Mermaids on Horseback (Bacon Wrapped Shrimp)

Mermaids on Horseback are succulent, sweet and salty bacon-wrapped shrimp broiled in a pineapple-honey glaze and served with a creamy pineapple-horseradish sauce. Easy 30-minute prep.

Jump to:

• What's the Story on this Shrimp Recipe
• Recipe Ingredients
• How to Make this Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips & Tricks
• More Fresh Shrimp Recipes
• What to Serve with Bacon-wrapped Shrimp
• Mermaids on Horseback (Bacon-wrapped Shrimp with Pineapple)

What's the Story on this Shrimp Recipe

This recipe for bacon-wrapped shrimp with pineapple – or Mermaids on Horseback – was inspired by an appetizer of the same name that Mr B and I first enjoyed at the Sea Glass Grill in Aberdeen, Washington, home of the International Mermaid Museum. Given that shrimp is a primary element, the "Mermaids" part makes sense, but I wondered what the deal was with the "on Horseback" bit?

I did a shallow dive and learned that, in the field of cocktail snacks, there is a tradition of naming any bacon-wrapped finger food “(Something) on Horseback.” This includes such 20th century hors d'oeuvre sensations as Devils on Horseback (bacon-wrapped stuffed dates), and their Victorian predecessors, Angels on Horseback (bacon-wrapped oysters). The root of the term, however, seems lost in culinary history.

Whatever the origins, these luscious pineapple-glazed shrimp are one of our all-time favorite party appetizers! Sure to be a hit with any crustacean-eating crowd, they are easy to make, and usually disappear just as fast as you can serve them.

Recipe Ingredients

• Shrimp: Use jumbo (11-15 per pound) or extra-large (16-20 per pound) shrimp, or prawns; peeled, with the tail removed.
• Bacon: For best results, choose a medium-thick bacon; not the super-thin, cheap bacon, but also not super thick.
• Honey: Use a mild honey; strongly flavored honey can change the taste of the glaze too much.
• Pineapple & juice: Use any form of canned or fresh pineapple.
• Creamy horseradish: Use whatever horseradish sauce you like. (For anyone who is not a horseradish fan: I stand with you; however, in this case the bitterness from the horseradish is fully tempered by the honey and pineapple. Give it a try!)
• Butter (or oil): Use salted or unsalted butter, or a neutral cooking oil.

See recipe card below for quantities.

How to Make this Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Recipe

Place the skewers in a pan of warm water and set aside.

Pineapple-Honey Glaze

To make the glaze, combine 2 tablespoons pineapple juice, 2 tablespoons butter, and 4 tablespoons honey in a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer over medium low, then reduce to low and simmer 3-4 minutes.

Set the glaze aside to cool.

When the glaze has cooled, pour 3 tablespoons of it in a separate bowl and set aside. To the remaining glaze, add the shrimp and toss to coat.

Allow the shrimp to marinate in the glaze for about 10 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.

Par-cook Bacon

The key to perfect bacon-wrapped shrimp is precooking the bacon. Why? It all boils down to simple math: it takes 10-12 minutes longer to cook bacon than it does to cook shrimp. If you wrap a piece of raw bacon around a shrimp and pop it in the oven, and you are either going to take out a cooked shrimp still wrapped in a piece of raw bacon, or a rubbery, overcooked shrimp wrapped in a barely cooked piece of bacon. Neither option sounds appealing. The solution is to partially cook the bacon before wrapping the shrimp.

To par-cook the bacon, first preheat an oven to 400°F (205°C).

Cover two rimmed baking trays with parchment. Line the bacon strips up on the baking trays.

HINT: It will take about two trays to cook all the bacon strips. If you only have one tray, just bake it in batches.

Place the bacon strips in the preheated oven and cook for 8-10 minutes; until it is cooked through but still soft and pliable.

Remove from oven and allow the bacon to set until it is cool enough to handle.

Wrap & Broil the Shrimp

Using a skewer to secure the ends, wrap each shrimp with a bacon strip. I like to wrap the bacon around the edges of the shrimp for a cleaner presentation. You can also wrap them around the middle.

HINT: If a bacon slice breaks, no worries. Just layer the end of another piece under it and continue wrapping the shrimp.

Place the wrapped, skewered shrimp on a baking tray lined with clean parchment.

After all the shrimp are wrapped and placed on the baking sheet, spoon any remaining glaze left in the shrimp bowl evenly over the wrapped shrimp. (Do not use the 3 tablespoons of reserved glaze.)

HINT: Mermaids on Horseback can be assembled to this point up to 24 hours in advance.

Position a baking rack in the oven so that it is 6-8 inches below the broiler element. Preheat the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Place the pan of wrapped shrimp under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and use the skewers to carefully flip all the shrimps over.

Return to the broiler and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink.

Remove from the broiler and allow to cool while you make the pineapple-horseradish sauce.

Pineapple Horseradish Sauce

To make the sauce, use an immersion blender to whip together the 3 tablespoons of reserve glaze, 2 tablespoons creamy horseradish, and 4-6 tablespoons of fresh or canned pineapple. Blend until smooth.

Serve the sauce on top or on the side.

Substitutions

• Bacon: We’ve never tried this recipe with turkey bacon, but there’s no reason I can think of why it won’t work. Give it a try if bacon isn’t on your menu.
• Honey: You can substitute maple syrup.

Variations

• Angels on Horseback (bacon-wrapped oysters)
• Devils on Horseback (bacon-wrapped dates)

Equipment

For this recipe, parchment paper is the key to even cooking and easy cleanup. If you don't have parchment paper, you can use a silicone mat, or aluminum foil sprayed generously with cooking spray instead.

Storage

Bacon-wrapped shrimp is best when served immediately. They can, however, be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

To reheat, microwave for 20-25 seconds, or pop them under the broiler for a few minutes.

Tips & Tricks

To cook bacon-wrapped shrimp in an air fryer, first preheat the air fryer to 400°F (205°C).

Place the shrimp in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space around each one. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. 

More Fresh Shrimp Recipes

If you love big, juicy, succulent shrimp, you have to try our Kahuku Garlic Shrimp!

What to Serve with Bacon-wrapped Shrimp

This bacon-wrapped shrimp recipe is a delicious appetizer, but it also makes an excellent lunch or dinner entree, too. It pairs particularly well with tropical dishes like mango quinoa salad or Caribbean mango avocado salad, or pearl couscous.

If you miraculously have leftovers, here's a quick and easy 10-minute meal idea: Slice six or eight leftover bacon-wrapped shrimp into small pieces and set aside. In a large skillet, make a simple cream sauce or Alfredo sauce. Add cooked pasta, minced garlic, and chopped basil, arugula, and/or spinach and toss thoroughly. Add the sliced shrimp with bacon and toss once more. Serve immediately.

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