Make the star appetizer of your gathering, these Tequila Lime Shrimp with Margarita Pipettes! On a crisp and overcast October day, we gathered at a mansion in Connecticut for our last wedding in 2019. For the record, that feels like an eternity ago. It was a quintessential New England fall day. Up until this point, we had attended four other weddings and this was our wedding season finale. Cocktail hour was filled with delicious passed hors d’oeuvres. One of those caught everyone’s eyes and quickly became a hot topic. These were, of course, tequila lime shrimp with tequila-filled pipettes.
I think I had enough shrimp to make Mercury detectable in my bloodstream. I immediately wrote this down as an idea to recreate. It was not until a week or so ago, I remembered my note and committed to making these. At the wedding, these were served chilled, which I didn’t hate. However, I wanted to serve them warm with chilled liquid in the pipettes. I went back and forth on what to fill these pipettes with and ultimately decided they should be margarita pipettes.
How to prep Tequila Lime Shrimp with Margarita Pipettes
This was fairly easy to make. I recommend brining the shrimp first. This helps to keep them plump and crunchy even after cooking. Once that’s set up, make a batch of margaritas, fill your pipettes, toss them in the fridge, and drink whatever leftover margaritas you have. Then tackle cooking the shrimp. This way the margarita-filled pipettes have enough time to chill and you’re not wasting time while you’re waiting on the shrimp brine.
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It’s best to use jumbo shrimp! Since shrimp have a tendency to shrink when they cook, the jumbo shrimp I bought worked well with these dessert pipettes. Once brined, then you can cook the shrimp! After they’re cooked, then you can start plugging in the pipettes and serve! These make a perfect appetizer for any cookout!
Tequila Lime Shrimp with Margarita Pipettes
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Loading...Ingredients
- 1lb of shrimp, cleaned
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 tbsp silver tequila
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- Shrimp Brine
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Margarita Pipettes
- 2 shots silver tequila
- 1 shot triple sec
- 1 shot lime juice
- 1 tsp agave
- 16-20 pipettes (1 for every shrimp)
Instructions
For the shrimp brine, combine kosher salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Add your shrimp and toss. Cover the bowl and move to the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
For the margarita pipettes, fill a cocktail shaker (or mason jar) with ice. Add tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and agave. Shake until the shaker is frosted. Strain into a cup or small bowl. Fill pipettes, pile on a plate or bowl, and place in the fridge until after you cook the shrimp.
Once the shrimp have had enough time to brine, remove from the fridge.
Add paprika, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Toss with the shrimp.
Heat butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Once it melts, add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add shrimp and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until one side turns pink. Cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp.
Turn the shrimp over. Add tequila, lime juice, and honey. Allow the tequila to somewhat evaporates (1-2 minutes).
By now you should have a nice char on your shrimp. Remove from the pan once the shrimp is cooked through.
Let them rest on a plate for a minute before poking holes.
To add the pipettes: in the larger side of the shrimp, use a skewer (or something similar--I ended up using a meat thermometer) to poke a hole in the shrimp. These are starter holes for the pipettes. Gently push the pipettes into the shrimp. They should be somewhat secured.
Move to your serving plate, garnish with cilantro, and serve!
