Pan Seared Shrimp with Chipotle Lime Glaze is a nice, lighter Mexican-style dinner recipe.

pan seared shrimp with chipotle lime glaze in skillet

This shrimp recipe is easy, fresh, and super-quick. These shrimp are not super spicy! The “glaze” is a simple mixture of chipotle chiles in adobo + some of the sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and cilantro. Just be sure to remove and discard the seeds in the chipotle chile because that’s where the fire is at! The whole recipe requires minimal prep and cooking time (especially if you buy the shrimp already peeled and de-veined).

ingredients displayed for making pan seared shrimp with chipotle lime glaze

Ingredients needed:

  • canned chipotle chiles in adobo
  • adobo sauce
  • light brown sugar
  • lime juice
  • fresh cilantro
  • vegetable or canola oil
  • extra large shrimp
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • white sugar

four photos showing marinade and then shrimp raw and cooked in pan

How to make Pan Seared Shrimp with Chipotle Lime Glaze:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

The first step is preparing the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and stir to mix. Set aside.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat ½ tablespoon of oil over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp, salt, pepper and sugar in a medium bowl. Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until spotty brown and the edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat. Using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but the center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil and the remaining shrimp.
 
After the second batch has stood off the heat, return the first batch to the skillet. Add the glaze mixture and toss until combined. Cover the skillet and let stand until the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

skillet with pan seared shrimp with chipotle lime glaze

This shrimp is fabulous on its own. Add a side salad and some wine, and you’ve got yourself a pretty healthy dinner.

pan seared shrimp with chipotle lime glaze served with rice on a plate

Of course, you can serve it with some steamed rice too. There won’t be a lot of juices to soak up the rice, so be sure to make a flavorful rice like Chile Cheese Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice. The shrimp has plenty of flavor all on its own, so you’re perfectly okay to just serve regular steamed rice too. Enjoy!

pan seared shrimp with chipotle lime glaze

About Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce:

These are sold in a can, and you can locate them in your market’s Latin foods/Mexican food aisle. There are several chiles in the can, and they are surrounded by adobo sauce. You’ll need one whole chile for this recipe, and you’ll need some of the adobo sauce too. The leftovers of the chiles in adobo sauce freeze well. I usually split them up between 3 small zip baggies and just toss them into the freezer. When I need chipotles in adobo for another recipe, I take one of the baggies out to thaw. Easy!

fork full of shrimp

The Best Shrimp Recipes:

If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.

pan seared shrimp with chipotle lime glaze in skillet
5 from 1 vote

Pan Seared Shrimp with Chipotle Lime Glaze

This shrimp recipe has so much flavor!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients

CHIPOTLE-LIME GLAZE:

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 whole (from the can) chipotle chile in adobo sauce (remove seeds, discard, and then chop the chile)
  • 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from the can)

SHRIMP:

Instructions 

PREPARE THE GLAZE:

  • In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and stir to mix. Set aside.

PREPARE THE SHRIMP:

  • In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat ½ tablespoon of oil over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp, salt, pepper and sugar in a medium bowl. Add half of the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until spotty brown and the edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat. Using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but the center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil and the remaining shrimp.
  • After the second batch has stood off the heat, return the first batch to the skillet. Add the glaze mixture and toss until combined. Cover the skillet and let stand until the shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Chipotles chiles in adobo sauce can be found (canned) in the Latin aisle of your supermarket or in specialty markets.
  • If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, the La Costena brand of chipotles in adobo is noted as being GF.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 177kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 214mg, Sodium: 1541mg, Potassium: 214mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 342IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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7 Comments

  1. Kellie Grabenstatter says:

    I’ve bought the ingredients to make this and tasted the chipotle peppers and Adobo sauce and it’s got fire. I wondered how hot the dish turns out or if I can substitute something for the Adobo sauce. My husband can’t handle that level of heat so I’d hate to ruin $25 of shrimp.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Hi! I haven’t made this recipe since 2008, but I recall that it’s spicy. Chipotle is spicy! I’d maybe just add a little of the sauce and skip the whole chipotle. We don’t like really spicy things at my house either.

  2. Adriana Montanez says:

    My daughters, ages 14 and 18, made this dish for me on Mother’s Day.  It was easy, quick, and delicious.  I did not have to assist them in any way. 

  3. Ja says:

    ! Just wondered – I am doing a sugar free diet – can I leave out the sugar in the glaze & with the shrimp without ruining this? Thank you!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’m not sure, but let me know if you try it and have success!

  4. Debbie says:

    This looks absolutely mouthwatering. The family loves shrimp and this gives it a southwest flavor. Outstanding!

  5. megan says:

    This one is heading to the printer. Dinner Saturday night!