Chipotle Shrimp

Chipotle peppers in adobo are the backbone of this chipotle shrimp recipe. The pairing of smoky, spicy chiles and sweet shellfish captures the five basic tastes in a simple dish that works as an appetizer, an add-in for taco recipes or a main course. It’s my go-to combo when I grill shrimp.

A chipotle in adobo tastes hotter than a regular jalapeno because it ripened longer before being picked and comes doused in a chile-laced sauce. Instead of burning off your lips, though, that spiciness becomes a pleasant kick of heat when added to a marinade. You drain away most of the marinade and then sear what’s left onto the meat, so the shrimp retain a taste of the sea beneath the smoky, spicy coating. If your taste buds still beg for less heat, this recipe includes a cooling cilantro cream sauce for dipping or drizzling.

Chipotle Shrimp Ingredients

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar has a more complex sweetness than other types of sugar because it includes molasses. The sweetness balances the sharp flavors in the chipotle shrimp marinade.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Chipotle peppers are red jalapenos that have been smoked and dried. Canned chipotle chiles have typically been rehydrated, and are often found packed in adobo sauce, which has spicy chiles and spices cooked in a tomato base. Mix in fewer chiles and less adobo sauce for a less spicy marinade. If you have some leftover, there are plenty of recipes for chipotles in adobo.
• Garlic: A mini food processor makes quick work of mincing garlic (and the chipotle peppers).
• Lime juice: Lime juice brings acid and thins out the marinade.
• Olive oil: With its low smoke point, extra virgin olive oil isn’t usually the best cooking oil for a hot grill. But in this case, the shrimp cook quickly enough to splash olive oil into the marinade. When you season grill grates, use canola or sunflower oil instead.
• Salt: When you make a marinade for shrimp, go light on the salt. For one, oversalting shrimp can dry it out. But adobo sauce already contains some salt, so you only need a little extra to enhance the other flavors.
• Raw shrimp: Uncooked large shrimp (26-30 per pound) nestle together nicely on skewers and are more affordable than extra-large or jumbo sizes. Clean the shrimp before marinating them. Grilling shell-on shrimp would intensify their juiciness, but the marinade would mostly stick to the shell’s exterior, resulting in messy peel-and-eat shrimp with less chipotle heat.
• Cilantro cream sauce: Cool down spicy chipotle-marinated shrimp with a creamy sauce. Sour cream, fresh cilantro, garlic, lime zest, salt and fresh mint are combined into a dipping sauce with plenty of tang and herbal notes but no heat.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the marinade

In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, chipotles, adobo sauce, garlic, water, lime juice, oil and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring, two minutes longer. Remove the marinade from the heat and let it cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: Heat helps dissolve the sugar and salt, removes some of the garlic’s raw bite, and slightly thickens the marinade. For faster prep, mix the ingredients at room temperature and keep stirring until the salt and sugar are absorbed. The thinner marinade will coat the shrimp just as effectively.

Step 2: Marinate the shrimp

Transfer the chipotle mixture to a large bowl. Add the shrimp and turn to coat them evenly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate them for up to two hours.

Editor’s Tip: Less time is better when marinating shrimp. If you’re in a rush, marinate them for 15 to 30 minutes; they’ll still absorb plenty of flavor. After two hours, the acidic lime juice will make the shrimp mushy, so don’t forget them in the marinade.

Step 3: Make the sauce

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, garlic, lime zest, salt and mint. Cover and refrigerate the sauce until serving time.

Step 4: Skewer the shrimp

Drain and discard the marinade. Thread the shrimp onto metal or soaked wooden skewers.

Editor’s Tip: Soak bamboo or wooden skewers for about 20 minutes so they don’t burn on the grill. Discard the marinade when it’s time to skewer the shrimp. You can brush on a little extra before you cook the shrimp, but once the marinade touches raw meat, it’s unsafe to keep and reuse.

Step 5: Grill the shrimp and serve

Grill the shrimp on an oiled rack, covered, over medium heat, or broil them 4 inches from the heat until they’re pink, six to eight minutes, turning once. Serve the chipotle shrimp with the cilantro cream sauce, lime wedges and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Chipotle Shrimp Variations

• Add tomatoes and onion: Raw tomatoes and onion give the marinade a fresh, bright flavor, whereas lightly cooked ones add natural sweetness. Dice both for a chunky marinade, or puree the cooled marinade for a smooth one.
• Play with spices: Stir freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of cloves into the marinade before adding the shrimp. Bolster the cilantro cream sauce with 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, chopped chives or green onion tops. If you cut back on the crema’s cilantro, stir in a little cumin or coriander for a peppy sauce.
• Go beyond shrimp: Use this chipotle marinade for grilled fish or chicken. Pour it over mushrooms, zucchini, onions and cherry tomatoes to make veggie kabobs. Stir it, along with diced tomatoes, into slow-cooked chipotle shredded beef. Drizzle the cilantro cream sauce on other grilled meat, burritos or a bowl of chili.

How to Store Chipotle Shrimp

Take the chipotle grilled shrimp off their skewers and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you make the marinade ahead of time, store it in its own airtight container, without the shrimp, in the fridge. Throw away used marinade; it’s not safe to store and reuse.

How long does chipotle shrimp last?

Chipotle shrimp last up to four days in a sealed refrigerated container. Homemade marinade that has not yet been used on raw meat lasts three to four days in the fridge.

How should you reheat chipotle shrimp?

Grilled shrimp often turn dry and rubbery when reheated, so heat them in a medium-hot skillet for just a few seconds on the stovetop. Better yet, serve them chilled with the rest of their dipping sauce. Cold chipotle shrimp taste delicious with southwest quinoa salad or piled on shrimp tostadas.

Chipotle Shrimp Tips

How else can you cook chipotle shrimp?

Grilling enhances the flavor of smoky chipotle shrimp, but you can cook them in other ways. Set them 4 inches below an oven broiler for a similar charred exterior. Toss raw chipotle marinated shrimp into a lightly oiled skillet and cook them on the stove over medium heat for three to four minutes, turning halfway through, or until they turn an opaque pink and curl into a C shape. If you still want to grill the shrimp but don’t have skewers, spread them on a copper grill mat or seal them in a foil packet.

What else can you serve with chipotle shrimp?

Serve chipotle shrimp as an appetizer with their sauce, followed by chimichurri steak, for more chipotle flavor, or grilled lime chicken to expand on the citrus theme. Make them the featured dish along with hot sides like grilled potato fans with onions and stuffed grilled zucchini, or with a chilled southwestern pasta salad. Use chipotle grilled shrimp as the filling for pineapple shrimp tacos (skip the fajita seasoning mix), or add them to a hummus and veggie wrap. Serve the shrimp on a bed of leafy greens, such as arugula salad with shaved Parmesan, or a couscous salad packed with summer vegetables.