Creamy Chipotle Shrimp

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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!

Creamy chipotle shrimp in a saute pan with garnish.

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.

Ingredients for making the recipe on a white background.

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.

  1. 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.
  2. Sauté bell pepper: Add in the bell pepper with extra olive oil and sauté for another 4 minutes.
  3. Add in the aromatics: Add the garlic, green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Give it all a stir.
  4. In comes the chipotle sauce: Mix in the chipotle sauce and milk. Bring it to a simmer, then add the shrimp back in.
  5. 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.

Making the creamy chipotle shrimp recipe in a saute pan on the stove.

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:

For a lighter meal, serve this with:

Close up photo of creamy chipotle shrimp in the pan.

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.

Creamy chipotle shrimp in a saute pan sprinkled with cilantro and peppers.

Creamy Chipotle Shrimp

4.96 from 91 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Creamy chipotle shrimp is a one-pan easy shrimp recipe that's bursting with zesty flavor! This might just be the tastiest weeknight meal to enjoy. Watch the video above!

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

To store: Place it 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.
To thaw: When you're ready to eat,  let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then re-heat it on the stovetop or microwave. It'll taste as good as new!

Nutrition

Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 324mg | Sodium: 1127mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1803IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 5mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chipotle Shrimp Recipe, Creamy Chipotle Shrimp, Shrimp Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




220 Comments

  1. The flavours were amazing!! Very easy to follow along the video and make. 10/10 will make again. Personal preference I thought it was too saucy I would probably only use half of the chipotle sauce in the future. I thought it had a great amount of spice to it (I love spicy food), my boyfriend who doesn’t have a high tolerance to spicy thought it was a little too much for him but he still enjoyed the meal. 5 stars

  2. Oh my goodness!!! This shrimp is so delicious. It was so easy to make and came together in no time. It definitely has a spicy kick to it but in the very best way. I followed the recipe exactly, topped with fresh jalapeños and served over rice. We will making this again. Thank you for another amazing recipe, Lisa. 5 stars

  3. I tweaked the recipe a little by adding chicken and some other seasonings for personal taste, but I wanted to thank you for the inspiration. This dish was refreshingly different, extremely flavorful, and just the right amount of heat. Served with rice and roasted broccoli. Thank you!!!5 stars

  4. This recipe was BEYOND DELICIOUS!! Had it over some mashed potatoes! So hearty and such a treat! Thank you 🙏🏾 Your recipes have brought back the joy of cooking for me! 

  5. I made the Creamy Chipotle Shrimp tonight and it is another winner! I love the contrast between the smoky sauce and the sweet red pepper. Will definitely make this again.

  6. My family raved! Made it as written, with dairy. Really tasty- even without the cilantro, which I forgot to add. So easy to put together. Added a salad with your lemon vinaigrette and presto- delicious dinner! Thanks for a yummy recipe!5 stars

  7. This is absolutely delicious!  Served it tonight over organic black rice. Will definitely make this again! 5 stars

  8. Have made this a couple times as written and loved it. Tonight I wanted to switch things up so I swapped the shrimp for tofu (I drained, cubed and browned first) and half a can of chickpeas. Was delicious!5 stars

  9. Lisa, I don’t think I can get Chipotle peppers or spice in Israel. Can I replace it with cayenne pepper spice?
    I was wondering why fry the shrimp before you make the sauce and not cook the shrimp directly in the sauce so as not to over cook the shrimp
    Thank you so much for your fantastic recipies5 stars

  10. Made this tonight. It was delicious. I did have some tapioca starch on hand so i thickened it up so it was thicker. It turned out perfect. Will be making again. 5 stars

  11. This was a hit with a date so thanks, Lisa ;) I find that the frozen shrimp from Lidl is pretty good and keeps the cost per serving pretty affordable.5 stars

  12. The recipe was fantastic. We used a 1/4 cup of chipotle sauce but the recipe did not say how much to use. Just curious how much you used originally?5 stars

    1. Hi James – happy you loved the recipe! My homemade chipotle sauce (linked above) makes a little over a cup of sauce. Hope that helps!

  13. This will definitely make it’s way into the rotation! Delicious flavors, and easy to do! I forgot to pick up green onion, so I threw in a little red onion–it was great, but next time I’ll try it with the green. My husband is not big on spicy, but he had no issues, and loved it.5 stars

  14. Outstanding meal. My wife rated it a 10, and that’s no small feat. Easy to make with only a little preparation. 5 stars

  15. This was absolutely incredible. After reading the comments I saw the substitution of shredded carrots instead of red bell pepper. I shredded about a cup of baby carrots and shredded about 1/4 cup of a small onion. It worked great! You don’t really even notice the carrots because the sauce is so flavorful and ultra creamy. All of the recipes I’ve tried on Downshiftology always turn out delicious and this is going to be a regular for me and the shrimp lovers in my family.5 stars

    1. You will need to adjust the chipotle sauce since that’s where most of the heat comes from. But, I will need to do some testing to make sure I can get the measurements correct for each ingredient.

  16. Made this tonight for dinner. Fantastic! This was the first recipe that I have made from this site and it was easy to do and a hit with the kids!5 stars

  17. Fabulous receipe. I did make a change by not using the Chipolte Sauce but just finely chopped up a couple of Chipolte peppers and added them where the sauce instruction is noted. It was a hit!!! Ever since finding your site I have had two co-associates also subscribe to you and we have all tried multiple receipes that you have shared. We appreciate your thoughtfullness in coming up with such delicious and healthy receipes, guidance with life self caring, including all the accessories.5 stars

    1. Happy to hear both of you are enjoying my recipes Sue! Can’t wait to share tons more exciting new recipes this year :)

  18. Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Great recipe. It will definitely be added to my delicious dinner list.5 stars

  19. This was very good! We weren’t a huge fan of the bell pepper in this dish, so I’ll probably use asparagus or peas next time. I also used half of the chipotle sauce, and it was enough to coat the pasta properly. I’m definitely adding this to the rotation!4 stars

  20. Is there a typo in the nutritional information? I can’t figure out how the sodium could possibly be that high given the ingredients going into the dish.

  21. This looks delicious and I am very excited to try it! My husband has a severe intolerance to bell peppers (but is ok with chipotle peppers) / do you have a suggestion for another kind of vegetable that would work well with this dish in its place?

    1. Hi Andrea – You could add more chipotle peppers, or any other vegetable, like broccoli or even grated carrots.

  22. Would this recipe work with scallops or chicken? I have an allergy to shrimp. Thank you.

  23. Made this tonight for the first time, I added scallops with the shrimp. Great meal. Will absolutely make this again. Put over some chickpea rice and made the perfect dinner.5 stars

    1. Love the idea of adding scallops into this meal! Sounds so delicious and glad you enjoyed this :)

  24. An outstanding recipe!!! Many many thanks for a superb dinner and sauce recipe. We loved it!5 stars

  25. Your recipes are great–thanks! I’m curious though, if you’d consider adding a ½ scale option. I’m sure there are others like me that cook for only two. 

  26. This looks amazing. I am looking forward to making this very soon. Whenever I go searching for recipes, I always seem to end up on your blog. Everything I see on your blog looks amazing and usually end up cooking with your recipes, (about maybe 90% of the time). Thanks.

  27. Super quick easy recipe for weeknights! I didn’t think there was too much sauce! Thought it was just right! Thank you for the great recipe!5 stars

  28. I would recommend at least halving the amount of sauce and milk called for, if not more. I ended up with far too much sauce in both the pan and storage container.

    Your channel is great, Lisa!3 stars

  29. This was really good and an easy staple sauce to have on hand. Can be used with anything. I didn’t have shrimp but had squid instead. Wonderful! Your barbacoa is in the slow cooker for tonight. Can’t wait!5 stars