by Alyssa Rivers
Grilled Spicy Lime Shrimp with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce has a simple but full of flavor and spice marinade. The creamy avocado cilantro sauce is the perfect cool and creamy dipping sauce.
The lime flavor on this shrimp is out of this world good. Really, I love to add lime to many recipes. Grilled coconut lime pineapple, Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad, and Crazy Good Honey Lime Shrimp are a few of my favorites.
Grilled Spicy Lime Shrimp with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce
Do you ever get through a week and are just so happy that you survived? That was last week for me. I barely made it. It was the last week of school plus we are in the moving process. On top of it all my little girl turned two! We were able to pull it all together and managed to have an amazing Finding Nemo Birthday Party. If you follow me on instagram you will see her amazing cake! My little girl is obsessed with “Meno” and loved every minute of it. We may have given her her presents to her in Amazon boxes but we totally pulled it together! It was a huge success.
We are loving the warmer weather here and since we have been so busy lately we are loving to grill. My husband LOVES shrimp and asks me to cook it all of the time. I decided to make an easy marinade for these shrimp that really packed a punch. It had such a delicious blend of spices and the result was amazing. It is such a quick and easy recipe that is absolutely delicious, especially if you love shrimp! This should go on your list of things to grill. You are going to love it!
Grilled Lime Shrimp Ingredients:
- Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined
- Lime juice: One large lime should be plenty.
- Olive oil: For marinade.
- Garlic: 2 cloves minced.
- Chili powder: A bit of spice.
- Cumin: Distinctive earthy, nutty flavor.
- Paprika: Adds color and mild flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste
- Red pepper flakes: Adds texture and spice.
How to Grill Shrimp:
The great thing about shrimp is that they are so easy to cook! They grill up in just a matter of minutes. The marinade on these shrimp is out of this world! It has such a great blend of spices and flavor.
- Prepare Marinade: In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Pour into a resealable bag and add shrimp.
- Prep: Toss to coat and marinate for 30 minutes.Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Grill Shrimp: Put the shrimp on skewers and place on the grill. Grill on each side for about two minutes or until no longer pink.
- Make Sauce: To make the creamy avocado cilantro sauce add the avocado, greek yogurt, garlic, lime and cilantro. Pulse in a food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with shrimp.
Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
My favorite part was the Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce. It was so cool and creamy on these spicy lime shrimp. We are a family of dippers so most everything involves a dip. And this dip was the perfect compliment to help cool down the spice in the shrimp.
- Avocado: split and pitted
- Greek yogurt: Lowfat
- Garlic: One clove minced works great for me but adjust to your preference.
- Lime juice: About one lime
- Cilantro: Chopped for garnish
- Salt and pepper: To taste
The Best Way to Grill Shrimp:
- How do I keep shrimp from drying out? Make extra marinade to keep separate and use to brush over shrimp while they are cooking, so they won’t dry out.
- How hot should my grill be? Grill temperature should be about 350-450°F. Cook the shrimp over the direct medium heat.
- Avoid burning? Occasionally, turn the shrimp while cooking.
- How do I know when they are done? The shrimp are fully cooked when the outside of the shrimp turn a nice pink color. Also, the meat inside should be white and opaque.
- Can I cook shrimp from frozen: Good news! Even if you forgot to thaw the shrimp for dinner, you can grab them straight from your freezer and put it on the grill. Marinating the shrimp is best. However, you can use the marinate to brush the shrimp as you cook. It’s not ideal, but it will work in a pinch.
- What’s the best way to thaw my shrimp? Move them from the freezer into the refrigerator a day or two before cooking. Or, thaw them with cold water by putting the entire package of shrimp into the bowl of water.
More Spicy Shrimp Recipes
More Spicy Shrimp Recipes- Brown Butter Spicy Garlic Shrimp
- Cajun Popcorn Shrimp
- Easy and Amazing Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skewers
- Awesome Kung Pao Shrimp
- Mexican Shrimp Skillet
Grilled Spicy Lime Shrimp with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shrimp peeled and deveined
- Juice of one large lime
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
- 1 avocado split and pitted
- ½ cup lowfat greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Pour into a resealable bag and add shrimp. Toss to coat and marinate for 30 minutes.
-
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Put the shrimp on skewers and place on the grill. Grill on each side for about two minutes or until no longer pink.
Creamy Avocado Cilantro Sauce:
-
To make the creamy avocado cilantro sauce add the avocado, greek yogurt, garlic, lime and cilantro. Pulse in a food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with shrimp.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Updated on May 22, 2020
Originally Posted on: June 6, 2016
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Good lord this looks good!
Is the result hot, medium, mild of just flavorful ?????? What size shrimp do you buy for this recipe ???
I agree with Jim’s question….what size shrimp. I am seeing 7 to a skewer, so maybe the fish market could direct you to a correct size. I am thinking it is spicy (the marinade) and the dipping sauce tones it done as needed. Great recipes, can’t wait to try.
I used large shrimp. Not the jumbo, but large size. 🙂
Hey girl- this looks so yummy!
This was easy and FANTASTIC. Great flavor- not overwheming! The marinade is great on its own, but when you add the sauce it takes it to a new level.
i love that sauce! gonna have to get shrimp out and make ASAP!
Is the nutritiona information listed anywhere?
Have you ever tried adding some tequila to the marinade……..?
This recipe sounds delicious! I bet these shrimp would be great in a shrimp taco with the dip spread on the tortilla. Yum…yum!
Looks amazing! I’m so making this. What side dish would you serve with this?
This was absolutely delicious and so simple!! I served it with grilled asparagus and homemade mac & cheese. It was a hit!
Made this recipe tonight. I used 2 lbs of 21-25 shrimp and doubled the measurements in the recipe while omitting the pepper flakes (other people eating them don’t like spicy food). I wonder if doubling the cumin was too much as well as the yogurt. The shrimp had a very strong cumin flavor, more than anything else. The yogurt gave a sour taste to the dipping sauce. I added some honey, the juice of a orange and another avocado to balance out the sauce more. I used 4 18 inch wooden skewers (soaked in water for 2 hours) and was able to get all 60ish shrimp on them. I only skewered thru the thick end of the shrimp and was able to get alot more shrimp on it this way. Even tho they were packed in more closely, they cooked perfectly in the 2+2 cooking time listed.
Even tho the shrimp had a strong cumin flavor, it paired very well with the dipping sauce. I also grilled some canned potatoes (marinated in Italian dressing and Mrs. Dash), whole mushrooms and zucchini slices (with garlic powder, black pepper and smoked paprika) to go along with the shrimp. I didn’t taste any garlic in the shrimp or the sauce and noticed a lot of the garlic remained in the bag after skewering the shrimp.
I think these shrimp would go well with a seasoned rice instead of potatoes or garlic bread. As another person mentioned, I also thought while eating these that they would go good in a fluffy pita bread with the sauce and some shredded lettuce and tomatoes. These shrimp could be chilled and would go great on a salad.
The shrimp and sauce were a huge hit. It will be used again, thanks for the yummy recipe!
I used a light sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt because I don’t like Greek yogurt. This was a hit w my family, especially my picky eaters/kids. It was delicious!
This looks wonderful!
We love this recipe. I’ve added a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper for a little extra kick. 😀 YUM!!
That sounds delicious! So glad you loved it! Thanks for your comment :)!
The Recipe Critic,
Alyssa
Can I cook shrimp in electric skillet? I have no grill.
I made this recipe and it is awesome, amazing flavor like when you go out to eat. I marinade then grilled on skewers….solid dish for whole 30 without the avacado sauce. really good.
That is great to hear!! Thanks for sharing!
This was BOMB.COM! My family really enjoyed this. I have picky eaters too.
That is so great to hear! I am so happy it was so good! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
I cannot wait to try this recipe, but with a ,trio bell peppers, tomatoes,and avacado,all wrapped up in tortilla shell & a few more spices like turmeric powder besides garlic for inflammation bc of health issues other than that I think not too spicy and we’re on to something, Mrs. Alyssa thks sweetie ?
Made this tonight and it is just plain delicious.
Looks deliciously yummy. I’m so gonna try this tonight
Going to make the Calif Salad for a Baby Shower & may also make the Tuscan Pasta too. Both look Delicious.
This recipe is FABULOUS!!! Spicy shrimp with a delicious dip. Quick and easy!!!
This dish was amazing and very flavorful! I will definitely be making this again.
This was incredible! My boyfriend and I made it for the first time tonight and we both were so impressed. This will definitely be a summer favorite for us! We tossed a bell pepper in the sauce too and grilled it. Delicious!
In place of the lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper you can substitute a quarter cup or so of Old Havana Foods Mojo marinade. It’s a great timesaver and we love it on pork, chicken, shrimp, skirt steak, salmon etc.
This is soooo good. Used 3Tb of lime juice in both the marinade and sauce, and tons more garlic. We are not big grill fans so I cooked the shrimp in my Cuisinart Griddler. 2 minutes on medium high, nice char, all done. Thinking about other uses for the sauce.
I am going to try this tonite, but going to leave the cumin out, just hate that stuff, will report back with how it tasted. Thanks in advance for the recipe,. I have some shrimp i want to use but did not want to make the getting boring scampi
Can the dipping sauce be made ahead of time? We’re going camping at the beach and want to make these shrimp on the charcoal grill!
Yes, that is a great idea! Enjoy camping! XOXO
Can I marinate like 3 days ahead of time?
It is recommended that you only marinate up to 24 hours long.
Hi there! Just wondering if you or anyone on here has tried this with chicken wings? We’re doing keto, and my husband is looking for some good spicy wing recipes. Thanks!
Omg the sauce was sooooo good my husband and I have been having guacamole and we’re bored of it…this is definitely a very tasty alternative…sooo good. Also the shrimp marinade was amazing smelled and tasted delicious.
Any nutritional information?
I like to use skinnytaste.com or myfitnesspal.com for any nutritional questions that I may have. Hope you too, can find what you are looking for! XOXO
How many carbs in this recipe per serving?
I like to use skinnytaste.com or myfitnesspal.com for any nutritional information.
Is there any nutritional information on this recipe?
I like to use myfitnesspal.com or skinnytaste.com for any nutritional information. Hope that helps answer your questions.
Where is the nutritional information for these recipes?
I like to use myfitnesspal.com or skinnytaste.com for any nutritional information. Hope that helps answer your questions.
Lose the cumin. Otherwise, a simple, quick marinade.
I’m wondering if it is possible to make these on a cast iron skillet without the skewers or grill?
Yes, that sounds great! That will taste delicious! Enjoy!
Do you have a suggestion for a cilantro substitution that would taste great? Excited to try this recipe!
Cilantro/Coriander Leaf Substitute. Replace the coriander called for in your recipe with an equal amount of fresh parsley, tarragon, dill or a combination of the three. For maximum flavor, add the herbs to the dish just before serving it. Cooking diminishes the flavor of the spices significantly (cilantro included). Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Made this tonight – my husband and I both loved it! Will definitely make again. I used sour cream instead of the yogurt in the sauce – it was so delicious. I will use that sauce for lots of other things. My lunch tomorrow is the leftover shrimp with bacon and cheese – and of course the sauce!
Great recipe! Only problem I had was keeping my wife out of the sauce before the shrimp shrimp were grilled. Must admit it was great on a Tostito shell.
Absolutely fantastic, both recipes equally brilliant. Simple, quick, very forgiving. Too much snow to grill so I just cut up the shrimp, 21-25s, into 5 or 6 pcs and sauted them over high heat, a bit of olive oil and some garlic too……….Just a couple of mins. Save every drop of the oil/marinade left in the pan, drizzle it over the shrimp. I added a bit of chili de arbol, chipotle and chiltepin to goose it a bit……it did too. I used the little street taco tortillas. Just for fun I served a few with caramelized onions and chopped bacon. That was a big hit too. Because the shrimp and sauce are so flavorful I just put half a dozen corn tortillas on a plate, cover with 1/2 of a dampened paper towel covered with plastic wrap….nuke for about 40 secs. To me these are foundation recipes as both of them let one take some liberties and more often than not come out ahead. As is both are super great recipes, have fun and enjoy bigtime!!!
I made this tonight and just put the sauce lightly in lettuce, and it was amazing!
Superb! Made this yesterday for the bajillionth time! We love it paired with an albariño.
Made this as an appetizer for tonight’s dinner. Easy to make, so delicious and there were none leftover. The shrimp has so much flavor, the right amount of spice and the dipping sauce is the perfect compliment to this dish. This is an awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Question how spicy is the shrimp?
Mild medium hot.