Eight ingredients and twenty-five minutes, in one skillet.
Shrimp go from raw to overcooked in about a minute, so they come out of the pan while the pineapple sears and only return once the sauce is ready.
Three Moments That Decide This Dish
Nothing here cooks for long. The risks are all on the same axis - overcooked shrimp - and the safety advice names the second one directly: AVOID PROLONGED COOKING AFTER THE GLAZE IS ADDED.
Before the shrimp go in
They are PATTED DRY and the pan is hot with 1 tbsp NEUTRAL OIL
1 1/4 lb of LARGE SHRIMP release water the moment they meet heat. Dry shrimp in a hot pan sear; wet shrimp in a warm pan turn grey and rubbery.
1 to 2 minutes per side
PEARLY AND OPAQUE - then straight out onto a plate
This is the doneness cue, and shrimp reach it fast. A SINGLE LAYER is specified so they all arrive there together, and they leave the pan so they stop cooking.
Once the glaze is in
TOSSED JUST LONG ENOUGH TO COAT AND HEAT THROUGH
1/2 cup BOTTLED SWEET CHILI SAUCE with 1 tbsp LIME JUICE and 1 tsp SOY SAUCE goes in after 1 1/2 cups PINEAPPLE has SEARED UNTIL LIGHTLY GOLDEN. The shrimp are already cooked; this last toss is only about coating them.
How to Make It
Shrimp patted dry, skillet heated over medium-high
Pat the shrimp dry. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Shrimp cooked in one layer just to pearly and opaque
Cook the shrimp in a single layer 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until pearly and opaque, then transfer them briefly to a plate.
Pineapple seared until lightly golden
Add the pineapple to the skillet and sear until lightly golden.
Sauce stirred in, shrimp returned just to coat
Stir in the bottled sweet chili sauce, lime juice and soy sauce. Return the shrimp and toss just long enough to coat and heat through.
Plated with chile and cilantro, glaze pooling beneath
Plate with the sliced red chile and cilantro, leaving the glossy red-amber sauce pooling beneath the shrimp.
Why This Recipe Works
- Patting the shrimp dry lets them sear instead of poaching in their own moisture.
- A single layer in a hot pan means every shrimp cooks in the same minute or two.
- Searing the pineapple on its own concentrates its sugars and turns the edges golden.
- Lime juice and soy sauce cut the sweetness of a bottled chili sauce.
- Returning the shrimp last keeps them tender under the glaze.
Ingredient Notes
- Large shrimp
- A pound and a quarter, peeled and deveined. Tails on or off; the photograph shows some of each.
- Bottled sweet chili sauce
- Half a cup, used as bought. Bottled means no sugar has to be cooked.
- Pineapple chunks
- A cup and a half, seared in the shrimp pan until the edges take colour.
- Lime juice and soy sauce
- A tablespoon and a teaspoon. They keep the glaze from being purely sweet.
Success Tips
- Cook the shrimp in batches rather than crowding them, so the pan stays hot enough to sear.
- Have the sauce ingredients measured before the shrimp go in; the whole dish takes minutes.
- Toss the shrimp through the glaze off the heat if the pan is running hot.
Serving Ideas
Four plates of glazed shrimp with golden pineapple chunks, topped with red chile rings and cilantro, with the glossy red-amber sauce pooling underneath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to make the chili sauce?
No. This recipe uses bottled sweet chili sauce, which keeps any sugar-boiling step out of it.
How do I know the shrimp are done?
They turn pearly or white and opaque, usually after a minute or two a side. Longer than that and they tighten.
Should I serve it over rice?
Not as this recipe is written. It is shrimp, pineapple and glaze on the plate, as photographed.
