Creamy Chipotle Shrimp
208 Comments
Updated Feb 10, 2023
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This creamy chipotle shrimp recipe is a mouth-watering dinner you can whip up in just 30 minutes. Jumbo shrimp are coated in a creamy and zesty chipotle sauce, then topped with fresh herbs and peppers for a spicy kick. Shrimp have never tasted so good!
Nothing’s better than cooking up restaurant quality meals right at home. Especially when they’re easy to make yet look like dinner party showstoppers. This one-pan creamy chipotle shrimp recipe is one such meal.
It’s incredibly flavorful with just the right amount of kick to it – all thanks to chipotle peppers. Enjoy this on a bed of rice, zucchini noodles or sauteéd vegetables. Either way, this light and cozy dish is something that can be enjoyed all year round!
Simple Ingredients For A Healthy Dinner
You won’t believe how easy this recipe comes together with just a few ingredients. But one thing that makes this dish is the homemade chipotle sauce. Whip that up in a quick minute, then mix it in with the rest of the ingredients below.
- Shrimp: Frozen jumbo shrimp are my favorite, but any size will work.
- Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers have a sweeter flavor compared to green bell peppers.
- Garlic and Green Onion: Aromatic essentials to amp up the overall flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Always ties everything together!
- Chipotle Sauce: This homemade version is so easy and incredibly delicious. Much better than store-bought!
- Milk: Feel free to use any dairy or non-dairy milk here.
- Garnishings: Top it off with chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeno peppers for an extra kick.
Creamy Chipotle Shrimp: The Best 30 Minute Meal
For this recipe, just sauté the shrimp for a bit – then let the sauce do the talking. Here’s how to make it.
- Sauté shrimp:In a pan over medium-heat, drizzle olive oil and sauté the shrimp for about 3-4 minutes. Then set aside in a bowl.
- Sauté bell pepper: Add in the bell pepper with extra olive oil and sauté for another 4 minutes.
- Add in the aromatics: Add the garlic, green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Give it all a stir.
- In comes the chipotle sauce: Mix in the chipotle sauce and milk. Bring it to a simmer, then add the shrimp back in.
- Garnish with the rest of the green onions, cilantro, and sliced jalapeno peppers. If you don’t want it too spicy, you can omit the peppers.
Tasty Serving Suggestions
These mouth-watering shrimp go with just about anything! You can spoon it over a base or serve it alongside savory sides. Either way, the below options will round out this quick and easy meal.
For a hearty dinner, serve this with:
- Rice: White rice, brown rice, wild rice, or any type of cooked rice works.
- Potatoes: Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes
For a lighter meal, serve this with:
- Veggie Noodles: Zucchini Noodles or cucumber noodles
- Veggie Rice: Cauliflower Rice or Broccoli Rice
- Vegetables: Roasted Broccoli or Green Beans With Shallots And Lemon
Dairy-Free Variations
To make this recipe dairy-free, just swap the sour cream for cashew sour cream and use non-dairy milk. Super easy!
How To Store and Freeze
On a time crunch? This is the perfect freezer meal you can keep on hand.
- To Store: For storing leftovers, place them in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- To Freeze: Pour it into a freezer safe container or bag and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To Thaw: When you’re ready to eat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat on the stovetop or microwave. It’ll taste as good as new!
Creamy Chipotle Shrimp Recipe Video
Want to see how I make this recipe in my kitchen? Watch the video below!
More Easy Shrimp Recipes For Busy Weeknights
Tossing shrimp in a rich and creamy sauce is just one way to enjoy this seafood. But if you’ve got extra on hand, give these shrimp recipes a try. They’re oh so easy and just as delicious.
- Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Shrimp Tacos With Cilantro Lime Bacon Slaw
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Shrimp, Asparagus, and Avocado Salad
- Zucchini Pasta With Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Creamy Chipotle Shrimp
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, sliced with green and white parts separated
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 recipe chipotle sauce
- 1/2 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy
- garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeno
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat. Add the shrimp and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through and opaque. Remove them to a bowl.
- In that same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and add the bell pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes.
- Then add the garlic, white parts of the green onion, salt and pepper. Stir for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in the chipotle sauce and milk and stir to combine. Then add the shrimp back to the pan to warm through.
- Garnish with the green parts of the green onion, chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeno pepper.
Lisa's Tips
Nutrition
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Yum!! This is so good and easy. I’ve made this twice in the past 2 months and froze half the can of adobo. The first time, I only used half of the chipotle sauce, so cut it this time. I still kept a little bit to put on top of my mushroom lentil burgers. Served this over basmati rice with a side of roasted butternut squash.
Amazing! Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe so much :)
Wow, this was delicious and easy! I used the shrimp and bell peppers I had in my freezer, and I made the chipotle salsa recipe you linked to using ingredients I had on hand. The flavors ad textures were perfect. This is definitely going in the rotation. Thank you.
Wonderful! Happy to hear this one has made it to your dinner rotation :)
This is probably one of my favorites!! It’s so easy to make and unbelievably delicious . I love to use that creamy chipotle sauce on salads too😋
So glad you loved this Andrea!
This has become a go to dinner for me. It is delicious, keeps so well and the flavours are unreal. No surprise given how great all of Lisa’s recipes are but this is absolutely one of my favourites!
Thrilled to hear this had made it to your rotation Kaitlyn! :)
Simple ingredients but great flavours!
And that’s what Downshiftology is all about :)
This has such a good flavor! This was the first time I ever made shrimp and I’m hooked. My husband and brother also commented on how much they loved this. It is spicy depending on how much Adobo sauce you add but it’s such a good flavor, as a non spicy person, I loved it. It also freezes well, I used SouperCubes and froze in 1 cup portions for the future with rice.
Happy to hear this recipe was a success for your first ever shrimp recipe Emma!
Creamy Chipotle Shrimp has turned into my go-to recipe when I have family or friends coming over! It is perfectly creamy with a pleasant amount of spice and perfect on top of a bed of warm rice. It is an absolute delight to cook and eat! Thank you Lisa!
Amazing! Happy to hear this has made it into your dinner rotation Savanah :)
Another great recipe Lisa, thank you!! I made this with chicken instead of shrimp and it was great.
Glad you enjoyed this with chicken!
I have been making this at least once every 2 weeks since the recipe came out. Chipotle peppers are now a standard pantry item in our house! So quick and easy to make. Subbed the shrimp for cut up chicken breast once and was really good. We love the sauce on sandwiches too. Such a great recipe!
So glad you’ve been enjoying this recipe so much Elizabeth :)
Made the creamy chipotle shrimp last night; wow, what an incredible flavor from the sauce. I think this sauce would go very well with other types of seafood/shellfish so I’ll be making it many times. I also think it will make for a great dip to pair with nachos or just nacho chips. It wasn’t clear if the shrimp was to be peeled or not but I did peel them since certain family members are not up to the task of using fork and knife to remove the shrimp. Thanks so much for sharing another great recipe.
Yes! You can use the sauce as a dipping sauce or drizzle on top of almost anything. As for the shrimp, they should be peeled.
This was so delicious! I added half an onion, some mushrooms, and spinach along with the red pepper. I will be making this dish a lot! You can add in any extra veggies and whatever protein you have on hand. The sauce is that good! Cilantro is a must along with some extra lime wedges for me. Thank you for this awesome recipe Lisa!
Love the additions you made to this! Always a good idea to add in extra veggies :)
My family including my husband, mom and young boys really enjoyed this meal. Next time I have to add less of the peppers for it was too spicy for the youngest. Nevertheless, it was soooo very yummy and will be in the family dinner rotation. Also, I really enjoy chipotle flavor yet this was my first time making any chipotle sauce and I know it won’t be my last! Thank you!
Wonderful! Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this recipe :)
This is a fantastic recipe – my roommates and I adored it. Very easy/quick to make and absolutely delicious. I used 3 peppers when making the sauce (instead of 2) which kicked up the spice too. This is also a great recipe for meal prep!
Yes! Definitely a great meal prep recipe :)
OMG 😃 I made this chipotle shrimp today and impressed the entire family! I served it over cauliflower rice. So tasty….thanks for such a delightful recipe! I’ll definitely make this again and again.
Happy to hear you loved this shrimp recipe Cynthia!
Made this tonight and loved it. Comes together very quickly and packs so much flavor in just a few ingredients. Will make again. And again. 😋 I added some peas at the end and served over rice to make it a whole meal, but otherwise didn’t change a thing. My husband inhaled seconds and is having the remaining leftovers for breakfast. Thank you, Lisa!
Thrilled to hear this recipe was a winner between you and your husband Nina :)
This was sooo good. I made your Carne Asada and used this sauce/veg mix on it. Oh my….delicious!
Wow! I haven’t tried that combo yet… Thinking I might just have to!
I saw your video on this and it looked amazing!! Do you know how big of a serving size is for one? Either in cups or weight? Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes!
Hi Diana – unfortunately, I didn’t measure a serving size. But if you look at the photo of the shrimp in the pan, one serving is a quarter of that amount.
Thanks so much for this recipe. Chipotle sauce delicious and a great way to use prawns. We loved it and my teens even puft the it in a corn soft tortilla with slaw to make tacos, yum! I’m off to see what else I can use the chipotle sauce for!!
Thanks so much for this recipe. Chipotle sauce delicious and a great way to use prawns. We loved it and my teens even put the it in a corn soft tortilla with slaw to make tacos, yum! I’m off to see what else I can use the chipotle sauce for!!
Can’t wait to see how else you use the chipotle sauce! It really is such a versatile ingredient :)
Looks amazing. The 210 calories per 4 serving doesn’t look right though, does it include the chipotle sauce?
Hi Amy – good catch! It wasn’t calculating it with the sauce, but I just fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out!
I made this last night and it was delicious. I’ll definitely be making it again.
Wonderful! Glad you loved this recipe Laura :)
Made this and it was………AMAZING!!! Even the hubby loved it and he is a super picky eater! Yes, one more dish added to the list!!!!
Amazing! It always feels good to satisfy those picky eaters :)
I’m making this tonight! Woot! Thanks for the recipe. You’re one of the sites I consistently check for dinner inspiration. 👍🏽
Questions and suggestions:
– Could you add a link to the chipotle sauce recipe in more places? Like directly in the recipe ingredients list and in the bulleted list of ingredients? I know you linked it in the paragraph above, but I keep missing that spot and scrolling forever to find it. It’d just be more convenient near the other ingredients.
– I’m curious why the peppers and garlic weren’t sautéed first, then the shrimp, to avoid having to put the shrimp in a container (versus shrimp first, then taking it out to avoid overcooking). I’m a novice but I typically see aromatics being cooked first then “meat”. Genuinely curious!
Aw, thanks so much! I’m happy you love my recipes. And yes, that should have been linked in the recipe card as well, I’ll go ahead and fix that right now. In this case, the shrimp are cooked first so that they can properly sear on each side. If they’re added on top of the veggies, it’s harder to get that quick sear. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Thank you for the response and for adding the chipotle sauce link! :)
🤦🏻♀️ I had to discover your answer for myself and tried sauteeing the veggies first, then the shrimp. :( Barely enough room for the shrimp in the pan that way and they definitely didn’t sear. 💫 Lesson learned!
Of course! And for this recipe, you can always watch the video as well so you know how I cook it :)
Miss Lisa!!!! Miss Lisa!!! Thank you for this recipe!!!! This dish is amazing!!! Nothing else needed at all!!! I took my first bite and wanted to instantly eat all four servings! Thank you for this creation and the rice suggestion. I would not change a thing! This dish is perfect! your recipes never disappoint. Definitely one of my new favourite dishes and will be making this again in the near future. I may share it with others this time.
So glad this recipe was a success as is! Can’t wait for you to make this again :)
I made this dish a couple of days ago for my boyfriend and me. We absolutely loved it! It is so tasty and scrumptious. In order to have some more veggies, I used two bell peppers instead of one and it turned out great! I will make this again and again. All of Lisa’s recipes that I have tried have turned out great.
Thrilled to hear both you and your boyfriend enjoyed this recipe! And there’s nothing ever wrong with adding more veggies to the mix :)
This was so so so easy to make and it was so tasty! We decided to go with large shrimp instead of jumbo to get a little more shrimp in each bite and put them into tacos! I will definitely be making this again!
Amazing! Happy to hear this recipe was a success inside tacos!
Cooked this tonight! Oh my goodness was it delicious! It was a party in my mouth! Thanks for another great recipe!
Wonderful! The flavors sure are exciting in this :)
Phenomenal recipe, this one is getting saved and will be made many more times in the future. Thank you!
Wonderful! Happy to hear this is now a favorite of yours :)
You may mix and match any time Lisa! So tasty and so easy. Since I live in Europe I am not so familiar with chipotle. It was luckily available in my local Wholefoods. Such a lovely flavor. This recipe is definitely a winner!
How exciting for you to try Chipotle for the first time! I’m glad you were able to find the ingredients and make this delicious recipe :)
This recipe was fantastic! I have no idea what Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce is or where to get it, so I improvised with sriracha sauce and a jalapeno pepper, chopped. Everyone loved this dish and wanted the recipe.
Hi Sally- Wow, I’m glad you were able to improvise here! But also I’ve noted that you can use chipotle powder as a replacement if you can’t find peppers in adobo :)
Made this the recipe last night for dinner and it was so delicious! Finger licking delicious!!! The source has just the right about of heat. I used garlic cauliflower rice as the base for my shrimps and source. So easy, full of flavor, and great for my blood sugar (I am type one diabetic). Definitely a keeper!
Amazing! Happy to hear you loved this recipe Magdalena with cauliflower rice as your base.
The creamy chipotle shrimp recipes is not only delicious but it has lots of flavor. The chipolte chillis in the adobo sauce gives the sauce a nice smokey kick; topped with the cilantro and green onion made my mouth do a happy dance. It’s easy to make just be sure to prep everything before hand and you will have a great meal in 10 minutes. This recipe is definitely on a regular rotation of my weekly meal plans. Try it. Your mouth with love you for it. 😊
Happy to hear you enjoyed all the flavors in this recipe!
This recipe was amazing! I made it for my mom & I tonight, and it really blew us away. Served it over white rice, and it was perfection. I love how the tangy flavor of the sour cream mellows out the chipotle a little so it’s not overly spicy. Every flavor plays very well together, and it was super easy to make. I will definitely keep this in the rotation for easy weeknight meals.
Thrilled to hear you loved this recipe! There’s definitely lots of flavors happening in this dish, but it works :)
My family loved this recipe tonight! My step dad says it has a nice bite to is and is perfect for him. We all may have had a second serving :) I made an extra batch of chipotle sauce for Lisa’s carnitas that I’m making this Thursday!
Will definitely be making this more often as it is quick and really yummy and I like to keep frozen shrimp on hand. We served it with brown rice and roasted broccoli.
Hi Jillian- Good thinking on making an extra batch of the chipotle sauce! It’s always nice to have that on hand for tacos or fajitas. But I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Wow, this recipe is fabulous. My wife found it way too spicy but still loved it. I thought it was one of the best shrimp recipes I’ve ever tried. If I had this in a pricey restaurant, I would have raved about it and felt it was well worth paying extra for. More like this please. Thanks for creating.
Next time, try reducing the chipotle peppers down to one! That way it won’t be too spicy for your wife. But, I’m glad you both enjoyed this in the end :)
I’ve made a chipotle sauce similar to this for fish tacos but using this sauce with shrimp over rice to soak up all the yummy leftover sauce and flavor sounds delicious. Thanks for the idea!
Omg!! Just made this for dinner tonight and it is amazing. I used oat milk which didn’t seem to change the flavor of the sauce. Yummy!
Hi Denisa- So glad this came out perfectly!
Where do you buy your shrimp? What countries are safe? Farm raised???
Hi Elizabeth- You can read more about what type of shrimp to buy in my Garlic Grilled Shrimp Skewers recipe :)
Made this today. Absolutely fabulous. And a breeze to make. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow for lunch!
Wonderful! Happy to hear you found this recipe easy to make :)
Do you recommend using frozen shrimp, or thawing them first?
Hi Savanna- I recommend thawing them first!
Would this be good as tacos/burritos?
Hi Bailey- I think so! Or you can make my regular shrimp tacos and then drizzle the chipotle sauce over it so it’s not too wet.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream?
Hi Angela- Yes you can if you’d like.
OMG this was so phenomenal! We added jalapeño cheddar sausage and used two good Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Oh wow oh wow! Seriously so good! Served over brown rice. Thank yooou!
Yum! Love the addition of sausage for a more hearty meal! Glad you enjoyed this special recipe :)
Do tou recommend uncooled or cooked shrp for this recipe?
Hi Pat- You will want it uncooked as you will cook it in the pan!
I made this for a special date night dinner and my partner devoured it! We love shrimp and this was a new, flavorful way for us to cook it!
Hi Capri- Amazing! What a great date nice recipe :)
If we use your recipe for chipolte sauce, do we use the entire batch? This looks delicious!!
Hi Sandy- Yes! You will use the whole batch :)
This looks divine can’t wait to try it. Tried stuffed peppers they were delicious. Thank you so mush Lisa.
Hi Sandra- You’re going to love this one :)
I love all things chipotle, and this recipe is amazing! It’s so creamy, not too spicy, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner!
What wonderful flavors in this beautiful shrimp meal.
Hi Andrea- It’s the perfect blend of creamy & spicy!
Such a colour dish! I’m definitely going to try your Chipotle sauce.
I love anything with chipotle in it and this looks amazing.
Chipotle sauce seriously makes everything better!