Loaded with spicy shrimp, sautéed peppers and onions and served on a bed of crisp salad greens, this colourful Shrimp Fajita Salad Bowl is a crowd-pleaser! Bright colours, zesty flavours, fresh crisp greens and a piquant dressing! This salad is perfect for any time of the year.
Here's a healthy meal-in-a-bowl with popular Tex-Mex flavours! Dinner salads have become our favourite way to eat lately and this Shrimp Fajita Salad has been on our table several times in the last few weeks. It's just that good.
This Mexican seafood salad features spicy fajita shrimp and sautéed bell peppers and onions on a bed of crisp salad greens. It's low-carb and gluten-free
It's a low-carb, gluten-free recipe that's drizzled with honey-lime vinaigrette and it's fun to eat with your favourite tortilla chips. Addictive!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
Fun to eat! Fajitas are fun to order when we eat out, but it's easy to create a meal with those same flavours at home.
Use your own seasoning mix if you like. I use my homemade Taco Seasoning Mix for my shrimp fajita seasoning. Dried seasoning will give you instant flavour.
Bright, zesty and healthy! Bright colours, zesty flavours, fresh crisp greens and a piquant dressing that's perfect for fajita salad! This salad is perfect for any time of year, but especially for those hot days when you don't want to turn on the oven. Each bite tastes better than the one before!
Mexican flavours! Add a squeeze of lime and some crunchy tortilla chips and enjoy this healthy Mexican salad!
🛒 Ingredients
You'll find a complete list of ingredients in the recipe card below. Here are a few notes.
- red onion: if you find these are two spicy, soak slices in water for a few minutes, then drain
- bell peppers: 1 each of red, yellow, orange
- shrimp fajita seasoning: use my recipe below!
- large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined. Choose wild-caught shrimp. Wondering how to buy, peel and cook shrimp so it turns out perfectly every time? See my post A Complete Guide to Cooking Shrimp and Prawns.
- romaine lettuce: chopped, or other crisp salad greens
- purple cabbage: thinly sliced
- cherry tomatoes: or chopped tomatoes
- tortilla chips: for serving
🔪 Instructions
- Whisk the Honey Lime Vinaigrette ingredients together and set aside.
- Arrange the greens and salad ingredients on a platter or in bowls.
- Sauté onions and peppers. Season.
- Season the shrimp with the fajita seasoning mixand sauté.
- Add onions, peppers and shrimp to the salad greens and drizzle with the honey-lime vinaigrette.
- Garnish with lime wedges, cilantro leaves and serve with your favourite tortilla chips.
🗒Fajita seasoning mix recipe
While you can use pre-made fajita seasoning in this recipe, it's a snap to mix up a jar of this seasoning mix and will take you less time than it would to run to the store to pick up a package.
To make fajita seasoning, combine in an 8-ounce jar:
- 6 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Use ¾ teaspoon of this mix (or more, to your liking) in this recipe. Save the rest to use in Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas, Skinny Chopped Chicken Taco Salad, or Taco Stuffed Mini Peppers.
💬Reader Questions
Prawns and shrimp cook very quickly, no matter which method you use: boiling, pan-frying, grilling or air frying. You'll know they're done when they lose their translucence and curl into a C-shape. They're safe to eat when they’ve turned completely opaque with a pink colour and bright-red tails.
Don't overcook! They only take a minute or two on each side. They'll quickly become rubbery if you cook them too long.
Shrimp have an intestinal tract that you'll want to remove before serving. Spot prawns have a very small digestive tract that can easily be removed by either gently lifting it out with your fingers or with a toothpick.
If you're using large imported shrimp, this intestine may have already been removed. If not, you may see a dark digestive tract along their back. You can pull this out in the same way if you've shelled the shrimp.
🥘 Equipment
I use my cast-iron frying pan to make this recipe.
👍🏼 Meal Prep Tips
Save time by preparing parts of this recipe in advance.
- Mix up a batch of shrimp fajita seasoning well in advance to have on hand.
- Make the honey-lime dressing for fajita salad a day or two in advance and store it in the fridge.
- Slice the peppers and onions and refrigerate them in airtight containers.
- Then all you'll have to do before assembling this shrimp salad is wash and chop the greens and tomatoes and thaw the shrimp!
👍🏼Elaine's top tips
Make this fajita salad as mild or as spicy as you like, simply by adding more or less fajita seasoning.
Avoid overcooking shrimp. They become disappointingly rubbery and tough if you cook them too long. One to two minutes per side is usually enough to fully cook them.
Possible variations
Make this a chicken fajita salad instead! Add precooked or rotisserie chicken instead of shrimp. Use the same honey-lime dressing for fajita salad.
Serve this recipe as shrimp fajitas! Stuff warmed tortillas with the shrimp and sautéed peppers and onions, and serve the salad greens on the side. Offer sour cream or guacamole or avocado crema as well if you like.
This recipe was originally posted in 2018. It has been updated with extra information to make it more helpful.
📖 Recipe Card
Spicy Shrimp Fajita Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil, divided
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 bell peppers, 1 each of red, yellow, orange
- ¾ teaspoon fajita seasoning* see recipe notes
- 32 large shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- ½ cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- tortilla chips, for serving
Honey Lime Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice, fresh (juice from 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or chili powder
- 2 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and set aside to allow flavours to blend.
- Arrange washed, dried and chopped romaine, cabbage and tomatoes on a large platter (or in individual shallow bowls.)
- Peel and devein shrimp and toss with fajita seasoning. Let stand.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions for a few minutes, then add peppers and cook until tender-crisp. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing, remove from skillet.
- Wipe out skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add shrimp. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Avoid overcooking or shrimp will be tough and rubbery.
- Add sautéed onions and peppers to the salad. Top with shrimp. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges and serve with your favourite tortilla chips.
Notes
- 6 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Dot
I made this last night after making a jar of your fajita seasoning mix. The kids all loved it! Thanks. Will make it again.
Elaine
I love this one, too! So easy.
Anne
I made this yesterday and we loved it! All those yummy fajita flavors in a healthy salad! Thanks.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Anne! It's a favourite of mine, too.
Marilyn
I made these in the air fryer using your Chicken Fajitas Air Fryer recipe. I cooked the peppers and onions first, then added the shrimp for the last few minutes. So delicious over a salad!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks for letting me know how you adapted this recipe. Great idea to use the air fryer! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Kelly
It's a beautiful salad! And it's equally delicious!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Kelly! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Denise from Urb’n’Spice
Absolutely everything about your Shrimp Fahita Salad recipe appeals to me, Elaine! And I love making my own gluten free spice mixes. I will be making up a big batch of your recipe for my family and a smaller version using strips of chicken tenders for someone who is allergic to shrimp. I think it will be an amazing feast! Thank you for sharing. 😊❤️
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much Denise! Great idea to adapt it for chicken too! Enjoy!
Cathy
What a beautiful, delicious looking salad! I'm sure this will be enjoyed on many summer evenings!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Cathy!
Lisa
I love the look of this dish and can just imagine how delicious it is, especially with the shrimp and the great fajita seasoning! It's an awesome light meal that I'm looking forward to trying.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Lisa! Hope you get a chance to try it soon.
Colleen
Wow, this salad looks so delicious! The shrimp are perfect with honey and lime. So perfect for patio season. Can't wait to try this.
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Colleen! I love that honey-lime combo on almost anything!
Kristen Kaethler
The perfect summer meal, thanks for sharing. Can't wait to make this recipe, sit outside and enjoy with a margarita!
Flavour & Savour
A perfect accompaniment to this salad!