Mexican Shrimp Salad Recipe
Mexican Shrimp Salad is fresh, vibrant, and bursting with the flavor of perfectly seasoned shrimp, corn, tomatoes, jalapeños, avocado, and more! Drizzled with Chili Lime Vinaigrette dressing and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds!
Servings 6
Calories 247kcal
Ingredients
Shrimp Salad
- 3 each corn on the cob
- 1 pound cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 1 head bib lettuce
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 jalapeno, sliced thinly
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, minced (divided)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Chili-Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
- 3 limes, juiced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or tajin)
Instructions
Shrimp Salad
- Cook Corn: In a large pan, boil water and add a little salt. When the water is boiling, add the corn and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Corn will change to a bit brighter yellow. Remove and cool for a few minutes. Use a sharp knife and cut the corn off the cob.
- Cut Corn Off Cob: Place the corn cob upright on a flat plate with the wider end resting securely on the bottom. Hold it steady, then slice downward with a sharp knife from top to bottom. The kernels will fall right into the plate—no mess!
- Toast Pepitas: Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
- Prep shrimp: If using frozen shrimp, (recommended), run under cold water to thaw. Cooked Shrimp: If using cooked shrimp: pat dry and toss with 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt, and pepper. Raw shrimp: If using raw shrimp, (peeled & deveined), sauté in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes per side until opaque. Cool completely before adding.
- Make The Chili Lime Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the juice of 3 limes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon chili powder (or Tajín). Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble the Salad: Place the lettuce on a plate. In a bowl combine the corn, shrimp, tomatoes, onions, avocado, jalapeno, and cilantro. Spoon over the lettuce.
- Dress and Chill. Pour vinaigrette over the salad. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes up to 1 hour before dressing and serving the salad.
- Garnish (Optional): Sprinkle the toasted pumpkin seeds, and chopped cilantro over the salad and enjoy!
Notes
- Fresh Ingredients. The freshest ingredients make the best salad. However, if corn on the cob is not available, canned corn or frozen corn that has been thawed will work as well.
- Shrimp Quality. With Shrimp, I make an exception to the freshness above. Unless you can meet the shrimpers right when they come off the boat, I recommend buying frozen shrimp rather than fresh. Frozen shrimp is more likely to have been frozen while it is fresh. When buying fresh shrimp at a store, you don't know how fresh that shrimp is, or how long it has been sitting out.
- Thawed Shrimp. Make sure that the cooked shrimp has been completely thawed if it is still frozen. For a quick that, you can place the shrimp in a colander and run COLD water over it for a couple of minutes. Do NOT run hot water because that will likely cook the shrimp.
- Keeping Avocado Fresh. To prevent avocados from turning brown, squeeze some lemon or lime juice over it, and it will stay green.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1554IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 3mg
