Whole 30 Whole30 Chili-Lime Shrimp with Zucchini Ribbons
Bright, smoky, and finished with a hit of fresh lime, this skillet dinner is the kind of weeknight meal that feels way more impressive than the effort it takes. Plump shrimp get tossed in a bold marinade of chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic, and lime zest before hitting a screaming-hot pan, where they pick up just enough char to make things interesting. The zucchini ribbons — shaved thin with a peeler or mandoline — cook in under two minutes and land somewhere between tender and crisp, making them a genuinely satisfying stand-in for noodles or rice. Every single ingredient here is clean and compliant, so there's no label-reading or substitution gymnastics required. Avocado oil does the heavy lifting in the pan, and fresh lime juice ties the whole dish together without any added sugar or off-limits sauces sneaking in. It comes together in about 30 minutes and serves four, which means it works just as well for a solo meal-prep session as it does for feeding the whole table. Finish it with a handful of cilantro and an extra squeeze of lime, and dinner is done.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the shrimp
- 1 ½ lb large shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 tsp lime zest
For the zucchini ribbons
- 4 medium zucchini (about 2 lb total)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil, the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, black pepper, lime juice, and lime zest. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Let the shrimp marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- 2
While the shrimp marinates, use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave each zucchini lengthwise into wide, thin ribbons, rotating the zucchini a quarter-turn after each pass and stopping when you reach the seedy core. Discard the cores or reserve for another use.
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