A couple of summers ago I added a Chili Lime Butter Shrimp Taco with Avocado puree, slaw, and Cotjio cheese to my food trucks’ taco menu. On the food truck, I cook and hold the shrimp in the chili-lime butter so that it doesn’t dry out during the two hours of service, but I wondered if I could elevate the recipe to a more filling dish at home by adding corn, fresh cilantro, and hot pepper. It turned out great. This is a very quick and easy weeknight dish that pairs well with rice, beans, vegetables, or soup. This version also makes a very good taco. Enjoy.
Shrimp and Corn with Chili Lime Butter
2-4 servings
1-pound extra-large shrimp (21-25 per pound)
1 ½ cup of frozen corn thawed
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon diced & seeded hot pepper, Jalapeno or Serrano (optional)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 lime quartered in wedges
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Thaw, peel, devein, and remove tails from shrimp, pat them dry with a paper towel. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, add garlic and the diced pepper to the butter. Sauté for about 2 minutes, adjust heat if needed so the butter doesn’t burn, then add the shrimp in a single layer and sprinkle chili powder, chili flake, salt, and pepper over shrimp. Cook shrimp until edges turn pink and bottoms start to get brown spots, about 3 minutes. Quickly flip shrimp and add corn evenly around the pan. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until shrimp is opaque and cooked through. Stir and remove from heat. Off heat, stir in lime juice, zest, and half the cilantro.
Serve the remaining cilantro and the lime wedges with the shrimp.
This recipe is also great in tacos with avocado, Cotija cheese, and a side of crispy coleslaw.
