These Chile Lime Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa are super easy, healthy, full of flavour and perfect for any day of the week. Try them over a bed of steamed jasmine rice or serve them alongside some fried plantains or mixed vegetables to keep things Whole30.
Ingredients You Need for the Chile Lime Shrimp
- Shrimp: I’m currently in Miami so I used 16/20 Key West pink shrimp for this recipe. They’re large, meaty and have a sweet taste. Feel free to substitute your favourite variety. Just be sure to peel and devein the shrimp before tossing with the spices.
- Spices: The list may look long but each of the spices are readily available and you probably already have most, if not all of them. You can also substitute your favourite pre-made chile spice mix or taco seasoning. Most of the flavours are similar.
- Garlic: I like to add the garlic towards the end of the cooking process to prevent it from burning. As always, measure this ingredient with your heart and don’t let anyone tell you there’s such a thing as too much.
- Grass-Fed Butter: This is optional, but adding butter will add a lot of delicious flavour to the chile lime shrimp. If doing a round of Whole30, use an unflavoured ghee.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Squeezing in some fresh lime juice helps bring all the flavours to life and adds a delicious zing to the chile lime shrimp.
Ingredients You Need for the Pineapple Salsa
- Pineapple: For best results, use fresh pineapple – not canned or frozen. I like to dice them into quite small pieces, similar to making a pico de gallo.
- Red Bell Pepper: For crunch, colour and sweetness, use a red bell pepper. You can substitute other varieties of bell pepper or even poblanos, if preferred. Each one will add a slightly different flavour.
- Red Onion: I like using red onion because of the colour, but white or yellow would also work.
- Jalapeño: You can remove the seeds for a more mild pineapple salsa, or keep them in if you like things spicy. You can also substitute your favourite spicy chile pepper, such as anaheim, red finger, habanero, or serrano.
- Fresh Cilantro: If you dislike cilantro, feel free to omit it. Otherwise, a couple tablespoons will do.
- Lime Zest and Juice: Be sure to add both the zest and juice of the lime to the salsa so that you get the best flavour.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adding olive oil to a fresh salsa might seem a little out of place, but I recommend giving it a try. For best results, use a high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil – one that is flavourful and fruity with some mild peppery notes. It will add flavour and mouth feel to the salsa.
Can You Prepare The Pineapple Salsa In Advance?
Yes, you can prepare the Pineapple Salsa ahead of time and up to 5 days in advance if storing it in the fridge. I personally prefer to enjoy it as soon as possible because the texture of the ingredients starts to soften as time passes.
Serving Suggestions
The Chile Lime Shrimp and Pineapple Salsa go great with a variety of side dishes, such as steamed jasmine rice, tostones, boiled yuca, or sautéed vegetables.
The shrimp and pineapple salsa can also be prepared individually and served with other things. The pineapple salsa is great with tortilla chips for a game day spread, or enjoy it with some fish.
Specialty Equipment You’ll Need
The only special tool you’ll need to make these Chile Lime Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa is a rasp grater or zester. You can’t go wrong with this Microplane model.
For the Chile Lime Shrimp:
For the Pineapple Salsa:
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In a bowl, combine the pineapple, red pepper, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes before tasting for seasoning and adjusting with salt, pepper or lime juice, as desired. Cover and set aside until ready to serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 5 days.
For the Chile Lime Shrimp:
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In a bowl, combine the shrimp, 1 tablespoon olive oil, chile powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt and pepper. Toss everything to coat.
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Preheat a stainless-steel frying or non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Carefully add the shrimp and evenly spread into a single layer. Cook the shrimp, undisturbed, until golden brown, 90 seconds. Flip the shrimp and cook the other side until golden brown, 90 more seconds. Add the butter or ghee, if using, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, around 60 seconds. Add the lime juice and toss everything to coat.
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Transfer the shrimp to a platter and serve with the pineapple salsa.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!