Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad

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Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad — Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that’s a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad - Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

Warm Shrimp and Avocado Salad

This healthy salad with shrimp and avocado brings all the flavors of Mexico to you. It’s easy, healthy, light and fresh, and ready in 10 minutes.

There are so many amazing textures and Mexican-inspired flavors, including cumin-spiced tender shrimp, black beans, velvety avocado, crunchy cucumbers, and a bit of heat from a jalapeño pepper as well as an optional serrano chile pepper.

Everything is coated in a lime and honey sauce that is so good you will want to slurp it up with a spoon. 

It’s a fiesta in your mouth in every bite. Seriously so tasty and we could eat this every day!

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad - Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

Shrimp Avocado Salad Ingredients

To make this cilantro lime shrimp salad, you’ll need the following easy-to-find ingredients: 

  • Black beans
  • Avocado
  • Jalapeño pepper
  • Serrano chile pepper
  • Cucumber 
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Olive oil
  • Ground cumin, salt, and pepper
  • Lime juice
  • Honey

What’s the Best Type of Shrimp for Salads? 

I used one pound of fresh, raw shrimp that were deveined but still had the shells on. You do not want to use shrimp that have already been cooked.

I used large shrimp, 12-15 count. meaning there are 12 to 15 per pound. You can use smaller shrimp if you prefer but I like the flavor better of larger shrimp.

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad - Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

How to Make Shrimp Avocado Salad

This is an incredibly easy cilantro lime shrimp salad to make, and it’s best served immediately while the shrimp are still warm. Here’s a look at how the healthy shrimp salad recipe comes together: 

  1. Simply add cleaned shrimp to a skillet with olive oil, sprinkle with cumin, and cook for about 2 minutes per side. 
  2. After you flip over the shrimp, add lime juice and honey to the skillet. This sauce becomes the salad dressing that coats the black beans and veggies and there’s no need to prepare any other dressings or use any store-bought dressings, which is handy.
  3. Transfer the shrimp and all the sauce to the bowl with the lettuce and vegetables. Stir to combine.

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad - Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

Ingredient Substitutions to Try

While I used black beans, avocado, cucumbers, cilantro, and jalapeno and serrano chiles, feel free to get creative and mix-and-match. 

Try adding:

  • tomatoes
  • corn
  • zucchini
  • red onions
  • green onions
  • radishes
  • garbanzo beans
  • queso fresco
  • queso panela
  • or whatever you have on hand and enjoy! 

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad - Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

Tips for the Best Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Shrimp cook very quickly and you don’t want to overcook them or they’ll be rubbery and tough. Just a couple minutes on either side (for large shrimp) is all they need! 

If you need to bulk up this meal even further, try serving it with steamed rice, refried beans, tortilla chips, salsa, or another favorite Mexican side. 

The warm shrimp salad is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 days, noting that the avocado will oxidize and the vegetables will soften and release their natural juices as time passes.

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad — Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!

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4.67 from 36 votes

Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad

By Averie Sunshine
Lime Cilantro Shrimp and Black Bean Salad - Tender juicy shrimp, black beans, avocado, cilantro, and more coated in a lime sauce that's a FIESTA in your mouth!! An EASY and HEALTHY Mexican-inspired salad that’s ready in 10 minutes!!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients  

  • one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I use no salt added)
  • 1 medium ripe avocado, diced into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 small serrano chile pepper, finely minced (remove seeds for less heat); optional
  • ½ medium cucumber, diced into bite-sized pieces
  • cup fresh cilantro finely minced, or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined (I used 12-15 count large shrimp)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons cumin, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons honey, or to taste

Instructions 

  • To a large bowl, add the black beans, avocado, jalapeno, optional serrano chile, cucumber, cilantro; set aside
  • To a medium skillet, add the olive oil, shrimp, evenly sprinkle with cumin, salt, pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
  • Flip shrimp over, turn the heat to medium-low, add the lime juice, honey, stir to combine, and cook until shrimp are done, about 2 minutes. Taste the sauce. If desired, add additional lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, or cumin.
  • Transfer the shrimp and all the sauce to the bowl with the lettuce and vegetables. Stir to combine. Taste and make any other seasoning adjustments if necessary (I sprinkled with another 1/2 teaspoon cumin) and serve immediately. Salad is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 days, noting the avocado will oxidize and the vegetables will soften and release their natural juices as time passes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 495kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 239mg, Sodium: 2112mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 18g

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

More Mexican-Inspired Salad Recipes: 

Black Bean Corn Avocado SaladTossed with a tangy cumin lime vinaigrette. It’s incredibly filling thanks to the beans and avocado, and can easily be packed for lunch!

Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad with lime vinaigrette in a white bowl

Avocado Black Bean Mexican Salad – EASY, ready in 10 minutes, and there’s so much FLAVOR from the lime-cumin-chili vinaigrette!! Great for lunch or a meatless Monday dinner! Accidentally vegan, gluten-free, HEALTHY, and DELISH!!

Avocado and Black Bean Mexican Salad - EASY, ready in 10 minutes, and there's so much FLAVOR from the lime-cumin-chili vinaigrette!! Great for lunch or a meatless Monday dinner! Accidentally vegan, gluten-free, HEALTHY, and DELISH!!

Skinny Mexican Bean and Corn Salad – Such a fast and easy recipe to make. Plus, it’s loaded with flavor and textures galore. Two kinds of beans, juicy corn and tomatoes, crisp peppers, and green onions are tossed in a lime-chili-cumin vinaigrette that’s perfectly light.

Mexican bean salad with corn on a white plate with fork

Chicken Avocado Black Bean Salad — A Mexican-inspired salad with tender chicken, black beans, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and more! EASY, ready in 20 minutes, HEALTHY, and packed with fiesta FLAVORS galore!

Chicken Avocado Black Bean Salad on white plate

Creamy Corn and Zucchini Salad— A healthy EASY salad that’s ready in 15 minutes and so flavorful!! Corn, zucchini, cilantro, queso fresco and more are tossed in a DELISH creamy lime sauce!!

Beef Taco Salad — Loaded with crisp romaine lettuce, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, and more! It comes together in just 20 minutes and is topped with the most incredible cilantro lime dressing. 

Grilled Corn Salad with Chicken — An EASY salad that’s ready in 15 minutes and you won’t be able to stop eating it!! Tender chicken, juicy corn, crisp bell peppers and tomatoes, creamy avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime juice for the WIN!!

4.67 from 36 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This dish is delicious! I’ve made it a few times now and my 19 year old picky eater loves it as well, although she skips the shrimp.
    There are several other recipes on the site I’m looking forward to trying!
    Thank you.

  2. 5 stars
    This dish is delicious! I’ve made it a few times now and my 19 year old picky eater loves it as well, although she skips the shrimp.
    There are several other recipes on the site I’m looking forward to trying!
    Thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    I think this is my new favorite recipe of yours Averie. I was skeptical at first, thinking there wasn’t enough ingredients to make it interesting but this was fabulous and healthy and low calorie. I’m going to make this over and over again!!

  4. 5 stars
    I think this is my new favorite recipe of yours Averie. I was skeptical at first, thinking there wasn’t enough ingredients to make it interesting but this was fabulous and healthy and low calorie. I’m going to make this over and over again!!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved it and will make it over and over again!

      I made this in my Mexican kitchen and used what I had on hand and what I could walk less than 6 blocks to obtain. So yes, simple ingredients, but I agree it’s so flavorful and we loved it as well!

  5. 5 stars
    We loved this one too! Jon did the shrimp on the grill in a foil pan while I got the rest of the salad together. I ended up adding more cumin at the end too–I love it as much as cilantro. The sauce is so good over the cucumber and black beans!

  6. 5 stars
    We loved this one too! Jon did the shrimp on the grill in a foil pan while I got the rest of the salad together. I ended up adding more cumin at the end too–I love it as much as cilantro. The sauce is so good over the cucumber and black beans!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this one! Grilled shrimp has such a wonderful flavor and I agree about the sauce (and more cumin too!) – so good over the other cucumber and black beans!

      I am really glad you’re loving the shrimp recipes. I just made a couple more over the weekend to be doled out in the weeks to come.

  7. I am visiting my parents this weekend and Mom put some home grown cucumbers and zucchini in a bag for me. I think I’ll send Jon to get the shrimp and avocado and we’ll be set! I need something quick and light tomorrow when I get back and this looks delicious!

    1. This was light, quick, and definitely perfect for a quick meal! Enjoy your weekend with your parents!

  8. This salad looks so fresh and delicious! And I love the mix-and-match ingredients you listed, too. YUM!

    1. I am a big fan of mix and match ingredients to keep things flexible…never know exactly quite what I will have on hand :)