Chili Lime Shrimp
Updated Apr 13, 2026
This chili lime shrimp recipe uses a quick marinade and cooks in minutes. Serve it in tacos, over rice, or in a bowl with cilantro and lime.
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Chili Lime Shrimp is soo good!
I know this may come as a surprise, but some nights I really just do not know what to make. Those are the nights this chili lime shrimp exists for. The marinade is just lime juice, lime zest, garlic, cumin, and chili powder whisked together; the shrimp sits in it for 30 minutes, and then it literally takes five minutes to cook. Done.
And because it’s so versatile, I never lock myself into a plan before I make it. It works in tacos, over rice, on a salad, or just in a bowl with cilantro and extra lime. If I don’t have cilantro, I’ll use parsley or just skip it. It’s that kind of recipe.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Chili Lime Shrimp Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use 1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Fresh or thawed frozen both work. The bigger the shrimp, the better they hold up in the pan without overcooking. Frozen shrimp works fine here, just thaw it completely and pat it dry before adding it to the marinade so the flavors actually stick. If you skip the drying step, the marinade slides right off.
- Marinade: Lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, pressed garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. When zesting, only take the outer green layer and stop before you hit the white pith underneath, which turns the marinade bitter. For help, read my tips on how to zest. Press the garlic rather than chopping it, so it blends into the marinade evenly instead of burning in the pan.
- For serving: Chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Neither is optional in my opinion, but if cilantro is not your thing, flat-leaf parsley works fine.
How to Make Chili Lime Shrimp
Recipe Video Tutorial
Chili Lime Shrimp Recipe
Easy chili lime shrimp made with a simple marinade of lime, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Ready in about 30 minutes and works in tacos, over rice, or on a salad.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup lime juice plus zest of one lime
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic cloves pressed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro for serving
- 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add the uncooked shrimp to the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Add shrimp to a large heated pan over medium heat, and cook until pink and opaque. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Notes
My Top Tip: Watch the heat. Cook the shrimp over medium heat, not high. Too much heat causes them to curl up tight and turn rubbery before they have a chance to cook through evenly.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 286mg, Sodium: 1182mg, Potassium: 135mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 216IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 173mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Variations
- Swap the protein. The same marinade works well on chicken breast or thighs, firm white fish like cod or mahi mahi, or even cubed tofu for a plant-based version.
- Grill instead of sauté. Thread the marinated shrimp onto skewers and grill over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side. Try these Grilled Shrimp Skewers for the method.
- Turn it into tacos. Load the shrimp into warm corn or flour tortillas with shredded cabbage and avocado. These Grilled Shrimp Tacos show you how to build them out.
- Make it a bowl. Serve the shrimp over Cilantro Lime Rice with black beans and avocado for a full meal, similar to this Shrimp Fajita Bowl.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the marinating time. Thirty minutes in the fridge is the minimum. This is when the shrimp absorbs the chili and lime flavor, rushing it means less flavor in the final dish.
- Watch the heat. Cook the shrimp over medium heat, not high. Too much heat causes them to curl up tight and turn rubbery before they have a chance to cook through evenly.
- Know when they’re done. Shrimp are cooked when they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose C-shape. A tight O-shape means overcooked. The whole process takes about 2–3 minutes per side.
- Add cilantro off heat. Stir it in after you remove the pan from the burner so it stays bright and fresh rather than wilting.
- Pat the shrimp dry before marinating if your shrimp were frozen. Excess moisture dilutes the marinade and prevents a good sear.
Serving Ideas
- Over rice. Cilantro Lime Rice is soo good with this chili lime shrimp recipe. For a lower-carb option, try Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.
- As a salad. Toss the cooked shrimp over greens with sliced avocado and a lime vinaigrette, like this Shrimp Avocado Salad.
- In tacos or fajitas. Use the shrimp as the protein in Shrimp Fajitas for a quick weeknight dinner with peppers and onions.
Comments
I am making this for our family Game Day on Saturday. It sounds wonderful and canโt wait for their reaction. Especially appreciate the extra clues. Will let you know what they say! Thank you, Yumna
Aww, how special!! I hope everyone loves it. Please let me know how it goes!
I will let you know!
Nancy B
Can you bake the shrimp instead of cooking on the stove?
Hmm, I’m not sure! I usually cook shrimp in a saucepan because they cook so fast (it only takes about 2-5 minutes, depending on the size of shrimp). I would love to hear your results if you try baking them though!
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