Mexican Shrimp Stuffed Avocados — 🍤🍅🥑 If you like ceviche, you’re going to LOVE these EASY avocados stuffed with a mixture of shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, and more — plus some hot sauce for a touch of heat! There’s a time-saving shortcut so these are ready in 15 minutes with no fuss!
Table of Contents
Shrimp … in Avocados? Yes!
I love Shrimp Ceviche, and this stuffed avocado recipe has lots of similarities, but it’s served in an avocado in addition to having avocado incorporated in the shrimp mixture.
I’ve made beef Taco-Stuffed Avocados before, and it was about time I did it with shrimp. My daughter adored these as much as I did!
- They’re naturally gluten-free, easy, and ready in 15 minutes.
- No mayonnaise or sour cream. This is also a dairy-free recipe.
- We definitely think these are a meal since they’re protein packed with plenty of veggies to add filling fiber.
- But for the really hearty eaters out there, you could have a half as an appetizer before another Mexican-inspired meal.
- Trying to do Meatless Mondays? Or be more creative during Lent on Fridays if you abstain from meat? These avocados with seafood are the perfect, tasty solution!
more easy shrimp recipes
Shrimp-Stuffed Avocados Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, but the flavors work so incredibly well together. It feels like you should be eating these on the beach in Mexico with your toes in the sand with a margarita in hand.
For this recipe you’ll need:
- Shrimp
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Salt and pepper – For extra flavor, sprinkle in a bit of cumin if you enjoy the flavor
- Hot sauce, optional – You can also use chili powder for extra heat
- Avocados
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Mexican Shrimp Stuffed Avocados
This shrimp stuffed avocado recipe is so quick and easy to prepare. If you buy pre-cooked shrimp, you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes!
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl.
- Gently stir to combine.
- As it pertains to the avocados, you want to widen and somewhat hollow out the area to fill the avocado halves. Scoop out approximately 50% of the flesh, and stir this into the shrimp mixture.
- Season the mixture as desired, adding salt, pepper, lime juice, lime zest, or hot sauce.
- Spoon the shrimp mixture into the hollowed-out avocados, and serve immediately.
How to Prep Raw Shrimp Yourself
If you are cooking fresh shrimp yourself rather than cheating from the butcher counter, I recommend boiling cleaned shrimp for 1 minute and immediately plunging them into an ice bath.
Small shrimp cook incredibly fast and that’s all the time it’ll take to cook them. The time and effort is in the cleaning, not the cooking, of the shrimp.
Recipe Variations to Try
Similar to its Shrimp Ceviche cousin, these stuffed avocados have lots of flexibility in regard to the ingredients.
Substitution ideas include:
- Scoop up any extra filling with tortilla chips
- I used Roma tomatoes but cherry or other varieties are fine
- I used an English cucumber, but regular cucumber is okay
- Add red bell peppers of any color
- Add diced fresh jalapeños or a garlic clove for more intense flavor
- Use bell pepper of any color or celery for extra crunch
- Add a half can of fire-roasted green chiles
- I used Cholula hot sauce. Or, try Huichol or any of the other thousands of varieties. As written, even with two tablespoons of Cholula I didn’t find this to be too spicy but omit or reduce to taste if you’re heat-sensitive.
- For those shrimp haters like my daughter, omit them and make it without. She loves it this way! Or, you can used flaked salmon or tuna.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, I used 40-50 count shrimp that had already been cleaned, cooked, and chilled from the fish and seafood counter at my grocery store.
I used 40-50 count shrimp, meaning there are 40 to 50 per pound. I did not want to clean 40 to 50 shrimp myself. No gracias.
You can always use bigger shrimp but for this recipe, and it’s a rare situation where bigger is not better when it comes to shrimp. However, for me it’s too much of a mouthful with bigger shrimp and the avocado and everything else.
There’s no point in spending the money on big and beautiful shrimp only to halve or chop them. Save the big ones for homemade Coconut Shrimp.
I am sure you could use frozen shrimp that you cook according to the package directions, but their texture is always a little funky for me. So, I don’t go that route.
I used two extra-large (jumbo) Hass avocados that I halved. So I had four halves and a serving for me is two halves, so this recipe serves two generously, but obviously doubles, etc. easily.
Normally these are the avocados that in my grocery store are $2.99 each (for non-organic) because they’re so much bigger than regular-sized avocados.
If you’re using a more normal-sized avocado, I suggest three of them or six halves.
You want the avocados to be ripe, but not falling apart ripe. Save those for guacamole.
This stuffed avocado recipe with shrimp is best served right away. However, if you have leftovers, you can transfer the shrimp mixture to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Shrimp Stuffed Avocados
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound small shrimp, cooked (40 to 50 count; Tip – To save time, buy cleaned, cooked, and chilled shrimp from your grocery store butcher area)
- 1 medium Roma tomato, diced very small
- ⅓ medium English cucumber, diced very small
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced very small
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely minced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- hot sauce, to taste (I used 2 tablespoons Cholula; or try Huichol)
- 2 extra-large avocados or 3 average sized, halved and with about 50% of the flesh scooped out and put into the mixture
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add all the ingredients (If you’re using raw shrimp, I recommend boiling cleaned shrimp for 1 minute or until just done, and setting in an ice bath to chill) and stir to combine. As it pertains to the avocados, you want to widen and somewhat hollow out the area to fill the avocado halves so there’s space to add the shrimp mixture, but you don’t want them totally clean. Scoop out approximately 50% of the flesh and stir this into the shrimp mixture.
- Taste the mixture and as desired, add additional salt, pepper, lime juice, hot sauce (the 2 tablespoons I added gave it a kick but it wasn’t overly spicy for our tastes), etc. to taste.
- Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out avocados and serve immediately. Recipe is best fresh.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Mexican Shrimp Recipes:
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail — Chilled shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, jalapeno, creamy avocado, and more are combined in a tomato-based sauce, along with a bit of Mexican hot sauce for some kick! Perfect for entertaining or as a no-cook lunch, snack, or dinner – especially when it’s too hot to cook!
Shrimp Ceviche – The EASIEST way to make traditional shrimp ceviche and it tastes the BEST! Ready in 30 minutes, great as an appetizer, side, or as a healthy main course that everyone LOVES!
Avocado Mango Shrimp Salad — With tropical fruit, avocado, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, and plump JUICY shrimp, this EASY 15-minute recipe will become a new FAVORITE! Healthy and light with an assortment of wonderful flavors in every bite!
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!
Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema – Fast, easy, restaurant-quality tacos at home! Juicy beer-battered shrimp, avocado, cheese, and a zesty lime crema to top it off! Perfect for weeknight dinners and easy entertaining!
Originally published May 4, 2020 and republished March 7, 2025 with updated text.
great
Is this Keto friendly? It looms like it. Im a Keto noob.
I don’t know hardly anything about keto.
I have just began ready your blog. What wonderful recipes you have! Thank you!
Thank you for being a new reader and glad you are enjoying my recipes!
This would be perfect on the beach and looks so fresh! I have a co worker who adores avocado–she would love this!
I wish I was on a beach right now…I think we all do! Beaches and parks still closed in San Diego and in Mexico too still! Hope you have a nice Cinco de Mayo at home :)
Any suggestions for a shrimp substitute? Is there a type of fish that may work well?
At that point I would make a fish ceviche (linked in the post) with a firm white fish, dorado (mahi) or something along those lines work well. I am not the biggest fan of tuna ceviches but it does work. You will need to play around with the flavor combos you like.
Great, thanks!