Spicy Mexican Street Shrimp is a crossover between two of my favorite Mexican dishes. Those two dishes would be Mexican Diablo Shrimp and Mexican Street corn. Both dishes are fantastic on their own, but for this recipe, I decided to adapt the two and wrap them all into one.
All it takes is a quick marinade, hot fire, and some garnishes, and that’s it! One platter full of spicy, citrusy, and delicious shrimp. Let’s dive into all the details below.
Why you’ll love this recipe
If you’re a fan of flavorful and easy-to-make Mexican-inspired recipes, then you’ll love this easy shrimp recipe. Packed with fresh seafood, especially raw shrimp, it brings the vibrant flavors of Latin America to your table. Whether you’re a shrimp lover or just want a fantastic recipe to try, this Spicy Mexican Street Shrimp is a winner, bringing the taste of Mexican street food right to your kitchen!
If you love Mexican street food, then you’ll love BIRRIA FRIES, CHORIZO PIZZA BREAD, CHORIZO SMASH TACOS, and ELOTE STYLE CHICKEN WINGS!
Ingredients
SHRIMP:
- Shrimp
- Chipotle puree – Chipotle puree adds a deep, smoky heat that’s characteristic of Mexican cuisine.
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Limes (juiced) – Fresh lime juice brings a necessary counterpoint to the richness of the shrimp and smoky spice.
- Canola oil – Provides even cooking and browning for the shrimp.
TOPPINGS:
- Mexican crema or sour cream & lime juice mixed – Creamy richness to balance the heat and add a touch of tang.
- Smoked chipotle mezcal or Chile con Limon Tajin – Additional smoky heat for the shrimp. Tajin’s blend of chili peppers and lime adds a complex kick.
- Grated Cotija cheese – Salty and crumbly, providing a contrasting texture and umami depth.
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Add flavor to everything you’re cooking
shop over the fire spice lines
How to Make Mexican Shrimp
The Mexican Shrimp Marinade
As mentioned, this recipe starts with a marinade. The marinade and cooking technique for this Spicy Mexican Street Shrimp is inspired by the Mexican Diablo piece of this recipe.
Mexican Diablo is a fiery shrimp dish that typically consists of shrimp marinated in a chili paste and tomato sauce mixture. This marinade makes the shrimp dark red in color, and they’re then cooked very quickly over high heat.
For my spicy Mexican shrimp, I used chipotle purée. Chipotle is just something I gravitate toward because I love the flavor of Chipotle. It’s spicy, but not so hot that my wife won’t eat it. Ha! The savory, smoky flavor is another layer to this dish that creates a mouthwatering experience with each bite.
I started with all my peeled and deveined shrimp in a large bowl. Then, I slathered them with oil before adding in the salt, pepper, and garlic seasonings.
Up next is the Chipotle purée. I used a pretty generous amount of chipotle purée just to make sure each shrimp received maximum flavor. Before the final mix, I squeezed the juice of two limes into the bowl.
Now, we mix. Once all Spicy Mexican Street Shrimp have received an even coating of marinade, set them in the fridge and go start the fire.
The Street Corn
While we wait for the logs of our fire to coal up, let’s get to work on the Mexican Street Corn aspect of this recipe. First, let me just say if you haven’t tried my Mexican Street Corn recipe… Run, don’t walk. I love Mexican Street Corn so much that I’ve wrote a variety of recipes with it’s flavor profile!
My favorite Mexican Street corn consists of an ear of corn covered in mayonnaise, sour cream, some variation of chili spice, a squeeze of lime juice, and is also topped with crushed chile con limon. Yum!
Although this recipe doesn’t use any corn, we are going to use most of the other street corn ingredients. To make the second half of this recipe run smoothly, I went ahead and prepped the final ingredients.
Mexican crema served as my white sauce for the shrimp. I then chopped some cilantro and cut some lime wedges to achieve a crispy, tangy flare. My new Smoked Chipotle Mezcal seasoning is the final ingredient. This smoked and peppery seasoning is perfect for a final dusting over the Spicy Mexican Street Shrimp.
Grilling the Mexican Shrimp
Alright, now that our fire has had time to break down and we’ve prepared all the final ingredients, let’s bring this recipe together. Grab your shrimp from the fridge and then toss them on your preheated plancha. The fire should be at high heat, so they’ll cook quickly. Flip as needed to achieve an even cook on all sides.
Once the shrimp are cooked and are no longer translucent, pull them from the fire. I placed mine on a large serving dish and then reached for all the Mexican street corn ingredients.
I started with a drizzle of Mexican Crema all across the plate of shrimp. Then I garnished it with the chopped cilantro and sprinkled it all with my Smoked Chipotle Mezcal seasoning. Finally, I placed my lime wedges throughout the dish, and then it was ready to eat.
Best enjoyed with friends and family. Cheers!
Tip
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This helps ensure a nice brown crust forms on the outside of the shrimp.
More Shrimp recipes
How to Store Leftovers & Reheat
Store leftover Mexican Shrimp in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.
Before reheating, make sure your shrimp comes to room temperature.
To reheat:
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Toss in a little butter or oil and heat up the shrimp until that nice golden brown crust resurfaces.
- Pull off the heat and serve how you like.
What to serve with this Mexican dish
Pair this delicious recipe with some corn tortillas and make shrimp al pastor tacos. Another easy dinner would be to pair these shrimp with some brown rice, black beans, tortilla chips, and pico de Gallo for an easy weeknight meal. For a more low-carb option, pair your shrimp with lettuce wraps!
Mexican shrimp Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend it as marrying shrimp with marinade before cooking infuses flavor, locks in moisture, tenderizes, and creates a delicious caramelized crust.
Use any size of shrimp you like. Keep in mind that smaller shrimp may cook faster than large shrimp.
Yes! If you don’t want to build a fire like I did, feel free to make this recipe in a cast iron skillet or large skillet over the stovetop.
Get The Cookbooks!
Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.
Spicy Mexican Street Shrimp
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1.5 lbs of Shrimp
- ¼ cup of Chipotle Puree
- 1 tsp of Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp of Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp of Black Pepper
- 2 medium Limes juiced
- 1 tbsp of Canola Oil
Toppings:
- Mexican Crema or sour cream & lime juice mixed
- Smoked Chipotle Mezcal Tajin or Chile con Limon
- Grated Cotija Cheese
- Chopped Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
Instructions
- In a bowl, add your shrimp, chipotle puree, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and oil.
- Mix thoroughly, then place in the fridge for 15 minutes to quickly marinate.
- As the shrimp is marinating, preheat a high heat fire (around 400F) for direct cooking. Add a cast iron skillet/plancha over the fire about 2 minutes before cooking with 2 tbsp of oil.
- Pull the shrimp out of the fridge and let them come to room temp (about 5 minutes).
- Discard the excess marinade and place the shrimp on the skillet. Cook for about 1.5-2 minutes per side or until they are no longer translucent but opaque white.
- When the shrimp are done, pull them off and place them directly onto the serving place for garnishing.
- Drizzle some Mexican Crema over top of the shrimp and garnish with cotija, cilantro, lime wedges and a dusting of Smoked Chipotle Mezcal or Chile con Limon. Serve and enjoy!
VERY TASTY I MUST SAY
I’m doing this tonight. I made street corn today for the first time and it was very good!!