Get ready for a flavor explosion with this easy and delicious Creamy Chipotle Shrimp recipe served over grilled polenta squares. It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it will have you coming back for seconds!
The sauteed shrimp are topped with a creamy chipotle sauce and served over homemade grilled polenta squares. I love the kick of spice with a subtle smoky flavor in the sauce, it pairs perfectly with the grilled shrimp and creamy polenta. A great weeknight dinner or fun recipe to make for friends!
For another tasty shrimp recipe, check out my Red Curry Coconut Shrimp Noodles recipe. Pad thai noodles get coated in a flavorful and creamy red coconut curry sauce, and served with crunchy snap peas, fresh cilantro, and juicy sautéed shrimp. This will definitely be your new go-to dinner recipe that takes less than 30 minutes start to finish!
Chipotle Shrimp and Polenta Ingredients
Corn Meal – As the base for polenta, it’s important to buy high quality cornmeal for optimal flavor plus texture.
Cream Cheese – Adds the creamy texture and rich flavor of traditional polenta. For a lightened up and dairy free version, sub with a vegan option such as Kite Hill.
Olive Oil – Used for all parts of this recipe, olive oil adds healthy fats, keeps ingredients from sticking, and helps bring this dish together.
Shrimp – I prefer the taste / texture of a bigger shrimp, for this recipe I used shrimp that were a size 16-20. You can but them pre-peeled and deveined as well to keep the recipe easier!
Spices – Chili powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika are the star spices of this shrimp polenta. The chili powder adds a kick of heat, the onion powder elevates the overall flavor, and the smoked paprika adds a subtle smokiness that I absolutely love.
Shallot – I love using shallot because it gives a subtle onion aroma and flavor without overpowering the dish.
Bell Pepper – I prefer the flavor of green bell peppers but any color will work for this chipotle shrimp recipe.
Baby Bella Mushrooms – Slice the mushrooms thin so that the texture stays soft without being mushy.
Creamy Chipotle Sauce Ingredients
Cashews – The best base for any vegan cheese sauce, raw cashews blend into a perfectly creamy sauce.
Lime Juice & Zest – I prefer to use lime whenever I prepare a chipotle flavored dish. It just pairs better with the spices than lemon would!
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce – These are just jalapeño chiles that have been dried, smoked and then packed in a flavorful sauce made of tangy tomatoes and spices. My go-to is Goya brand, they’re available in most stores or online through Amazon.
Nutritional Yeast – A vegan alternative for cheesy flavor in vegan recipes. The taste is delicious and it’s full of vitamins and minerals. I usually buy mine from either Bragg, Frontier Co-op, or Bob’s Red Mill.
How to Make Grilled Polenta
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly whisk in cornmeal to prevent lumps. Once all cornmeal has been added, reduce to medium heat and add cream cheese. Continue to whisk occasionally for 8-10 minutes (until cornmeal is cooked and no longer gritty) and remove from heat.
- Pour into a foil-lined 8×8 baking pan. Let cool completely.
- Once cool, remove from the baking pan and cut into 6 squares.
- Heat a grill pan to medium and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, brush both sides of the polenta squares with olive oil and cook until evenly browned, 4-5 minutes per side.
How to Make Chipotle Shrimp
- Start by preparing your shrimp – to a large bowl, add peeled & deveined shrimp, olive oil, organic chili powder, organic onion powder, organic smoked paprika, and salt. Stir until shrimp are evenly coated.
- To a large skillet, add an additional 2 tbsp olive oil and heat to medium.
- Once hot, add shrimp and cook undisturbed on one side for 5 minutes. Flip each shrimp and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are tightly curled. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- To the same skillet (do not rinse!), add your diced shallot and green bell pepper, scraping the bottom to get the extra flavor from the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Next, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until cooked.
- While your vegetables are sautéing, start on your sauce. To a high-powered blender, add the cashews, water, lime juice, lime zest, chipotle peppers, nutritional yeast, organic garlic powder, and salt. Blend for 3-4 minutes on high, or until smooth.
- To the skillet with the cooked vegetables, add your creamy chipotle sauce. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 5-8 minutes, until thickened.
- Add your shrimp, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
How to Serve Creamy Chipotle Shrimp with Grilled Polenta Squares
Once you’ve made all the parts to this dish, it’s time to assemble it! To each plate, add 1-2 grilled polenta squares and top with the creamy chipotle shrimp. Sprinkle with organic black pepper and garnish each plate with thinly sliced fresh scallions, lime zest, and jalapenos. Serve with lime wedges then enjoy!
What is Polenta
Mmmmm polenta, one of my favorites! This Italian staple can be made both savory or sweet and has such great texture. Traditional polenta is made from actual polenta but it can also be made with ground yellow corn, as in this recipe. The main difference between authentic polenta and cornmeal based polenta is simply the texture!
The basics for polenta are water or broth then salt and pepper. To give it flavor, most recipes call for additional seasoning, cheese, or creamy dairy products such as cream cheese. What’s especially great about polenta though is that it’s so versatile. You can make it super rich and dairy laden or a lightened up vegan version. You can use lots of spice and make it savory or sweeten things up and enjoy it with breakfast or dessert.
Have you ever prepared polenta before? If so, what’s your favorite way to prepare it?!
How to Store this Shrimp Polenta Dish
The leftovers are just as good (if not better) as the spices and curry have more time to marinade together. I do suggest storing the chipotle shrimp separate from the grilled polenta however to maintain the polenta texture.
To reheat any leftovers, simply saute the creamy chipotle shrimp in a pan while separately heating the polenta in the oven or on the stovetop. Once both are thoroughly heated, assemble and enjoy!
For another tasty shrimp dish, check out this Spicy Tomato & Ginger Shrimp Pasta. The spicy sauce is full of flavor from fresh minced garlic, ginger, and onion all sautéed with a white wine and tomato reduction. Then to top things off, tender shrimp and al dente pasta that makes this dish into a true “chef’s kiss” creation.
If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Creamy Chipotle Shrimp with Grilled Polenta Squares 🙂
Ingredients
Grilled Polenta Squares
- 3½ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- ½ cup cream cheese sub dairy-free if needed, my favorite brand is Kite Hill
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
Shrimp
- 1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp size 16-20
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup shallot diced fine (~2 medium)
- 2 cups green bell pepper chopped (~1 large)
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms sliced thin (4 oz)
Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- ¾ raw cashew pieces
- 2 ½ cups water
- 5 tbsp lime juice ~3 limes
- 1 tbsp lime zest ~1-2 limes
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Optional garnish: scallions lime wedges, fresh lime zest, jalapenos
Instructions
Grilled Polenta:
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly whisk in cornmeal to prevent lumps. Once all cornmeal has been added, reduce to medium heat and add cream cheese. Continue to whisk occasionally for 8-10 minutes (until cornmeal is cooked and no longer gritty) and remove from heat.
- Pour into a foil-lined 8×8 baking pan. Let cool completely.
- Once cool, remove from the baking pan and cut into 6 squares.
- Heat a grill pan to medium and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, brush both sides of the polenta squares with olive oil and cook until evenly browned, 4-5 minutes per side.
Chipotle Shrimp:
- Start by preparing your shrimp – to a large bowl, add peeled & deveined shrimp, olive oil, organic chili powder, organic onion powder, organic smoked paprika, and salt. Stir until shrimp are evenly coated.
- To a large skillet, add an additional 2 tbsp olive oil and heat to medium.
- Once hot, add shrimp and cook undisturbed on one side for 5 minutes. Flip each shrimp and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp are tightly curled. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- To the same skillet (do not rinse!), add your diced shallot and green bell pepper, scraping the bottom to get the extra flavor from the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Next, add your sliced mushrooms. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until cooked.
- While your vegetables are sauteing, start on your sauce. To a high-powered blender, add the cashews, water, lime juice, lime zest, chipotle peppers, nutritional yeast, organic garlic powder, and salt. Blend for 3-4 minutes on high, or until smooth.
- To the skillet with the cooked vegetables, add your creamy chipotle sauce. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 5-8 minutes, until thickened.
- Add your shrimp, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
Assembly
- Add 1-2 grilled polenta squares per plate and top with Creamy Chipotle Shrimp. Sprinkle with Organic Black Pepper and garnish each plate with thinly sliced fresh scallions, lime zest, and jalapenos. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!
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