Spring Shrimp Cocktail with Chipotle, Jícama, and Avocado
Shrimp cocktail is one of those dishes that wears a lot of hats. It’s retro. It’s beachy. It’s something your tía might bring to Easter in a giant glass bowl with Ritz crackers stacked around it. But this one? This one is ours.
This version—pulled from my Asada cookbook and reworked for spring—leans into brightness and texture. Big, tender U12 shrimp are gently poached, not grilled, then folded into a sauce that balances sweet, heat, and acid like a good banda song: loud in all the right places. It gets its backbone from ketchup and lime, its soul from smoky chipotle and fish sauce, and a spark of joy from orange soda (trust us). At the end, diced cucumber, jícama, and creamy avocado make every bite feel layered and fresh.
This is the kind of dish you serve cold, with a cold drink, and maybe a little sun on your shoulders. Exactly what April ordered.