By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 5(603)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Shrimp fajitas are quickly thrown together. The shrimp are tossed in a mix of lime juice and zest, adobo sauce from a can of chipotles, olive oil, cumin and garlic, and don’t need to be marinated for longer than 30 minutes. I use just enough adobo sauce in the marinade to obtain its spicy and slightly sweet essence without overpowering the shrimp.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- Zest of 1 lime (2 teaspoons)
- ¼cup fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- 1tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo
- ¼cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4large garlic cloves, minced
- 1½pounds medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1large red or yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 1red bell pepper, seeded and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1jalapeño or 2 serrano chiles, minced
- 1large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 1 large ear of corn)
- ¼cup chopped cilantro
- 1romaine heart, sliced crosswise
- 4large flour or 8 corn tortillas
- Quick green salsa, for serving (see recipe)
- Queso fresco, for sprinkling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
528 calories; 27 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 1208 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a small bowl, combine lime zest and juice, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, the adobo sauce, ¼ cup olive oil and half the garlic. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade.
Step
2
Season shrimp with salt and pepper and place in a resealable bag. Pour in marinade and seal bag. Move shrimp around to coat well, place bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Flip bag over periodically to redistribute marinade.
Step
3
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring often, until they soften and begin to color, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and chile and cook, stirring often, until peppers begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step
4
Stir in zucchini and corn, and turn heat to medium. Add remaining garlic, cumin and salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and peppers are nicely seared, softened and beginning to caramelize, 5 to 8 minutes.
Step
5
Pour in reserved 2 tablespoons marinade and scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to deglaze. Stir in half the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat but keep warm.
Step
6
Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in the oven, or wrap in a towel and warm in a steamer or in the microwave.
Step
7
Transfer shrimp, with marinade, to a bowl. Remove shrimp from marinade and blot briefly on paper towels. Reserve marinade.
Step
8
Arrange lettuce on a platter. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, or a wok. Add shrimp and let sear; when they begin to turn pink, after about 1 minute, add drained marinade. Cook, stirring, until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shrimp from pan to platter. Turn up heat, reduce liquid in pan by half, and pour over shrimp.
Step
9
Arrange vegetables on platter with shrimp, or serve separately. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve, with warm tortillas, salsa and crumbled queso fresco.
Ratings
5
out of 5
603
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Cooking Notes
Diane Vennema
This was amazingly good. The only changes I made were to char the corn on the grill, let it cool, then cut the kernels off and add at the end; to cut up an avocado and sprinkle it with lime and put it on the table to add to the fajita mix; and to skip the romaine. The combination of flavors was exceptional--lots of sweetness from the shrimp, onions, peppers, and corn, acid from the lime and the salsa verde, and a smooth richness from the avocado. The marinade was perfect. Really good recipe.
Gustavo
This was my first time cooking, first time using a recipe step by step.. i was very impress i could do this ! It was delicious
MaryMcC
Five stars,for the vegetables, three for the shrimp marinade - it was tasty but overwhelmed the shrimp. Will modify next time.
kate
Absolutely fantastic! Everyone loved this meal. Toasting and grinding the cumin well worth the effort. The aroma compared to pre-ground cumin was remarkable. I served the shrimp atop the romaine and the veggies on the side. Very pretty and easier to divide the shrimp evenly that way.
Susan
We loved it! Try putting the romaine leaves in the fajitas, too--for an added crunch.
audreymel
Used the Chipotles instead of jalapenos. Was very good recipe.
JohnW
Made this tonight. It got rave reviews. I somewhat altered the shrimp cooking/marinade reducing step and just tossed the entire bag of shrimp and marinade into a pan and cooked it down, transferred the shrimp from that pan to the veggie pan then finally cooked down the marinade/sauce about 1/2 and poured some of that into the shrimp/veggie mixture. Served it with some jazzed up black beans, Spanish rice, guacamole and chips and salsa. Went over very well. I’d make it again.
Maria
Search Quick Tomatillo Salsa by Ms. Shulman
Alice N.
This is a great recipe! I usually keep my own baja seasoning on hand, but i didn’t have any, and this recipe replicates the flavor perfectly! I made some tweaks; I added a LITTLE light brown sugar and also some paprika and cayenne to the marinade mix for more of that baja flavor. I didn’t have any corn on hand, so i just added some chopped tomatoes and fresh avocado. It was delicious! With no rice, if you use a low-carb tortilla wrap for this meal- you have an amazing keto meal!
pix
plan ahead if possible, and made your own tortillas. I've only used masa, not flour; but I'm pretty sure either as homemade will elevate this meal beyond measure.
Julielatoar
The flavor of the shrimp was fantastic. I added a bit of orange juice to the marinade and all but omitted the oil, opting for a coating for the pan only. I also added one minced chipotle as well as the tablespoon of adobo. I was afraid the chipotle might have been overpowering. The flavor was fantastic, and not at all too much. I went traditional with the veggies using only peppers, onions, and jalapeños. I will add the zucchini to my fajitas next time. This will be high in my summer rotation.
Anthony
This was excellent with frozen shrimp and great lime-based marinade. The vegetables alone make a great dish -- even more wonderful the next day.
MattCave
Really great recipe! Easy and delicious.
Luther
A hidden gem. Absolutely fabulous. Followed ingredients but deviated on prep & cooking. Marinated shrimp as directed, could be longer without issues though. After prepping veggies, combined all in bowl & added salt, cumin, garlic, oil and 3tbls marinade. Used cast iron griddle on gas grill to cook veggies together & added marinate from shrimp 2 minutes before removing from grill. Added shrimp (didn't pat with towel) for about 6 minutes. Combined everything in bowl. WOW! Love this. Thanks much!
Claire
This recipe was exceptional. I was hesitant to add the zucchini because it's generally not my favorite ingredient, but the flavors blended really nicely. A great dish for cooking in cast iron, and I definitely recommend serving it with tortillas.
Madeline Martin
Excellent meal. The marinade was simply one of the best I’ve ever had in a fajita recipe. Nothing left out. Hit ever marker, easy, affordable and super tasty. Thanks
Amber
Loved as an easy weeknight meal! The marinade was great and I adjusted to taste rather than following the exact recipe. Definitely going in the rotation!
Stephanie
This is a keeper! I subbed out red cabbage for zucchini and left out the romaine lettuce. Will try zucchini when I can get homegrown. Oh, and I added guacamole because I had some ripe avocados lying around. Great flavors!
Kashif Chand
Half lemon, garlic, adobo chipotle, cumin, chili powder, cardamom, cilantro flakes oil
remie818
Fire just fire! Seeking a way to lose the Covid-15(lbs) and get more veggies in my diet. This hit the mark. The hubs enjoyed it as well, so so good. No modifications required. Tasty as is!
Paul
I loved this recipe. For the marinade, I blended all of the ingredients it called for, and added some whole chipotles and a little oregano for flavor, and also threw in the cilantro here instead of later on. Came out delicious!
Ava
If you enjoy your vegetables, you will enjoy this recipe. The shrimp is enhanced by the lime and chipotle but not over powered. I added black beans instead of corn and chopped some very ripe heirloom tomatoes to include with them. Summer hasn’t ended here yet so this dish fit our long summer season. So very tasty!
Oliver C
Added creme fraiche to "quick green salsa", absolute game changer. I guess at this point it became cilantro lime sauce.
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