Guacamole Shrimp Appetizer Recipe

Tailgating snacks month

Whether you’re having people over to watch the game or going to someone else’s Super Bowl party, chances are you’re going to be serving some guacamole. Guacamole is pretty much on the menu at any game day tailgating party.

And it’s one of the healthier choices for game day. Add in some shrimp, and you’ll be the MVP of the day.

So, it’s only natural to bring it to your during tailgating snacks month.

Guacamole

Guacamole is very versatile and goes well with just about anything. It makes a wonderful light meal too.

Breakfast? Sure, slather some on an omelette or avocado toast.

Lunch? Doesn’t even need to be more than chips and guacamole.

Dinner? Well, tacos of course!

There are several store brands of guacamole that are really good now – Goodfoods, Wholly guacamole, my grocery store’s produce department has a great fresh one, Herdez, and Sabra. The nice thing about buying guacamole from the store is that it’s ready to be eaten.

When you get avocados you just never know for sure when they’ll ripen or how long they’ll last. Of course, that being said, fresh guacamole is so good.

How to make your own guacamole

If you don’t want to buy guacamole, you can make a simple authentic guacamole recipe with smashed avocados, a little Kosher salt, red onion, fresh cilantro, and lime juice. Just take a fork and mash the avocado to the texture you like – chunky, smooth, somewhere in between. You’ll get just the consistency you want.

You can also add salsa, chopped tomato, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, chopped jalapeno peppers, or sour cream.

Make a delicious Easy guacamole recipe with my Chipotle Corn Guacamole.

To store leftover guacamole, put the pit in the center of the dip and it’ll stay fresh longer. Without any preservatives, homemade guacamole will turn brown quickly.

Fresh avocado tips

Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your avocados.

How to buy a fresh avocado

Most of the avocados you find at the grocery store are Haas avocados. They will turn dark green or almost black on the outside when ripe.

Hold the fruit in the palm of your hand, and squeeze the skin gently with your fingertips. It should be firm but yield to slight pressure.

My favorite tip to check the ripeness is to pull the small brown stem out to check for ripeness. It should come out easily, and you should see green avocado flesh underneath. If there’s no stem, or if the stem falls off too quickly and there’s brown flesh underneath, you’ve got an overripe avocado. I suggest avoiding avocados that don’t have the stem attached.

If the stem is difficult to remove and the avocado flesh underneath is white, that means it needs a little more ripening.

How to ripen an underripe avocado

If you want to speed up the ripening process, place the avocado in a brown paper bag and close up the top of the bag with a binder clip. Leave the bag on the counter. Be sure to check it often; it may only take a day or so to ripen. You can also try adding an apple to the bag – it will release ethylene which will speed up the ripening process.

How to save it once it’s ripe

Storing avocados in the fridge helps them last longer. Once they’re ripe, or almost ripe just pop them in the fridge to keep them good for up to a week longer.

Avocados that have been cut open can be preserved in the fridge as well. If you can, keep the half with the pit still in it, as this will help it last longer, minimizing the amount of flesh exposed to the air.

Sprinkle the cut ends with fresh lemon juice or white vinegar and wrap tightly in plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap touches the cut portions.

Nutritional value and health benefits

Both shrimp and avocado are healthy foods. Both are low carb.

Shrimp is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart and brain health. Shrimp is also loaded with vitamin D and B3.

Avocados are packed with fiber and essential nutrients, like potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as vitamins A, B, C, E and K. Avocados are also loaded with unsaturated (specifically, monounsaturated), which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

How to make this appetizer recipe

Tips For Presenting the perfect Guacamole Shrimp Appetizer: A little spicy sauce over briny shrimp. A big dollop of guacamole. Some chopped red pepper for color. A little bit of sprouts or fresh herbs for garnishes, and you have an impressive appetizer for game day or any holiday gathering like Thanksgiving or Christmas with very minimal effort.

The spicy Shrimp Guacamole Bites full recipe ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. You’ll find helpful tips and suggestions in this section.

Defrost the shrimp

I like using frozen cooked shrimp for this appetizer. It makes it so easy to put together. But if you prefer raw shrimp that you cook, they’ll work great too.

Place the frozen shrimp in a medium bowl and cover with cool tap water to defrost. Change out the water a couple of times, and in about 5-10 minutes the shrimp should be defrosted.

While the shrimp defrost, mix the sauce together by stirring the melted butter, Sriracha, black pepper, and parsley together in a small bowl. And feel free to add in more Sriracha if you like it spicier.

Once the shrimp have defrosted, drain all the water from the bowl, and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.

If you want to remove the tails, now is a good time to do that. I like serving them with the tails on, as I think of the tails as a little handle. But, if you want them to be just something to eat whole, remove the tails.

Assemble

Toss the shrimp with the sauce.

Place a large spoonful of guacamole in each of the Chinese soup spoons. Add a shrimp on top of the guacamole, and sprinkle with finely chopped red pepper and sprouts.

Place the filled spoon on a serving plate.

For a nice presentation, you can cut up some fresh limes and serve with lime wedges around as well. Your guests can squeeze some fresh lime juice on them.

This appetizer can sit out at room temperature for up to a couple hours. But don’t take it out of the fridge too soon. Always keep food safety in mind.

You can also place the serving tray on a cooling plate to keep the shrimp appetizer cold.

Changes to the recipe

There are some fun ways to mix up this basic appetizer as well.

• Cut out small rounds of tortillas and place the fillings in a tortilla for a mini taco or tostada idea
• Place the guacamole and shrimp on petite toasts (like in the photo) or baguette slices
• Place the dip on tortilla chips for a loaded nachos kind of appeal
• Add some Cilantro Pesto for a fun twist
• Use a pita to make fun sandwiches

Serving suggestions

What to serve with shrimp appetizer?

Pair it with refreshing watermelon agua fresca for the hot months or a Cold Curing Apple Cider for the cool months.

It makes a fun side dish when served with grilled steak, fiesta enchiladas, or tostadas.

Its exceptional taste will go well with so many other flavor bites on a party spread. Try Mozzarella bites, mac & cheese bites, and Crock pot carne asada.

And be sure to check out my Guacamole Caprese Bites for another fun twist.