Chilled Mediterranean Shrimp & Caprese Skewers with Avocado
Shrimp Skewers
Bright chilled skewers with shrimp, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil and creamy avocado.
Nutrition (per serving)
I love these cold skewers for summer entertaining — they’re fresh, colorful and easy to eat standing up. Juicy shrimp paired with sweet cherry tomatoes, pillowy mini mozzarella, fragrant basil and creamy avocado give you that classic Caprese vibe with a seafood twist.
They’re quick to make, travel well, and look beautiful on a platter. Whip up a simple lemon-olive oil dressing, thread everything onto skewers, chill briefly, and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing appetizer that tastes like sunshine.
Ingredients
- Large shrimp, peeled and deveined (cooked or raw):1 lb
- Cherry tomatoes:1 pint
- Mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini):12 oz
- Ripe avocado, medium:2 pieces
- Fresh basil leaves:24 leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil:3 tbsp
- Fresh lemon juice:2 tbsp
- Red wine vinegar:1 tbsp
- Honey:1 tsp
- Kosher salt:1 tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper:1/2 tsp
- Wooden skewers (soaked if using raw shrimp):24 pieces
- Optional: red pepper flakes:1/4 tsp
Instructions
-
If using raw shrimp: bring a pot of salted water to a simmer, add shrimp and cook 2–3 minutes until pink and just cooked through. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to cool. If using cooked shrimp, skip this step and just thaw if frozen.
-
In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning; add red pepper flakes if you like a little heat.
-
Cut avocados into 1/2-inch cubes and toss gently with 1 tsp lemon juice to slow browning.
-
Drain tomatoes and mozzarella if needed. Pat shrimp dry and, if large, halve lengthwise so skewers are easy to bite.
-
Thread skewers in this order: shrimp, basil leaf (folded), mini mozzarella, cherry tomato, avocado cube. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Aim for 3–4 pieces per skewer depending on size.
-
Arrange skewers on a platter, drizzle roughly half the dressing over them, and refrigerate 15–20 minutes to chill and let flavors meld.
-
Just before serving, drizzle remaining dressing, sprinkle with extra basil leaves and a final grind of black pepper.
-
Serve chilled or slightly cool. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 24 hours (store dressing separately if possible).
Tips & Notes
- Use cooked chilled shrimp for the quickest version — cocktail shrimp works great.
- Soak wooden skewers in water 20 minutes to prevent burning if you briefly grill the assembled skewers.
- To make this ahead, assemble skewers without avocado, refrigerate, and add avocado and dressing right before serving to prevent sogginess.
- Swap mozzarella for marinated feta for a tangier variation.
