The best refried beans for any Mexican or Southwestern style dinner. A spicy and hearty…
Honey-Lime Fajita Shrimp
We’ve mastered the variations of fajitas in several different ways – but the most important and my absolute favorite is SHRIMP! Honey, lime, cilantro and a perfect cook on these will take your fajita game to a whole new level!
Side of Veggies is a platform for any and all types of fajitas! We’ve done Chicken, Steak and even Vegan Fajitas – but it wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t have shrimp fajitas in a post. I have had fajitas of all types and I can honestly say that Shrimp is probably my favorite. I would prefer a shrimp and chicken combo if possible. I have even gone as far as a full platter of seafood fajitas once during Cinco de Mayo!
My final goodbye meal before I left Ohio was a special request for Fajita Shrimp and black beans with stir fry vegetables (of course!). It’s one of those meals that never disappoints, just like a standard Fajita.
These are somewhat special. The pair of honey and seafood helps the natural sweetness of the shrimp. And the lime just makes the overall combination of salty and sweet when paired with all the accompaniments. If you’re not a cilantro fan, I still trust you will enjoy this. The herb is just part of the marinade and doesn’t need to be added at the end. But if you choose to lose it, I would suggest adding a bit of cumin to the marinade. All these flavors just work so well together.
Like I said, I could go on and on about fajitas until I bore you to death but like the other recipes, let’s go back to what makes a great fajita plate:
So what are we looking for in the best fajita:
- A perfect cook – a nice char but preventing the seafood from becoming to tough – it’s a fast sear so be ready!
- The seasoning – you don’t think about this being that important but imagine having a fajita that was bland? This marinade is perfect and offers the right balance of flavors.
- The sides – The sides are easy and I highly recommend making them yourself but if you can’t, this meat and vegetable mixture pulls a lot of the weight!
- Leftovers – I make a lot of these JUST so I can enjoy them for a few days.
Please check out my other recipes that support the feast of Fajitas Four Ways:
Tableside Guacamole & Baked Tortilla Chips
And if you’re super daring – pair the shrimp with either the steak or chicken for a combo platter!
Honey-Lime Fajita Shrimp
We’ve mastered the variations of fajitas in several different ways – but the most important and my absolute favorite is SHRIMP! Honey, lime, cilantro and a perfect cook on these will take your fajita game to a whole new level!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh jumbo shrimp peeled, deveined
- 2 large limes zest and juice
- 1½ tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt & pepper to taste
- non stick cooking spray or oil
Peppers & Onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 large bell peppers, red or green sliced
- 1 medium onion sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To prep shrimp, make sure that they are peeled and deveined. Keep the tail on for easy cooking. Once they are prepared, salt and pepper the shrimp and allow to sit while whisking together the dressing.
- *****If you plan on marinating the shrimp overnight or for several hours, ADD THE LIME JUICE 30 MINUTES BEFORE COOKING! The reason being, the acid will somehow cook the shrimp and break down the texture of the shellfish. You can also add the lime at the end of the cooking process if you prefer.*****
- In a small bowl combine, olive oil, honey, cilantro, chili power, salt, pepper, lime juice and zest. Whisk together and then add the dressing to a bag. Add shrimp and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Best if sits for 6-8 hours.
- Spray down a large skillet with non stick cooking spray or coat with oil. Heat pan on medium-high heat. Let warm for 30-60 seconds. Add shrimp in a single layer and prevent crowding. Cook shrimp on each side for 1-3 minutes depending on how big they are.
- Remove shrimp and lay in a single layer on another plate. Drizzle with more lime juice and finely chopped cilantro if desired.
Peppers & Onions
- Heat a large frying pan with olive oil on medium high heat. Let heat up for 45-60 seconds. Add minced garlic and heat up for 1 minutes. Add in peppers and onions. Sautee for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent and you can see a slight char on the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper
- Remove from heat and add to platter with other fajita ingredients.
Notes
Ingredients & Technique:
I can’t say that using frozen shrimp in this recipe wouldn’t work. They would have to be completely defrosted, peeled and deveined before marinating. I’m sure they would be just fine.
I have become accustomed to buying fresh over the years. Especially in Florida where they just seem better. You want them to be extra large or jumbo. Marinate and cook them after they have been peeled and deveined if you’re adding them to this recipe.
I use to go to the store with a friend and we would LOVED “peel and eats”, as we would call them. But we started to get use to always buying fresh shrimp and cleaning them ourselves with the simplest seasoning and then throwing them on the grill. After attempting this recipe alone several times I realized he was better at the grilling part. I became the master of searing them in a skillet.
If you do choose to grill, it’s best to skewer them evenly onto 2 parallel bamboo skewers and cook for the same time. Grilling is superior, I would say, but the simplicity of getting a nice char in one pan was just fine for this recipe.
How long does in last and where?
This can last for about 5-6 days in the fridge.
Can you freeze it?
This isn’t one of those recipes you don’t to play around with cooking the shrimp more than once. You can use frozen shrimp (like stated above) but to freeze this after cooking is not best. I admit, I loved eating these cold when making leftover fajitas.
I suggest eating them immediately after cooking and they are perfectly fine the next day cold from the fridge.
Substitutions?
I made this recipe with 4 different bases so there is very little substitutions that need to be made. See all the recipes in Fajitas Four Ways to see the different variations.
If you want to alter the seasoning blend you can – I have tried this recipe several times and this is the best! Add cayenne pepper if you want to boost the heat level.
Tips and tricks
Marinate for 30 minutes to 8 hours. The longer the shrimp sit in the marinade, the more flavorful they become. Peel and devein first so the marinade doesn’t get lost on the shells. If you plan on marinating the shrimp overnight or for several hours, ADD THE LIME JUICE 30 MINUTES BEFORE COOKING! The reason being, the acid will somehow cook the shrimp and break down the texture of the shellfish. You can also add the lime at the end of the cooking process if you prefer.
What to serve with it?
- Fajita Vegetables
- Tortillas
- Cauliflower Rice
- Refried Beans
- Salsa/Pico de Gallo
- Texas Caviar
- Guacamole
- On a salad! with Greek Yogurt Ranch!
Nutrition
Sodium: 777mg | Sugar: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Calories: 141kcal | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Fat: 5.6g | Protein: 16g | Carbohydrates: 7g
Servings: 4
Calories: 141kcal
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