Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Peach Avocado Salsa

Every August I buy more peaches than my family can eat, and every August I end up dicing the extras into a salsa just to use them up before they turn on me. I’ve used them in my healthy fruit salsa and swapped the mango for peaches in my salmon with mango salsa.

This recipe is what my end of summer peach and taco obsession turned into. Smoky chipotle shrimp, a peach avocado salsa that’s sweet with a subtle spice from jalapeño, and the same chipotle crema I make for my blackened shrimp tacos, because once you crack open a can of chipotles in adobo, you might as well get two dinners out of it.

I cook the shrimp in a hot cast iron skillet for the same reason I sear my crispy cast iron skillet chicken thighs in one: the heavy pan holds real heat, so the shrimp gets a hard, fast sear instead of gently steaming in its own juice.

Why You’ll Love These Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

You’ll love these because the heat is layered instead of just turned up (I’m not a big fan of tons of spice). The shrimp gets its smoke from chipotle in adobo, and the salsa gets its brightness from jalapeño and lime, so you can dial each one up or down depending on who’s at the table (my husband loves spice).

They also come together fast, in one skillet, with no grill needed. And between the shrimp and the Greek yogurt in the crema, this is a genuinely filling, protein-forward dinner. Nobody at my table is opening the pantry an hour later.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Shrimp: Peeled and deveined, patted completely dry before seasoning so it sears instead of steams.

Chipotle in adobo: Does double duty. One tablespoon seasons the shrimp and another goes into the crema, so nothing sits half used in the fridge.

Shrimp seasoning: Smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, and kosher salt.

Cooking oil: Just enough to coat the skillet in a thin layer so the shrimp actually sears instead of sticking.

Corn tortillas: Hold up better than flour against a juicy salsa and keep this naturally gluten free.

Chipotle crema: Full fat Greek yogurt, sour cream, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, and kosher salt, whisked together. It’s the same crema from my blackened shrimp tacos.

Peaches: Just ripe, not fully ripe, so the salsa holds its texture instead of turning to soup.

Avocado: Ripe but still firm enough to dice cleanly without turning to mush when tossed.

Jalapeño and red onion: Seed the jalapeño for milder heat, and dice the red onion small so it doesn’t overpower the peach.

Lime juice and cilantro: Brighten the salsa and balance the sweetness of the peach.

[Photo: ingredient flatlay including the chipotle can, peaches, avocado, and spices]

How to Pick Peaches for This Peach Avocado Salsa

This salsa lives or dies on ripeness. Use peaches that are just ripe, not fully ripe. They should give a little when you press near the stem, but still feel firm enough to hold a clean dice.

The first time I made this, I grabbed peaches that were perfectly ripe for eating out of hand. By the time the tacos were plated, the peaches had turned brown and soft. Now I actually look for peaches that are a day away from perfect, not a day past it.

Here in Ohio, peaches usually peak from late July through August, and the ones from the farmers market are almost always riper and softer than what I find at the grocery store. My best tip is to buy the peaches a day or two before.

If your peaches are too hard: leave them on the counter for a day or so. It will be even faster if you still them in a brown bag with avocado.

If they’re too soft: dice them smaller and wait until right before serving to mix them in.

My Summer Grilled Peach Salad has more on picking peaches if you want to go deeper on this than one recipe post really allows.

How to Make Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

Step 1. Season the shrimp: Pat the shrimp completely dry, since any leftover water turns to steam in the pan and stops the char from forming. Toss the dry shrimp with the seasoning and the tablespoon of adobo sauce.

Step 2. Make the crema: Whisk together the crema ingredients until smooth and pourable, then taste it. Add more lime for brightness or another half teaspoon of adobo for more smoke.

Step 3. Make the salsa: Toss the peach, avocado, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro together gently in a separate bowl. Stir gently rather than vigorously, since overmixing breaks the avocado down and turns the salsa to mush faster.

Step 4. Cook the shrimp: Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until it’s shimmering, then add the shrimp in a single layer without crowding them. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. The shrimp are done when they curl into a tight C shape and turn fully opaque, the same tell I use for my blackened shrimp tacos.

Step 5. Warm the tortillas and assemble: Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds per side, or char them directly over a gas flame. Layer on the shrimp, a generous scoop of salsa, and a drizzle of crema, then finish with more lime and cilantro if you’d like.

Tips for Success

1. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one. It holds heat better than nonstick, which means a better sear on the shrimp instead of a gentle simmer.
2. Flip the shrimp with tongs or a thin spatula rather than a wide one. It sounds small, but a wide spatula tends to drag the seasoning right off the shrimp when you’re flipping a whole panful at once, and you lose flavor with it.
3. Taste your salsa before you serve it. Peaches vary a lot in sweetness depending on the week, so the salt and lime you need can shift from batch to batch.

Variations and Substitutions

Want it milder? Leave the seeds and ribs out of the jalapeño, or skip it entirely and lean on the peach and lime for brightness instead.

Swap the shrimp for boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces, if that’s what you have on hand. The cook time will run a few minutes longer since chicken needs to cook through.

Flour tortillas work if that’s your preference, though corn holds up best against the salsa and keeps this gluten free. Grain free tortillas, like Siete, are a good option if you need this dairy free friendly on the tortilla side.

Try another topping: I love these tacos with quick pickled onions and a creamy jalapeno ranch would be delicious instead of the crema.

For a dairy free crema, swap the Greek yogurt and sour cream for cashew cream or your favorite dairy free yogurt and sour cream alternatives. The adobo, lime, and honey still do the heavy lifting on flavor.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The crema actually gets better after a day in the fridge, so it’s the one part of this recipe I’ll make up to 3 days ahead without hesitation.

The salsa is different. Dice the onion, and jalapeño up to a day ahead if you want to save time, but keep them separate and uncombined until right before serving. Once you toss the salsa together, the peach juice and the avocado start breaking it down within a couple of hours, so this isn’t a make it Sunday, eat it Wednesday situation.

Leftover shrimp keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in its own container. Reheat it in a hot skillet for a minute or two rather than the microwave, which turns shrimp rubbery fast. The crema keeps just as long and, again, only improves with a day or two to sit.

What to Serve with Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

These tacos are a full meal on their own between the shrimp and the crema, but if you’re feeding a crowd or want to round things out, my Mexican Street Corn Salad is an easy side that leans into the same sweet and smoky flavors.

A simple Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad works too if you want something cooler and lighter next to the tacos. Chips and guacamole never hurt anyone at taco night either.

Frequently Asked Questions

And if this crema has you hooked the way it’s hooked me, my Pork Tenderloin Tacos and Flank Steak with Pineapple Marinade and Pineapple Salsa are both built around that same sweet meets smoky combination.

More Taco Recipes

• Ground pork tacos
• Crispy chicken tacos
• Korean beef tacos