Honey Garlic Shrimp are glazed with a sweet, tangy, homemade BBQ sauce for an effortless, delicious weeknight dinner that's special enough for company!
In a medium saucepan, combine apple cider vinegar, ketchup, honey, hot pepper sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes (stir more frequently towards the end to prevent burning). Taste and adjust salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
While the BBQ sauce is cooking, rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for a couple of minutes. Heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add quinoa and toast, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until all liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat but keep lid on to retain heat until ready to serve.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and brush with a thin layer of olive oil. Thread shrimp onto long metal or wooden skewers and brush on one side with BBQ sauce. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove pan from oven, flip skewers, and quickly brush second side with remaining BBQ sauce. Cook for 2 to 4 more minutes or until shrimp are pink, firm, and just cooked through.
Fluff quinoa with a fork and serve shrimp atop quinoa.
Notes
Rinsing the quinoa removes its natural bitter coating and gives it a milder flavor once cooked.
If you prefer, you may spread out shrimp on the pan without using skewers. However, I find that using skewers makes it faster to flip them and brush the second side with BBQ sauce halfway through cooking...plus it's a fun way to serve them. :)
Fresh ginger can easily be peeled with a spoon. I always keep a couple of hunks of fresh ginger (wrapped in multiple layers of freezer-thickness plastic bags) in my freezer. Then when I need fresh ginger for a recipe, I thaw a piece for a few minutes, carefully slice off the skin, and then grate it using a fine microplane grater.