Spicy shrimp with chili lime marinade

Spicy shrimp made with chili lime marinade takes just 30 minutes to make and packs a lot of heat.

This spicy shrimp recipe proves that chili and lime are the perfect combination to spice up and flavor shellfish.

If you love a lot of heat in your food then you need to give these spicy shrimp a try.

Ingredients and flavors in spicy shrimp recipe

This spicy shrimp recipe is based on two main flavor profiles, they are the tang and acidity from the lime and the hot and spiciness from the red chili powder.

These two ingredients and seasoning are first mixed in oil to create an easy chili lime marinade that the shrimps are soaked in.

I’ve added a little habanero hot sauce to the marinade to increase the heat and you can do this as well.

You can also experiment with your favorite hot sauces as well as adding a little sweetness to the chili lime shrimp.

Cooking methods you can use to make spicy chili lime shrimp.

To cook these spicy shrimp, I’m using my stovetop.

You can also, grill, bake or broil these chili lime shrimp if that is your preference.

Serving ideas for spicy chili lime shrimp.

• Makes a great tailgating spicy shrimp dish.
• You can make some tacos using these spicy chili lime shrimp topped with avocado or mango salsa.
• Serve as a spicy appetizer at parties, picnic and barbecue parties.
• make some shrimp kebabs to cook at the beach or picnic.
• Serve over a creamy coconut pasta dish or frozen mixed vegetable rice pilaf.

Frequently asked questions about spicy chili lime shrimp.

• Can I make these spicy chili lime shrimp ahead of time?
  • Yes, cook them 2-3 hours ahead of time, wrap the shrimp in foil and warm them in a preheated oven for a few minutes.
  • Save a little marinade you to spoon over the shrimp before serving.

• Can I use frozen shrimp?
  • yes, use my guide on how to defrost shrimp the correct way.

• Can I make this spicy shrimp with the shell on?
  • Yes, you can serve them as a peel and eat dish. But using your fingers to peel them can cause your fingers to smart from the hot sauce and chili powder.

• How do I clean and devein the shrimp?
  • Use my guide on how to clean and devein shrimp to learn how to do it the correct way.

Storing and heating tips for the spicy shrimp dish.

• Avoid freezing.
• store in air-tight containers and refrigerate. consume within 2 days.
• To reheat over a stovetop – toss them around with a teaspoon of oil.
• To reheat in a microwave- cover, and micro for 30 seconds.

More spicy shrimp recipes to try

Tandoori shrimp

Pil pil prawns

Spicy garlic shrimp

Spicy prawn masala

Prawn vindaloo

Recipe at a glance

How to make spicy chili lime shrimp

Ingredients

500g of shrimp cleaned and deveined(about 30 medium-sized shrimp)

4 tablespoons of lime or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of lime or lemon zest

4 tablespoons of oil

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon of red chilli powder

1 teaspoon of red chilli flakes

1/2 a teaspoon of cumin powder

2 teaspoons of hot sauce(I’ve used a habanero sauce

2-3 teaspoons of sugar or honey(optional if you find the marinade to be too tart and want to balance it off with a little sweetness)

Salt to season

Method

How to make the marinade for the chili lime shrimp

To a bowl, add oil(4 tbsp), garlic(3 cloves minced), chilli powder(1 tsp), red chilli flakes(1 tsp), cumin powder(1/2 a tsp), hot sauce(2 tsp), salt to season and sugar(optional to balance off the marinade if it is too tart).

Mix well until combined.

Place the cleaned and deveined prawns(500g, shrimp)in a bowl, pat dry.

Pour in the chili-lime marinade and combine. cover and set aside to marinate for at least 30-45 minutes.

Refrigerate if you live in a hot and humid country.

How to cook the spicy shrimp in the chilli lime marinade.

Once the shrimp are marinated, if you stored the shellfish in the fridge, let it reach room temperature

Drain all the excess marinade into a smaller bowl and set it aside as it will be used later.

Place a pan over a low-medium fire. add shrimp and spread them over the pan. cook each side for 1 minute or until they turn pink.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

If you look at the pan you cooked the shrimp in, you will find a certain amount of liquid that the shrimp released.

To this liquid, add the remaining chili-lime marinade you saved.

Cook the spicy chili lime marinade over low-medium heat, until it reaches a syrup-like consistency.

This will happen when tiny bubbles start appearing on the surface.

Once you have the correct consistency, add the shrimp and toss them around to coat. not more than 2 minutes to avoid the rubbery texture.

Transfer the spicy shrimp to a bowl or platter

If there is any remaining leftover marinade in the pan, add a teaspoon of hot sauce, mix and pour over the shrimp.

And garnish with your favorite herbs chopped or serve as it is