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Chili Lime Shrimp with Avocado Crema

It is my honor to introduce to you our new favorite shrimp recipe – Chili Lime Shrimp…with Avocado Crema. A flavorful seasoned shrimp recipe drizzled with a yummy sauce made out of avocados, lime juice and cilantro.

A sauce so good I wanna swim in it. Is that appropriate?

A plate of Chili Lime Shrimp drizzled with avocado crema

Who is ready for the summer?

Just like my Honey Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Blackened Shrimp Pasta, I always end up eating this Chili Lime Shrimp dish a lot during the warmer summer months.

Perhaps it’s the lightness of the dish, or the refreshing avocado dip that goes perfectly with the chili lime flavors.

Or maybe because we sometimes throw the shrimp on the grill to get that smoky flavor on the shrimp.

This Chili Lime Shrimp recipe can be grilled or pan fried, and is flavor-bursting, juicy and delicious.

When serving, don’t forget to whip together the ever-so-delicious Avocado Crema.

This delicious sauce is creamy, tangy and brings another layer of flavor to the already yummy Chili Lime Shrimp.

Let’s Make Chili Lime Shrimp!

Ingredients

Using pantry friendly ingredients, here is what you will need for Chili Lime Shrimp:

  • Raw shrimp – I like to use peeled shrimp so that it is easier to eat, and the flavors actually get on the shrimp itself (instead of the shell). Avoid getting cooked shrimp for this recipe – fresh raw shrimp works best! I like to go up to the seafood counter at the grocery store to get it (this will typically get you the freshest batch), or use a bag of frozen shrimp.
  • Chili powder
  • Salt
  • Garlic – use fresh garlic and avoid garlic powder. Fresh garlic has better flavors for this! Mince garlic into small pieces.
  • Lime juice – I like to squeeze the juice from fresh limes.
A plate of Chili Lime Shrimp with a bowl of avocado cream

To make avocado crema, gather these ingredients together:

  • Avocados
  • Greek yogurt – sour cream works as well!
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
  • Salt
  • Water – used to dilute the sauce

Step 1: Season and/or marinate Chili LimeShrimp

It is important to pat dry shrimp so there is no access moisture and combine spices and seasonings in a small bowl.

In order to make it flavorful, I like to marinate shrimp briefly (30 minutes or so) in chili powder and seasonings to get the flavors into the shrimp.

Do not over marinate as it can get overly salty if shrimp sits in the marinate for too long.

If you are short on time, you can skip the marinating step, and simple coat shrimp in spices and seasoning and immediately cook it.

Step 2: Sear or grill shrimp

Heat skillet with vegetable oil, then sear shrimp for about 1-2 minutes on each side.

Sauteing shrimp on a non stick skillet

Once shrimp is no longer translucent, it is done. Avoid overcooking shrimp so that it will be nice and juicy. Overcooked shrimp is dry and has a rubber-y texture (a.k.a. not tasty!).

Alternatively, you can grill Chili Lime Shrimp as well. You can cook it directly on the grill or even skewer (inda like shrimp kebobs) it so that it is easier to flip.

Fire up the grill and cook it briefly, flipping halfway through. Shrimp cooks very quickly so avoid overcooking as well.

Grilling (especially over fire) will provide additional flavors. It’s a lot more work and takes longer, but definitely very tasty and worth trying if you have time!

Step 3: Make Avocado Crema or Avocado Dip

Sauces makes me happy.

If you have been following me for a while, you know I love my sauces and dressing. Peanut sauce, lemon maple sauce/dressing, savory sweet soy based sauce…gimme all the sauces.

And now avocado crema. Yum yum yum!

A bowl of avocado crema for dipping
The ever so yummy Avocado Crema

To make it, bring avocado, greek yogurt, cilantro and lime into a food processor or blender. Blend it and then add salt to taste and water to get it to the perfect consistency.

THAT. IS. IT.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

Once everything is done, plate Chili Lime Shrimp and serve it with avocado crema on the side.

You can also drizzle the crema onto the shrimp, but always serve it on the side as well because you will want more sauce on that shrimp! Trust me!

Tips and Tricks

A few things to note when making Chili Lime Shrimp

  • Make sure shrimp is completely defrosted and pat dry before coating them in sauce.
  • Avoid overcooking shrimp! They cook really fast and will dry up and not be tasty if overcooked. No amount of seasoning can make overcook shrimp taste better! 😉
Close up of shrimp with avocado dip

What to serve with Chili Lime Shrimp?

There are so many ways to serve Chili Lime Shrimp:

  1. Served as a main dish with these yummies on the side
  2. Served as a taco, wrapped in flour or corn tortillas, with topping such as cilantro, onions and of course, Avocado Crema.
  3. Served on top of ramen noodles or plain rice.
  4. By itself! Make it a low carb, healthy meal!

I hope you enjoy this delicious, low carb and flavorful Chili Lime Shrimp dish as much as we did!

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍

Other yummy Shrimp recipes!

Chili Lime Shrimp with Avocado Crema

A yummy seafood main dish or appetizer! Shrimp coated in flavorful chili lime seasoning, and can be pan-fried or grilled. Drizzle or dip in a homemade Avocado Crema dip.
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 283kcal
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

Chili Lime Shrimp

  • 1 lbs raw, peeled fresh shrimp
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium lime
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Avocado Crema

  • 1 small/medium avocado
  • 1/8 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 medium lime
  • 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup water or more

Instructions

Chili Lime Shrimp

  • In a small bowl, combine shrimp marinate – chili powder, salt, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil.
  • Pat dry defrosted shrimp and transfer to a zip lock bag or medium bowl. Add marinade to shrimp and coat evenly. Let shrimp sit in the marinade for ~30 minutes. If you are short on time, skip the marinating step.
  • Heat skillet with vegetable oil (see Note 1). Once skillet is heated, add shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on one side. Flip to the other side and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked (cooked shrimp typically curls up and is no longer translucent). Remove from heat promptly.

Avocado Crema

  • I typically make this while the shrimp is marinating to save time.
  • Bring all avocado crema ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend everything up. Add more salt if needed, and 1 tbsp of water at a time to thin it out if needed.
  • Transfer to a small bowl.

Serve

  • Drizzle Avocado Crema onto shrimp or serve it on the side!

Notes

Note 1: This recipe is written for sautéing but shrimp can be grilled as well! 

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 1465mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 779IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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4 Comments

  1. Is this sodium amount correct? It seems very high. I am anxious to try this lovely recipe but have to be careful with my sodium levels

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      As far as I know, it should be correct. Feel free to omit the salt to reduce the sodium level! Shrimp itself should have some saltiness already

  2. I’m thinking of making this for a New Year’s party, and serve it cold, like cocktail shrimp. I’d prepare the shrimp a day in advance and refrigerate it. Would this work, or is it only meant to be served warm?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      That should work just fine! Let me know what you think!