Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Homemade Eel Sauce

Whether you’re looking for an appetizer or a main dish, these Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Homemade Eel Sauce are a 30-minute wonder with flavors that are smoky, salty, spicy and sweet. Your taste buds will be in bacon wrapped heaven.

It All Starts With Bacon

We all know that everything’s better with bacon, it’s a known fact. So, you just know that a bacon wrapped shrimp recipe has to be fantastic – right!?

Then, to make it even better we give them a healthy drizzle of eel sauce. You know, that sweet and salty sauce that’s often drizzled over your favorite sushi roll. It’s also such a great compliment to the spicy mayo that is on many sushi rolls.

And, don’t worry, both the shrimp and the sauce are a snap to make.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: A Holiday Favorite For My Family

I’ve been making bacon wrapped shrimp for quite a few years now and they are a favorite of the “shrimp lovers” in my family. It’s now a regular dish on my Christmas Eve menu.

When family is over on Christmas Eve, if these tasty bites aren’t on the table, I think they might turn around and go home! So, it’s a given that I will make them every year.

Easy Recipe. Easy to Make.

But don’t worry, just because these shrimp are holiday worthy doesn’t mean they’re difficult to make. The marinade is quick and easy to whip up and the eel sauce is equally easy to make.

I use thawed shrimp that have been dried off on a paper towel and are at or near room temperature. I then wrap each shrimp with a half a slice of thin-cut bacon. Some people might use wooden toothpicks to hold the bacon onto the shrimp, but I haven’t found that to be a problem.

The marinade is Asian-inspired with sesame oil and lime juice along with a little bit of red pepper flake added for some heat. Once I’ve coated the shrimp in the marinade, I put the bacon wrapped shrimp onto a baking sheet in a single layer.

Once the shrimp are cooked, top off with the easy sweet and salty eel sauce. It couldn’t be more simple to make.

Try Bacon Wrapped Shrimp as an Appetizer or Main Dish

These shrimp are also versatile because they’re great as a perfect appetizer for many occasions or as a main dish. As an appetizer, serve over a simple bed of arugula. So good.

If you’re serving these as a main dish, it’s great over basmati rice or even cauliflower rice. No matter which way you serve it, you’re going to want these bacon wrapped shrimp in your life – seriously!

Tips and Tricks

• If you’ve never had it before, do not fear the eel sauce. It doesn’t actually contain any eel! It is a simple sauce that’s sweet and salty and tastes amazing drizzled over the shrimp.
• The shrimp can be prepared ahead of time, up to the point of wrapping them with the bacon. Store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.
• While the shrimp are baking, prepare the eel sauce and drizzle over the shrimp right before serving.
• To thaw frozen shrimp, simply put them into a bowl of water (cold, as you don’t want to cook the shrimp) until thawed.
• Dry shrimp with a paper towel prior to preparing to bake.
• Use thin-cut bacon. This helps you get crispy bacon without over-cooking the shrimp.

Ingredients Needed to Make Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Eel Sauce

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Large shrimp – Look for shrimp that’s 13-15 pieces per pound.
• Sesame oil – Once you’ve opened the bottle, store it in the refrigerator to prevent it from becoming rancid.
• Lime – You will use both the zest and the juice.
• Montreal grill seasoning – You can find this in the spice aisle by the other spice blends.
• Red pepper flakes – Also known as crushed red pepper.
• Bacon – Thin cut bacon slices will work better than thick bacon.
• White wine – Any dry white wine, such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, works well in this recipe.
• Low sodium soy sauce – Low sodium helps keep the sauce from becoming too salty.
• Sugar 

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Eel Sauce

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, lime zest and juice, grill seasoning and red pepper flakes.
• Add shrimp and toss to combine. Let marinate for about 10 minutes.
• Wrap each shrimp with half a slice of bacon.
• Place shrimp on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. If bacon is not looking crisp after 10 minutes, turn the broiler on and broil for another couple of minutes, until bacon is crispy.
• Add wine, soy sauce and sugar to a small sauce pan.
• Bring mixture to a boil.
• Reduce heat so that mixture comes down to a gentle bubble.
• Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture has reduced by half and has thickened into a syrup, about 15 minutes.
• Drizzle eel sauce over shrimp before serving.

More Party Appetizers

• Fried Ravioli with Marinara
• Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread
• Rueben Wonton Purses
• Mini Bacon Basil Tomato Bites

ENJOY!

This recipe was originally posted on 04/01/2013. It was updated to improve user experience on 11/01/2023.