Nick’s Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa

The charming father of my friend Mary sent me this recipe for Nick’s Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa, and it was a winner just like everything Nick cooked. This post is dedicated to the memory of Nicholas Rhodes 7/3/26 – 3/21/12.

When I started my blog in 2005, one of the first people who shared a recipe with me was Nick Rhodes, the father of my good friend Mary.  Nick passed away suddenly this week at the age of 85.  Nick was still active and very involved in life, and he will be greatly missed.

When Mary first told me her Dad was going to send me a recipe for the blog, I was sure it would be good. After all, Nick was a great cook; I had tasted his Pastitsio at Christmas, and it was fabulous. When Nick sent me this recipe for Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa, I couldn’t wait to try it, and I wasn’t disappointed. Nick told me he originally tasted this at the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and after a few tries at home he came up with this recipe.

Through the years, I’ve made two changes in how I make this compared to the recipe Nick gave me: I use ground Chipotle powder instead of a chipotle chile, and leave out the white beans in the salsa. Those changes are found in the recipe below. If you like shrimp and black beans, you’ll enjoy this dish.

Combine marinade ingredients and marinate shrimp in the refrigerator (but not more than an hour or two, or the acid ingredients in the marinade will start to “cook” the shrimp.)

Try not to skip the tomatillos in the salsa if you can get your hands on some. I was very happy that I had tomatillos in my garden, and used them to make the salsa you see in the photo.

More Grilled Shrimp to Try:

Soy-Grilled Shrimp and Asian Vegetables from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Moroccan Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers from Steamy Kitchen
Marinated Grilled Shrimp from Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats
Grilled Shrimp and Asparagus on Polenta from Iron Stef
Shrimp and Mango Kebabs from Cooking with Amy

Nick’s Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa
(Makes 4 servings with some salsa left over)

Ingredients:
16-20 medium raw shrimp, shells removed and deveined (enough shrimp for 4 people, I used 31-40 size shrimp)
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (Nick used 1 canned Chipotle pepper, seeds removed and diced small)
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp. minced garlic)
hot pepper flakes to taste
2 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
dash cayenne pepper (optional – I leave it out)
salt/pepper to taste

Black Bean Salsa Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed well
(Nick also used 1 can white beans. I leave out the white beans but use the same amount of other ingredients.)
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped in 1/4 inch dice (2/3 cup diced tomato)
1/2 cup white onion, chopped in 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped in 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped in 1/4 inch dice
(You can also use 1/2 cup same color peppers)
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp. minced garlic)
1 can Mexican tomatillos, drained and chopped in 1/4 inch dice
(I used three small fresh tomatillos, can also use green tomatoes)
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (Nick used 1 canned Chipotle pepper, seeds removed and diced small)
chopped cilantro with stems, to taste
(I used the whole bunch, but I love cilantro)
1/4 tsp. hot pepper flakes
3 T olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:
Put shrimp in small ziploc bag. Mix marinade ingredients and pour over. Marinate shrimp in refrigerator 1-2 hours.

While shrimp marinates make the black bean salsa. Drain black beans into a colander and rinse until no more foam appears. Let beans drain while you chop other ingredients. (I blot them dry with a paper towel if they seem very wet.)

Chop tomatoes, onions, peppers, and tomatillos, aiming for same size cut. Put into bowl and add other ingredients and stir a few times to combine. Chill 1 hour before serving.

To cook shrimp, preheat gas or charcoal grill to high. (I spray the grill with non-stick spray) Thread shrimp on skewers. (Pinch shrimp together and put the skewer through in two places so they don’t “spin” on the grill.) Grill until firm to the touch and completely opaque. (This only takes about 3-4 minutes, don’t overcook.) Serve shrimp with black bean salsa.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Nick’s Chipotle Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Salsa is a great dish for low-glycemic diet plans, and for any phase of the South Beach Diet. The salsa would be too high in carbs for a low-carb diet, but you could make a tasty salsa without the beans if you prefer.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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