Fiesta Lime Shrimp Salad
Fiesta lime shrimp salad is a bright, bold way to enjoy shellfish and the fresh flavors of a green salad. Shrimp get marinated with a zesty blend of spice and fresh lime juice, tossed with fresh greens and drizzled with a freshly prepared honey lime vinaigrette for a healthy meal that will wow you!
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Now that the weather is warming up, I’m craving lighter meals with bright flavors.
I love a good salad this time of year.
For me a good salad has a few elements: protein so it’s filling, a mix of textures so it’s interesting to eat and flavor packed dressing.
This recipe checks all those boxes.
It has a big helping of perfectly seasoned shrimp, a blend of interesting textures thanks to the addition of creamy avocado and a honey lime vinaigrette that is so yummy, I could drink it.
Ingredients
You’ll need a few sets of ingredients for this salad.
For the salad itself, you’ll need:
- Shrimp– Use uncooked shrimp and make sure you peel it and devein it. Uncooked shrimp will pick up the flavors of the marinade much better than precooked shrimp.
- Seasonings for the shrimp– To make the shrimp marinade you need lime juice along with smoked paprika, lime juice, garlic salt, onion powder, dried oregano and thyme, and cayenne pepper.
- Greens– I like spring mix for this, but you can use your preferred greens here.
- Cherry tomatoes– Cut them in half.
- Avocado– Chop it up.
- Red onion– Cut in slices.
For the dressing, you’ll need:
- Olive oil– Don’t substitute the olive oil for another oil here since you won’t be cooking with it.
- Garlic– Fresh garlic, minced or pressed, works better than garlic powder here.
- Lime juice– Again, fresh is better than bottled and will give you the best flavor.
- Honey– Honey adds a sweet, floral flavor and balances the acidity in the dressing.
- Cumin– Adds a little background smokiness.
- Apple cider vinegar– For a bit of extra tang.
- Salt and pepper– to taste
How to Make
Putting together this citrusy salad is very easy!
To do it, start by peeling and deveining the shrimp if needed.
Then wash them under cold water to remove any remaining shell.
Next, put the shrimp in a medium bowl and use a citrus press to press limes for lime juice.
Whisk the paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, and thyme into the juice.
Toss the shrimp in the marinade until it is completely coated.
Then cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by adding the olive oil, garlic, lime juice, honey, cumin, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper into a mason jar or small bowl and mix until combined.
Then cover it and set it aside until you are ready to use.
When you are ready to cook the shrimp, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add in the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until the shrimp turn pink.
When the shrimp are pink and opaque all the way through, remove them from the heat.
Then, prepare your salad by adding the greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and onion into a salad bowl and toss to combine.
Add the shrimp on top and drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
If you think you will have any leftovers, you should not assemble a full sized salad and instead just make individual portions.
In other words, keep any leftover shrimp separate from the salad greens and don’t pour the dressing over the salad.
Also, discard any unused avocado as it won’t save well.
Tips and Tricks
- You can often find peeled in and deveined shrimp in the grocery store. It might cost a dollar or two more but it will save you a lot of time.
- Don’t use precooked shrimp for this. The shrimp won’t pick up the flavors as well.
- Feel free to add extra veggies and textures to your salad. You could throw in black beans, corn, cut pineapple, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro or jalapenos for added flavor.
Other Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Fiesta lime shrimp salad is a party of flavors that makes for a refreshing and healthy dinner.
Put it on your dinner rotation this week!
Looking for other salad recipes?
Try these:
- Basic Spinach Salad
- Cold Tortellini Salad with Ranch Dressing
- BLT Salad Bowl
- Lemon Cucumber Couscous Salad
If you’ve tried this FIESTA LIME SHRIMP SALAD, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Fiesta Lime Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked shrimp- peeled and deveined
- 5 cups spring mix greens or your choice of greens
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes- halved
- 1 avocado- chopped
- ½ red onion- sliced
For The Marinade:
- ½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt I use Lawry’s
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
For The Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic- minced
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper- to taste
Instructions
- Prepare shrimp by peeling and deveining if necessary and wash under cold water to remove any remaining shell.
- Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and add in lime juice, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, and thyme and mix well until the shrimp is completely coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by adding the olive oil, garlic, lime juice, honey, cumin, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper into a mason jar or small bowl and mix until combined. Cover until you are ready to use.
- Heat about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until pink and have an internal temperature of about 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove and place in a clean bowl.
- Prepare your salad by adding the greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and onion into a salad bowl and toss to combine. Add the shrimp on top and drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.
Notes
- You can often find peeled in and deveined shrimp in the grocery store. It might cost a dollar or two more but it will save you a lot of time.
- Don't use precooked shrimp for this. The shrimp won't pick up the flavors as well.
- Feel free to add extra veggies and textures to your salad. You could throw in black beans, corn, cut pineapple, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro or jalapenos for added flavor.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.
