Mexican Shrimp Salad

A refreshing salad for the hot summer days!  This is spicy Mexican shrimp salad loaded with minced onions, herby cilantro, ripe tomatoes, and of course, deliciously seasoned shrimp!

Boy, this week has been a hot one!

You know, every year I forgot how terribly hot it can get in Houston during the summertime. I mean, I’ve lived in Houston most of my life now, yet with the ultra pleasant weather between November and April, one honestly doesn’t want to remember how brutal Texas summers can be.

So in times like this, I want something refreshing to eat and that’s what this Mexican Shrimp Salad is! The shrimp are tender and sautéed in a bit of butter, seasonings, and have a little kick of heat. The rest of the meal is bright and refreshing. Buttery avocados, ripe tomatoes, herby cilantro, and a hint of red onions round off this one of a kind summer salad. To tell you the truth, the dressing kind of makes this taste a little like guacamole and the sweet heat of the shrimp just balances out these flavors and they work together perfectly!

One other thing that makes this salad a weekly affair for us: the fact that it doesn’t take much time to prepare. And speaking of time, we’ve got some big changes happening around here, so there is a lot going on (will explain more soon,) so time is the most precious commodity at the moment.

I mean, if I can spare 20 minutes to prepare a well balanced dinner, I consider the entire day a win.

I have a very important question to ask you. Have you tried my shrimp cocktail stuffed avocados ^[1]? Well, this Mexican shrimp salad is a spin-off of that. It’s a little different as we’re actually cooking the shrimp in seasonings, whereas my stuffed avocados have more of a ceviche vibe (not actually raw shrimp though, because that freaks me out.) 

Shrimp dinners, in general, are some of my favorite to make! Avocado shrimp salad with citrus miso dressing ^[2] is another family favorite. And if you’re into garlic and shrimp, then the Hawaiian shrimp scampi ^[3] is a MUST. Like, you haven’t even lived until you’ve had Hawaiian-style shrimp scampi. No joke.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THE SAUTÉED SHRIMP FOR MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD:

• shrimp
• butter
• lemon zest
• seasonings (garlic powder, sugar, red pepper flakes)
• hot sauce (such as Mexican hot sauce, sriracha, etc.)

WHAT OTHER INGREDIENTS GO IN THE SALAD PORTION OF MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD:

• avocados
• tomatoes
• minced onions
• finely chopped cilantro
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• seasonings ( cumin + cayenne + salt + pepper)
• minced jalapeno

WHY DO YOU SAY TO MINCE CERTAIN INGREDIENTS FOR THIS MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD?

Here’s the thing. What makes this Mexican shrimp avocado salad so delicious is the technique. You’ll noticed that we’re mincing the onions, jalapenos, and chopping the cilantro extra fine. When you do this, the little bits of spicy jalapeno with the robust red onion, and herby cilantro latch on to avocados, tomatoes, and shrimp, giving this salad that perfect blend of flavor in every bite! It would be very different if you were to leave the onions and jalapenos in larger pieces as you would get much large hits of onion and jalepeno. Trust me, mincing them makes a huge difference!

HOW TO MAKE THE SAUTÉED SHRIMP FOR MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD:

1. Toss seasonings, lemon zest and hot sauce in a bowl. Stir together and then add the shrimp.
2. Allow the shrimp marinate for about 5-10 minutes. Or if you have some time, cover and allow to marinate for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator. 
3. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and allow them to cook until they curl into a ‘c’ shape, roughly 1 minute in total, turning about halfway through the cooking time.
4. Allow the shrimp to cook for a few minutes before adding it to the salad.

I’M WORRIED MY MEXICAN SHRIMP SALAD IS GOING TO BE TOO SPICY, HOW CAN I MAKE IT MILD?

You can make my Mexican shrimp salad a little milder by:

• Omitting the red pepper flakes in the shrimp portion of the recipe
• You can use a Louisiana style hot sauce instead of the Mexican style I suggest as it is a little more mild. Sriracha will certainly make this spicier, so if that’s what you use, I suggest cutting back to about 1 -2 teaspoons instead of the full tablespoon.
• Use less of the minced jalapeño in the salad or leave it out completely
• Use less of the cayenne pepper or just omit it from the recipe

Have you got 15 minutes? Mexican Shrimp salad for dinner this week? It’s so happening.

Yield: 3 large servings

Mexican Shrimp Salad

Prep Time:13 mins

Cook Time:2 mins

Total Time:15 mins

A refreshing salad for the hot summer days!  This is spicy Mexican shrimp salad loaded with minced onions, herby cilantro, ripe tomatoes, and of course, a deliciously seasoned shrimp!

Print Recipe ^[4]

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Ingredients:

shrimp:

• 1  pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder AND sugar
• 1 tablespoon Mexican hot sauce (sriracha or Louisiana works too will work too but use less for less heat!)
• ⅛ –  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

dressing + salad:

• 3 tablespoons EACH: lemon juice AND olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin + pinch of cayenne pepper (⅛ – ¼ deepening on what you can handle)
• salt and pepper
• 2 large Hass avocados, diced
• 1 (8-ounce) container cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed and finely minced 

Directions:

1. SHRIMP: Add the lemon zest, garlic powder, sugar, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the shrimp and stir so that they are evenly coated in the marinade. Allow the shrimp to marinate at room temperature for 5-10 minutes or if you have time, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. If you are going for the 10-minute option, you could chop the veggies while the shrimp marinates.
2. SAUTE: When ready to cook, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the shrimp and allow them to cook for roughly 1 minute, flipping it halfway through until they form into a ‘c’ shape. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. DRESSING: Add the lemon juice, olive oil, ground cumin, and a ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne with a big pinch of salt and pepper to a mason jar. Screw on the cap and give it a few good shakes until the dressing combines. Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, cayenne or cumin as desired.
4. SALAD: Add the avocados, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, and jalapeños to a large bowl, along with the cooked shrimp. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Taste and adjust with additional seasonings as desired.

Notes:

1. Be sure to chop the red onions, jalapenos, and the cilantro finely! That’s what makes this salad! The little bits of spicy jalapeno with the robust red onion stuck on the avocados and shrimp give this salad that perfect flavor! It’ll be very different if you were to leave the onions and jalapenos in larger pieces!

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