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Serve these flavorful Mexican Shrimp for an easy dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes! Toss the shrimp with homemade taco seasoning, sauté them in a skillet, and pair them with a fresh tomato, corn, onion and avocado salad. They’re delicious tucked inside tacos, on top of rice bowls, or on their own with tortilla chips for scooping!
Shrimp recipes are so great for easy weeknight meals, since they’re quick-cooking and versatile. Mexican-inspired dinners are always popular in our house, but sometimes we need a break from the regular ground beef tacos, steak fajitas and chicken enchiladas. Mexican shrimp are the perfect solution because they combine light, fresh seafood and vegetables with a familiar zesty taco seasoning.
Pair the shrimp with a tomato, corn, avocado and onion salad that’s tossed with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The salad is optional, as the shrimp are equally delicious when stuffed inside tacos or piled on top of a bowl of rice. Adapt the meal to suit your family’s preferences!
Ingredients for Mexican Style Shrimp
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a Mexican shrimp recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado and cilantro: fresh ingredients for the salad.
- Olive oil and lime juice: combine with salt and pepper to dress the salad.
- Kosher salt and pepper: enhance the flavors in both the salad and the shrimp.
- Shrimp: I prefer the meaty texture of large or extra large shrimp, but you can use any size that you like.
- Chili powder, all-purpose flour, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, dried oregano and cayenne pepper: combine to make the homemade taco seasoning.
How to Make Mexican Shrimp with Fresh Tomato and Corn Salad
This easy shrimp recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, so it’s a great family-friendly option for busy nights.
- Stir together the salad and let the ingredients “marinate” while you prepare the shrimp.
- Combine the taco seasoning in a small bowl.
- Toss the shrimp with the taco seasoning.
- Cook the shrimp in a hot skillet with olive oil for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are opaque and cooked through.
How to Serve Mexican Shrimp
Serve the shrimp and fresh tomato salad on their own, with rice, over hoe cakes, on top of greens, or tucked inside tacos. Don’t forget the chips, salsa, and guacamole, too!
Prep Ahead
You can prepare the salad up to 8 hours in advance. In order to prevent the avocado from browning, I recommend tossing the avocado separately with extra lime juice before stirring it into the dish. If you’re assembling the salad in advance, you can skip the step of cooking the corn first. I find that the corn softens nicely as it marinates in the bowl, so it doesn’t need the pre-cooking to be crisp-tender.
The taco seasoning can also be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container for at least 3 months.
Storage
Leftover cooked shrimp will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The salad will stay fresh for about the same amount of time; however, the avocado may start to brown and the tomatoes become soft as they sit.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute with frozen, thawed corn. If using thawed frozen corn, you do not need to steam or boil it before adding it directly to the salad.
- If you like the fresh corn very crisp, you can skip the step of steaming and boiling. Instead, just cut the kernels from the cobs and add them directly to the salad. The corn will soften a bit as it sits in the dressing and absorbs some of the other ingredients.
- Don’t want to make a fresh tomato salad? Omit that step and just serve the seasoned shrimp in bowls, on top of green salads, in tacos or with rice.
- Spicy Mexican Shrimp: add more cayenne to the seasoning blend for extra heat. As written, this dish is fairly mild.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half to prepare less salad and just one pound of shrimp.
Tips for the Best Mexican Shrimp Recipe
- The flour is an important component in this homemade taco seasoning blend. It acts as a thickening agent so that the shrimp are coated in a rich seasoning, while also helping the shrimp brown and crisp in the skillet (rather than steam).
- Use fresh or frozen shrimp. If starting with frozen shrimp, you can quickly thaw them by placing them in a colander and rinsing under cold water for a few minutes.
- Keep a close eye on the shrimp. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp, so remove them from the skillet as soon as they are pink and opaque. If you overcook shrimp, they become rubbery and tough — not ideal!
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
- New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
- Frogmore Stew {Lowcountry Boil}
- New England Shrimp Rolls
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Marinated Grilled Shrimp
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Crispy Fried Shrimp
- Southern Shrimp and Grits
- Easy Shrimp Scampi
Mexican Shrimp
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn (about 3 medium ears)
- 10 ounces halved cherry tomatoes (or about 1 ¾ cups of cored, chopped tomatoes)
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or substitute with fresh parsley)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE SHRIMP
- 2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or substitute with regular paprika)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Optional, for serving: tortilla chips; hoe cakes; rice; additional cilantro or fresh parsley garnish
Instructions
PREPARE THE SALAD
- Steam or boil the corn until crisp-tender (about 3-4 minutes). Drain and cool to room temperature. NOTE: If you like your corn very crisp, you can skip the step of cooking the kernels. Just add the raw corn straight off the cob directly into the salad. It will soften a bit as it sits in the dressing and combines with the other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine corn with remaining salad ingredients. Toss to coat, then set aside and let “marinate” while you prepare the shrimp.
COOK THE SHRIMP
- Place shrimp in a large bowl; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, flour, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, cayenne and salt.
- Sprinkle the seasoning blend over the shrimp; toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once, until they are opaque and cooked through.
Notes
- Substitute with frozen, thawed corn. If using thawed frozen corn, you do not need to steam or boil it before adding it directly to the salad.
- If you like the fresh corn very crisp, you can skip the step of steaming and boiling. Instead, just cut the kernels from the cobs and add them directly to the salad. The corn will soften a bit as it sits in the dressing and absorbs some of the other ingredients.
- Don’t want to make a fresh tomato salad? Omit that step and just serve the seasoned shrimp in bowls, on top of green salads, in tacos, or with rice.
- Spicy Mexican Shrimp: add more cayenne to the seasoning blend for extra heat. As written, this dish is fairly mild.
- Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half to prepare less salad and just one pound of shrimp.
Love so many of your recipes!!
Thank you, Joan!