Jalapeño lime shrimp with cilantro and giardiniera. The best summer appetizer recipe, ever. It is fresh, cold, a little spicy, full of flavor, and delicious. This is one of those recipes that was passed along from friends and has changed so many times that you sort of forget where it came from. My mom has been making it for years and it is so easy to throw together for a last-minute get-together.

I also LOVE a cold appetizer in the summer and sometimes get in the rut of chips or veggies and a dip. This one is a showstopper with little to no effort. The trick is letting the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours. The longer the better! The lime juice sort of pickles the shrimp and just gives them so much flavor. If you’re short on refrigerator space, throw everything together in a big gallon zip lock bag and marinate there. Then serve in a pretty casserole dish with toothpicks. These shell toothpicks are so pretty!

Jalapeno Lime Shrimp Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 jars of Giardiniera, I use one hot and one mild
the juice of 8-10 limes
1 tbsp kosher salt
a bunch of chopped cilantro

In a dish (or ziplock bag!), add the shrimp, two jars of giardiniera and lime juice. Mix to combine. Add salt and chopped cilantro. Mix around and get all those shrimp nicely bathed in the oil/lime juice mixture. If using a dish, top with plastic food wrap and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (1 hour works too but the longer the better!). Serve with toothpicks and enjoy!

I have to note that Giardiniera is hard to come by in the South! I think it is technically an Italian condiment and very popular in Chicago! It is basically a bunch of jalapeños and other veggies like carrots, peppers and celery, finely chopped and soaked in spicy oil. It is AMAZING. We used to get it on our pizza all the time but it really doesn’t exist in Charleston! BUT, you can order it on Amazon here. They have a ton of brands but this gets the job done.

So excited to share this family favorite recipe with you!

Don’t forget to browse more of our recipes, here! Also, this ruffle casserole dish from Olive Lane will be restocked in August. Check out more ruffle pieces here!