Grilled Shrimp with Chipotle Cream Sauce

Recipe byMandyRhode Island home cook, writer and photographer

PublishedNov 28, 2025Comments6

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! In honor of this day, my cooking group gathered and cooked up a Mexican fiesta. We made all sorts of authentic Mexican foods (even a chocolate flourless cake spiced with chili powder…amazing). One of my “assignments” was to make shrimp with a chipotle sauce. The most difficult part of this recipe was finding the chipotle peppers — seems there was a run on them at every store I went to…is this a hot item? Anyway, after finally finding the peppers, I got down to business. I decided to marinate and then grill my shrimp in case the chipotle sauce would be too spicy for some people (me?). That way the shrimp would still be flavorful if no sauce was added. Turns out everyone added the sauce (including me). It is spicy but oh so flavorful!!

Begin by marinating your shrimp. In a large Ziploc bag, add shrimp, olive oil, lemon juice and the Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce. Marinate for about an hour (not longer as the lemon juice starts to “cook” the shrimp with its acidity). When your chipotle sauce (see recipe below) is almost finished, grill shrimp for 3-5 minutes (I use a grilling basket to cook the shrimp–makes it very easy).

Now for the Chipotle sauce: begin by mincing the chipotle peppers. Use a utensil and a knife, not your fingers like I did at first. And take it from me, do not to lick your fingers afterwards….

Next, saute the garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in a little olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly add the heavy cream and the chicken stock and cook for roughly 5 more minutes. Do not boil! Turn heat off and stir in the lemon juice.

I served the chipotle sauce in a gravy boat and let everyone pour the sauce over their shrimp. If you prefer, you could add the grilled shrimp directly into the skillet with the chipotle sauce and let the shrimp meld with the sauce. Either way, this is a sensational, satisfying, spicy mexican creation (say that 5 times fast after sipping your margarita…).

Ingredients:

For the shrimp:
30 Shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail on
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice from ½ of a lemon
8-10 dashes of Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce (if you can’t find this, simply use an authentic mexican hot sauce)

For Chipotle Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 chipotle peppers, minced (I use canned chipotles in an adobo sauce)
2-3 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can containing the peppers)
¼ cup tomato juice
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Serves six

Tips for Success

Shrimp cook so quickly that the biggest risk is leaving them on the grill too long. Watch for the color change. They are done when they turn pink and opaque and curl into a loose C shape. A tight O shape means they have gone too far and will be rubbery. If you have an instant read thermometer, you are looking for 145 degrees F.

Pat the shrimp dry before they go into the marinade so it clings to them.
Preheat and oil the grill. A hot, clean grate or grill basket gives you nice char marks without sticking.
Keep the sauce gentle. Once the cream goes in, keep the heat low so the sauce stays smooth and does not separate.
Wear gloves for the peppers if you have them. The oils linger on your skin long after you wash.

Ingredient Swaps and Variations

If you like it milder, start with 1 or 2 chipotle peppers and add more to taste. For a vegetarian friendly sauce, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock. It is wonderful spooned over grilled vegetables or cheese enchiladas. No grill? Cook the shrimp in a hot skillet with a little olive oil for about 2 minutes per side. Leftover chipotles from the can freeze well in a small container for the next time.

How to Serve It

Serve it with Mexican rice, warm tortillas or over a bed of cilantro lime rice. Tuck the shrimp and sauce into soft tacos with shredded cabbage, or make it an appetizer by threading the shrimp on skewers with a bowl of sauce for dipping.

Make Ahead and Storage

The chipotle sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Rewarm it gently over low heat, stirring often and never letting it boil. Leftover cooked shrimp and sauce keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, or in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes, then pat them dry.

Why did my sauce curdle?

Most likely it got too hot after the cream went in. Keep it at a gentle simmer and add the lemon juice off the heat.

Mandy