Anyway, like i was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. you can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There’s uh, shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich…that’s, that’s about it.
-Benjamin Buford Blue aka Bubba (Forrest Gump)
Famously named by the Queen B herself, I am what you call a “Texas Bama.”
I was born in Mobile, Alabama, grew up in Texas, then went back to the greatest state in the US for college (roll tide!).
And I have eaten my fair share of shrimp, so the Forrest Gump reference isn’t too far off…and while we did more of the crawfish boil thing at Alabama, here in the Carolinas these same boil typically involve shrimp and call it a low country boil. The Texan in me though is a Mexican food snob. Tex-mex and Mexican food ARE NOT the same thing people. Cheese dip is NOT queso. I promise you in one trip to Joe T Garcias in Fort Worth, TX will forever change your mind on what good tastes like.
So between my love for seafood, Mexican food and Trader Joe’s self created seasonings, I came up with this amazing shrimp dish…and like Bubba claims, you can literally put this shrimp on ANYTHING! I made my Chile Lime Shrimp two ways and am already salivating at the other meals I plan on incorporating this shrimp in!
Did I mention it is also only 3 ingredients & takes less than 15 minutes to make?
Trader Joe’s does it again with yet another amazing seasoning. (you know how I already feel about their Everything Bagel Seasoning)…this seasoning has a hint of lime, cumin and all the other flavors you want with any Mexican dish. And it tastes great added with shrimp!
Shrimp may be the easiest protein in the world to cook. Literally you throw it in a hot pan and let it cook for 4 minutes on each side & voila, its ready to eat!
The first way I made the shrimp was for a funny party appetizer. Just add a multigrain tortilla chip, a scoop of guacamole, a chile lime shrimp & a squeeze of lime juice over the top. It’s the perfect bite!
For dinner last night I heated up flour tortillas, threw on some homemade pico de gallo (recipe coming soon), guacamole, lettuce, the chile lime shrimp & a pinch of cilantro. We devoured them in 2 minutes flat!
Finding a staple protein that I can pair with multiple meals is always needed and this chili lime shrimp is definitely one of those proteins. I added a few different ideas of what you could make with them in the recipe box. I would love to hear other fun ways to use the shrimp if you have any ideas!
Enjoy!

- 1 lb shrimp
- 2 tbsp Trader Joes Chile Lime Seasoning
- 2 tsp olive oil
-
Combine all three ingredients into a bowl. Mix well & let marinate for 5 minutes.
-
Heat a non-stick pan at medium heat for 1 minute to warm. Add shrimp and cook.
-
Let sauté for 4 minutes on each side until completely cooked through.
These shrimp can be used for anything! The options are endless:
- Make them into shrimp tacos
- Combine 1 tortilla chip, a scoop of guacamole & 1 shrimp to make a great appetizer
- Add to a bowl with cilantro rice, black beans & corn for a shrimp burrito bowl
- Eat them by themselves with guacamole on the side
- Instead of sautéing them, you could add them to skewers with pineapple chunks or peppers and pop them on the grill
- Instead of adding chicken to a fajita chicken pasta, you can throw these shrimp in for an entirely new flavor profile
Sounds tasty but there is not actually cumin in this seasoning. My family hates cumin (alas) so I wouldn’t be able to get them to eat it if there was. It contains salt, chile, bell pepper, and lime juice. No cumin at all. You could add it to the recipe if you were so inclined.