Don’t wait for the weekend to BBQ up a great meal! These surf and turf kebabs are easy enough for any night of the week and the whole family will love them (what kid doesn’t like food on a stick?). Even the novice griller (like me!) can cook these kebabs with ease.
I like to use chicken tenders for this recipe because they’re thin enough to cook at the same speed as the seafood. The trick is to not pack the chicken on the skewers too tightly and to not overcook them. Give them breathing room
Note: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Easy Shrimp, Scallop and Chicken Kebabs
Makes 5 kebabs (1 per person)
10 large tail-on shrimp (16/20 - 21/25 count), butterflied
5 chicken tenders
10 large scallops (not the tiny ones)
Olive oil or cooking spray
Johnny’s Seasoning Salt, or your preferred seasoning
Lime wedges for seasoning and garnish
Note: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Clean and butterfly the shrimp:
If your shrimp still have the heads and shells on, remove them, leaving the tails intact. With a small sharp paring knife, remove the vein from the top of the shrimp and butterfly. To do this, run the tip of the blade down the outside of the shrimp about 3/4 of the way through (be careful to not cut the shrimp in half). Remove any vein (dark red or black matter) that appears on the cut edges. Continue until all shrimp are deveined and butterflied.
Assembling the kebabs:
Fold a shrimp in half so that the tail end meets the head end and place it on the skewer.
Next, add a scallop (pierce through the side not from the top where it is most tender).
Then, take a chicken tender and wind it on the skewer into an S shape (you’ll pierce it 4 times). Keep the shape loose so that it can cook uniformly.
Follow with a scallop, then finish with a shrimp.
Brush the kebabs with olive oil or spray with cooking spray and season with Johnny’s Seasoning.
Place on a preheated grill and cook on all sides until done, about 10 minutes. If the shrimp are on the smaller size you may need to remove those from the skewers while the chicken and scallops continue to cook.
To test the doneness of the scallops, make a gentle fist with your hand. Press the meaty part of your hand between your thumb and index finger. It should be soft and tender. This is the texture you want your scallops (you can also test steaks this way). Take care to not overcook your scallops or they will end up like erasers!
Serve with lemon wedges for garnish. They’re excellent with a little lemon zest grated over the top. Serve alongside our Easy Vegetable Kebabs.
