss once more and set aside.
step four: prep the veggies
In a separate large bowl, combine the zucchini, red bell peppers, onions, olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
step five: assemble the skewers
Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Brush both sides of the shrimp with the reserved marinade, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
step six: preheat the grill
Heat the grill over medium-high heat (about 400℉). Dip a wadded paper towel in the avocado oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil to avoid flare-ups—a little goes a long way here.
step seven: grill the shrimp and veggies
Place a grill pan or cast-iron skillet on one half of the grill and add the veggies to the pan. On the other half of the grill, place the skewers on the grill grates and grill the shrimp, covered, for about 3 minutes per side. The veggies should take 6 to 8 minutes to cook. Toss halfway through when you flip the shrimp.
step eight: plate and serve
Remove the veggies and shrimp from the grill. Add the veggies to the couscous and toss until well combined. To serve, divide the couscous and veggies between shallow bowls or plates, then top with the shrimp skewers. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
recipe FAQs:
Yes! It is important to pre-soak the skewers ahead of putting them over the open flame. Simply place the skewers on a small sheet pan or baking dish, then add warm water and soak for at least 15 minutes.
Hold two skewers side by side, parallel to one another, upright and carefully thread the shrimp onto the skewers. I like to thread my shrimp on two skewers because they’re less likely to spin or slither off. You should be able to fit about 4 shrimp on each set of skewers.
Yes! Dried orzo pasta works great here!
From the flavors to the presentation, these Spicy Curried Shrimp Skewers with Grilled Veggie Couscous are truly so impressive! Tag me on social @thedefineddish so I can see your final dish!
craving more skewer recipes? try these!
Grilled Sesame Chicken Skewers
Bang Bang Shrimp Skewers with Sesame Slaw
Spicy Curried Shrimp Skewers with Grilled Veggie Couscous
Ingredients
For the Curry Sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
For the Spicy Curried Couscous:
- 1½ cups Israeli couscous
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
- 1 red bell pepper, diced large
- 1/2 large red onion, diced large
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the Shrimp:
- 1 pound (21/25) count shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tail-off
- 12 (6-inch) wooden skewers, soaked
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Curry Sauce:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, curry powder, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Taste and season with more cayenne pepper, if desired. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce.
Cook the Couscous:
- Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the couscous and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain the couscous and transfer to the curry sauce. Toss to combine. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and cilantro. Toss once more and set aside.
Prep the Veggies:
- In a separate large bowl, combine the zucchini, red bell peppers, onions, olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Prep the Shrimp:
- Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Brush both sides of the shrimp with the reserved marinade, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Grill the Shrimp and Veggies:
- Heat the grill over medium-high heat (about 400℉). Dip a wadded paper towel in the avocado oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. Be careful not to use too much oil to avoid flare-ups—a little goes a long way here.
- Place a grill pan or cast-iron skillet on one half of the grill and add the veggies to the pan. On the other half of the grill, place the skewers on the grill grates and grill the shrimp, covered, for about 3 minutes per side. The veggies should take 6 to 8 minutes to cook. Toss halfway through when you flip the shrimp.
Finish and Serve:
- Remove the veggies and shrimp from the grill. Add the veggies to the couscous and toss until well combined. To serve, divide the couscous and veggies between shallow bowls or plates, then top each with the shrimp skewers. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
Recipe says 1 1/2 C of couscous. Is that measurement for cooked or uncooked?
uncooked!
So easy and delicious! Next time I’ll omit the cayenne completely if making for the kids, too. But even 1/4 tsp was plenty to make it quite spicy (and I like spicy!!) perfect summer grilling recipe after a long weekend of eating tons of meat 😂
This was SO delicious! As soon as we were done with dinner, my husband asked if I could make it again!
I had one question. I have some family members that are dairy free. What would be a good substitute for the greek yogurt so they can make it too? Thank you!!
I often use kite hill sour cream as a yogurt substitute!
This was delicious!! Easy to make and very tasty. I thought it needed some lemon but otherwise great.
Will definitely make again. I don’t have access to a grill, so I roasted the vegetables at 200 c and then broiled the shrimp. And I only had whole coriander and cumin seeds in my pantry so I tried to crush them but then ultimately just used my immersion blender to blend the sauce together. Overall really good flavors and something unique/different!
My husband said this was “top five favorite recipes ever!”
heck yes! love to hear it, thanks for commenting!