These chili lime shrimp wonton cups are the perfect party appetizer! We bake wonton wrappers in the oven until crisp, fill them with arugula and lime sour cream, and then top them with a big juicy chili lime baked shrimp.
These easy wonton cups are like mini shrimp tacos. The shrimp are spiced with chili powder, the lime brightens everything up, and the arugula keeps the whole thing fresh. So many of our readers have made these for parties with great success!
You can even make the baked wonton cups in advance and then assemble them with the arugula, sour cream, and shrimp just before serving. If you love the idea of wonton cups, try our mini fish taco wonton cups or these smoked salmon wonton cups with cucumber and dill!
Key Ingredients
- Wonton Wrappers: I love using wonton wrappers to make little cups for our shrimp filling. They are really easy to make and keep for a while when stored in an airtight container. I use a mini muffin tin to make the cup shape and lightly season them with olive oil and salt.
- Shrimp: Use fresh, high-quality large shrimp. If you have frozen shrimp, thaw them overnight in the fridge, and then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Spices: Use a high-quality chili powder (I love ancho chili powder), or try our homemade chili powder with some extra spices stirred to add flavor. I also season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and lime zest.
- Arugula: I love a little green in each cup, and arugula is perfectly sized for mini cups. Baby spinach or other baby greens are also great!
- Lime Sour Cream: I stir a little lime zest and lime juice into plain sour cream for extra flavor. It’s super simple and makes the shrimp pop.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Chili Lime Shrimp Wonton Cups
First, you’ll make your wonton cups. I use a mini cupcake pan, but you can make these in a regular pan if needed (the cups will just be a bit larger). Brush each side of the wonton wrappers with oil, lightly season with salt, and press the wrappers into the cups in the cupcake pan. I bake them for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350°F oven or until golden around the edges and crisp.
While the wonton cups bake, prepare the shrimp. Toss them with olive oil, lime zest, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Then, bake them in the same oven until they are firm and opaque throughout.
I like to assemble the cups close to when I plan to serve them so that they stay nice and crisp. Add arugula to the bottom, a bit of the lime sour cream, and finish with a shrimp. Easy!
More Shrimp Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Fajitas (with shrimp, chicken, and steak)
- or, see 18 Easy Shrimp Recipes for Busy Weeknights
Chili Lime Shrimp Wonton Cups
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
These shrimp-filled wonton cups are like mini shrimp tacos. Wonton wrappers are baked in the oven until crisp, filled with arugula and lime sour cream, and then topped with a big juicy chili-lime shrimp. You can make the wonton shells in advance, but assemble the cups just before serving.
Another option for the cups is to use store-bought tortilla chips, sometimes called scoops, in the shape of cups.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
15 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lime
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder or homemade chili powder
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup baby arugula leaves
3 tablespoons sour cream
Directions
- Bake Wonton Cups
1Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
2Lightly brush the wonton wrappers on both sides with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, lightly season one side of each wrapper with salt.
3Using a mini muffin pan, press the wonton wrappers down into the cups, laying back the corners and pressing the bottoms down to make a defined cup. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
- Make Shrimp Cups
1While the wontons bake in the oven, prepare the lime sour cream and shrimp.
2Zest the lime using a Microplane. Add the zest to a medium bowl with the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chili powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Toss well.
3Spread the shrimp onto a baking sheet and bake until firm and opaque, 8 to 12 minutes.
4Make the lime sour cream in a small bowl by stirring 1 teaspoon of lime juice and a pinch of salt into the sour cream.
5To assemble, fill the cooled wonton cups with a few leaves of arugula, a small blob of lime sour cream, and a shrimp. Serve with lime wedges for spritzing on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Wonton wrappers: A few wonton cups may collapse during baking, making them difficult to stand up without falling over. We usually bake a few extras, just in case.
- Make ahead: The wonton cups can be stored unfilled in an airtight container for up to a week. Fill them right before serving, or they’ll get soggy. The shrimp may be prepared up to two days ahead. Store them in an airtight container in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
These Chili Lime Shrimp Wonton Cups look absolutely delicious and perfect for parties! I love the idea of using wonton wrappers to create crispy, bite-sized cups. The combination of spicy shrimp, fresh arugula, and tangy lime sour cream sounds heavenly. Can’t wait to try this recipe—thanks for sharing
I made these a couple years ago for a superbowl party and they were a huge hit! Now I’d like to take them to a tailgate. How do you think they’d fare on a 2 hr bus trip in a container on top of an ice pack?
Hi Brenda, I think you should be okay. You might want to add the sour cream when you get there so it does not make the cups soggy or make sure there’s a good layer of spinach between the wonton and the sour cream.
Can the shrimp be served room temp either with or without the cups? I want to make a Mexican inspired cold/room temp app and was thinking to use these shrimp and the sour cream and lime as a dipping sauce. Thanks
Yes, just don’t keep the shrimp out for longer than two hours.
Great Recipes!!!!!!
well, I made this before and it was wonderful. this time, by mistake I bought baked large shrimp from T.J. Can I still use them just by marinating them with the lime, chilli pepper I don’t want to overcook them, so I am afraid to put them into the pan! what do you think?
I think you will still be okay. Yes, you can still marinate the baked shrimp in the lime/chili pepper. You might consider warming the shrimp and then tossing with the lime and spices.
We have appetizer Fridays with another couple, taking turns at each others house. We make a point of trying different appetizer recipes. The host makes two and then the guest brings one. So this week I will be making your chili lime baked shrimp cups. I loved watching your video. looking forward to watching more. Thank you, Debbie and Tom
Trying two recipes this weekend! Can’t wait! Just subscribed to Inspired Taste!
I like your recipes,thank you
Delicious!
I made this appetizer with my partner for an event at college; it was for our finals, we had more than 200 restaurateurs guests,and our recipe was the winner!:) Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Looks delicious..
I found that putting the oil on your hands and lightly salting your hands and rubbing the wrapper between them, cuts time in half when preparing the wontons. It also give its full coverage on the wonton so none of the powder is left behind 🙂
Made these at Thanksgiving, they were a big hit. I tested them with a regular muffin tin and they were a little too big and needed 2 shrimp per shell. I got a mini tin for the day and they were perfect. Everyone loved them. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
If I make everything ahead how long do I reheat them?
I’d keep the shells separate from the shrimp. You can rewarm the shrimp in a hot pan.
Hi Kelly, Turning the recipe into a salad is a great idea. You can also bake the wonton cups in advance — The wonton cups will keep, unfilled, in an airtight container for up to a week. Fill them right before serving or they’ll get soggy. You could also make the shrimp salad a day or two ahead of time.
It pays to read through the comments. Was wondering how long the wonton cups would keep. Thanks… looking forward to hosting a shower and showing off your recipe.
I made these for my Christmas party last year and they were a huge hit so I’m making them again this year. Thank you for the recipe!
What can I substitute the arugula leaves for? Arugula is too bitter for me.
Please let me know.
Hi Heather, You can swap for baby spinach or leave the greens out completely.
I made this yesterday for a football party and it was the hit of the party! So pretty and delicious! I put a whole shrimp in each but cut them in half so you get a delicious shrimp with each bite!
Bonjour, Votre recette a l’air très bonne, mais dommage qu’elle n’est pas en français. Cordialement.
A friend of mine brought them at our last get together and I found them delicious… as I have friends coming tomorrow I prepared all the stuff and will fill it just before eating… so easy to prepare! It will be my best appetizer! Sorry for my English, I am a French Quebec person ?
Faire un copier de la recette puis Aller dans GOOGLE tapez INSPIRED TASTE et coller le nom de la recette. Celle ci apparait et ensuite cliquez sur “traduire ” et c’est tout !
I wish we could have all of our recipes in all languages. Have you tried using Google translate?
I tried this recipe out for dinner and it was a hit. Everyone loved it. We will be doing these for mom’s 90th birthday dinner! Thanks
LOVE this recipe! Always a hit when I make them.
5 Stars!!!
For a party, made these in shot glasses (no wonton wraps), layering like this:small bunch of alfalfa sprouts in bottom of shot glass, bit of the sour cream sauce, shrimp, another bit of the sauce. They were a HUGE hit! Thanks a million for the recipe!
Third time making these this holiday season. Used premade fillo cups intread of wonton wrappers. Huge hit and easy!
Made these for Xmas eve. They were fantastic. Everyone loved them. Very impressive presentation. I made everything ahead then put them together just before serving. Thank you
Hello,
I’m assuming this is the case, but I just want to verify that these can be served at room temperature.
Thank you!
They can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold, but you do not want the shrimp to be sitting out for multiple hours.
My husband and I aren’t fans of South cream. Does anyone have an idea on how to substitute it with something flavorful?
Greek Yogurt
Hi Brandi, Try avocado or guacamole instead.
This is an AMAZING recipe!!!!!
Flavorful, easy and sure to please. The first time I made this was for our Wine Club, everyone loved it and I used spinach leaves, which was good. The second time I made this was for an open house and I used fresh basil – WOW!!! The added flavor of the basil enhanced the flavor of everything. I will make this over and over again!
Excellent recipe and so easy!!!
This recipe looks wonderful. the shrimp in wonton shells. I cant wait to try it.
Thanks Cecilia
I’m making this recipe for my bunco group. I’m taking the sour cream and adding a mashed avocado to it along with some jalapeño, using shredded lettuce for bottom of cup and then using some Japanese mayo with Srirach hot sauce for a drizzle across the top. Also adding some cumin either to the avocado mixture or to the shrimp/chili powder mixture. I think everyone is going to love these.
These were great. After advice about the wontons being tough, I decided to use phyllo cups and they were a total hit.
Simply AMAZING! I made these for Christmas Eve and had people coming back asking for more. Definitely, a make again!
How far in advance can I make these ?
If you keep the cups separated from the other ingredients, we recommend up to a day in advance. It’s best to assemble the day of.
I now bring these to all parties I go to. I agree with flavoring up the sour cream. BUT Instead of using mini muffin size, I use regular size muffin tins. Not much bigger, but easier to fill. I like to put one jumbo shrimp in each. Beautiful flavor and to look at.
Ideas on bumping of the sour cream flavor?
I add a bit of lime zest, lime juice and chili powder to the sour cream. I have made these more times than I can count and they disappear every time.
That’s so great, making them slightly bigger is a great idea.
Sounds like a great recipe
Have once again made these on request from a friend go down so well at a party.