This post is sponsored by Stubb’s Legendary BAR-B-Q. All opinions are my own.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I mean, I wake up every morning with the sole purpose of experimenting with, obsessing over and devouring recipes that I really want to eat and if you’re a food-hound like me, they’re something you’ll want to eat too. I write about them. I take pictures (harder than it looks) and food companies (large and small) send me their products to test, cook with and review. Sweet Heat Asian Barbecued Shrimp Salad is the mouthwatering result of one of those reviews…
ingredients for the peanut sauce
There are a lot of companies that it just wouldn’t make sense for me to work with, so the list that I say “yes” to is far shorter than the “nos”. This one, however, was a quick, easy and resounding YOU BETCHA! Stubb’s authentic sauces, rubs and marinades get their bold flavors from real ingredients, with no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, and they also contain no high fructose corn syrup, the No. 1 ingredient in most national BBQ sauce brands. It’s also the reason that this is pretty much the only store-bought BBQ sauce that’s ever crossed our threshold.
mix ingredients in a blender
I worked with Stubb’s using many of their sauces, rubs and condiments last year! Some of the recipes included this crowd pleasing pork sandwich, a simple, yet satisfying grilled rib eye and veg, some tangy barbecue baked beans, hatch chili hot wings and a swoon worthy chipotle beer can chicken. I can tell you, that my husband gets very excited when he sees a delivery marked Stubb’s.
make the dressing
In this shipment, I received their Chicken Spice Rub (which I actually used on our grilled chicken thighs last night), a bottle of their Original Bar-B-Q Sauce and a bottle of Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce. While I love their Original, I opted for the Sweet Heat this time around. This sauce is a blend of molasses and brown sugar which balances perfectly against the smoky heat of chipotle peppers. Let me say that this sauce tastes exactly as it’s name suggests. An immediate hit of sweet barbecue flavor with a tongue tingling heat. Ka-Pow!
Peel and devein the shrimp. Thread onto skewers.
grill the shrimp and baste with Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce.
I took those flavors and — you know — went in a completely different direction than you’d expect! Instead of a Texas BBQ dish , I made an Asian-inspired salad drizzled in a spicy, tangy, peanut sauce with Southern roots. Sweet Heat Asian Barbecued Shrimp Salad — YES! Topped with succulent grilled shrimp, slathered in that decadent Stubb’s sauce, this salad eats like dinner – and trust me, you won’t stop at one helping. In fact, Scott had three — and kept going back for more peanut sauce.
This has moved to the top of our weekly go-to dinner list. You’d better make room on yours too, ’cause you’re going to LOVE it! If you want more shrimp salads, try this Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad with Old Bay.
Sweet Heat Asian Barbecued Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 3 cups red cabbage shredded or finely sliced
- 3 cups white cabbage shredded or finely sliced
- 2 cups kale tough stems removed
- 3 medium carrots peeled and shredded
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro fresh
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup Stubb's Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q Sauce
For the Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup Stubb's Sweet Heat Bar-B-Q sauce
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the Dressing
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lime zested
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce nam pla
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Remove the tough stems from the kale and discard. Rub and massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes or until the leaves are dark green and the kale is fragrant. Bunch the kale up tightly in one hand and slice it very thinly using a sharp knife. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the red cabbage, white cabbage and carrots to the kale. Set aside.
- In a blender, combine the ingredients for the peanut sauce and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together - add the vinaigrette a few tablespoons at a time to the salad and toss to combine. Use only enough of the dressing to lightly coat the leaves - you don't want it to be goopy. Reserve remaining dressing for another use.
- Thread the shrimp onto skewers and preheat the grill (or a grill pan) to medium high heat. Lightly brush the shrimp with vegetable oil and cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, until they start to turn pink. Flip the shrimp and brush them with barbecue sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through and brush the other side with sauce.
- To serve: Mound plates with salad, top with shrimp skewers and drizzle the peanut sauce over the top of shrimp and salad. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin “Asian Barbecued Shrimp Salad” For Later!
More Mainplate Salads:
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- Spicy Sausage Tomato and Avocado Salad
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- Lemony Chicken Orzo Salad
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- Cold Roast Beef Salad
What kind of kale did you use and how much? I don’t see the specifications in the recipe.
2 cups of fresh kale, Julie. Thanks for the heads up, I’ve adjusted the recipe.
This salad looks like perfection! Loving the flavours and colours!!
Thanks, Sam! I’m so glad you like it!
It’s really great to hear of new products that aren’t full of nasty ingredients! I think I’ll keep an eye out for Stubbs! I love your recipe ideas – eclectic and creative. I saw a Hatch chili hot wings, and I’m thinking I’d better take a look… I spent almost 22 years 30 miles south of Hatch, New Mexico in Las Cruces!
Thanks, Tamara! My friend Nola was traveling last year in the Southwest and brought back an entire bushel of roasted hatch chilies — which she shared with me! Yay! I still have some in the freezer!
I am truly loving the flavors in this salad. The dressing is calling my name – I love to mix sweet and spicy.
Me too! It’s also got great texture!
Hi Lisa! I know that you took those Texas BBQ flavors and went in a totally different direction to make the Asian salad – but it’s amazing!!
Glad you approve, Mary! We found the combo addictive!
These are to die for!!! So so gorgeous .. And I love the flavors here. Gorgeous pics too
Thank you so much! I really can’t say enough good things about this salad. Just eat it! You’ll see!
I LOVE Stubbs! That’s my favorite BBQ sauce, I love the way you used it here, this dish looks delicious!
I know – isn’t Stubb’s great?!! Glad you like this recipe — I’m telling you we couldn’t get enough!
I LOVE shrimp so this definitely sounds like a salad I want to try! Never heard of this brand of sauce before but from the way you describe, I really want to try them! Thanks for the recipe!
They have it in all the major supermarkets in these parts – but they are a national brand – so just keep your eyes open!
Seriously, the photos, the recipe, everything! Looks divine. Shrimp salad perfect for any day I say! – Levan
Thank you so much! I couldn’t stop eating this!
I’ve never tried this brand before, I need to hunt it down and see if we have it locally somewhere! We’ve also just discovered how good cabbage is in salads! Saving this recipe to try soon!
Stubbs has really great products – and they’re not full of artificial stuff. The Sweet Heat sauce really works in this salad!