Spicy Mexican Shrimp Wraps with Bacon and Guacamole

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Cooking With Anadi

12K subscribers · smoky spicy and meaty shrimp and bacon in soft greek pita

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Tools Needed

• Mixing bowl
• Nonstick pan
• Olive oil dispenser
• Wooden spoon
• Tongs
• Bamboo skewer

Ingredients for Spicy Mexican Shrimp Bacon Wraps

My first reaction when I made these wraps many years ago was “Oh gosh, take me to heaven!” I first developed this wrap recipe ages ago, but whenever I remake it, I fall in love with it all over again!

With that being said, I’m seriously convinced that you’re going to LOVE these Mexican Shrimp Wraps with Bacon and Guacamole! Every bite seriously took my taste buds on an adventure! With this delicious wrap, you can definitely pretend you’re in Mexico out in the sun!

What I love about this wrap is how creamy it is! I love the tender shrimp with the fresh guacamole. We also have a hint of heat from the shrimp that’s seasoned with Cajun spice, and the superb smokiness from the bacon. The fresh pico de gallo really complements everything by offsetting the heat!

I’d have to say that not only are these wraps absolutely delicious, but the fillings do look quite impressive! They’re almost too pretty to eat! I just love all the colors and the freshness going on here, and the proteins really shine with the condiments, all wrapped in a warm toasted pita! Why a pita bread? Read on to find out!

So get ready to have some fun in the kitchen! Even though there may seem like a lot going on here, I was quite surprised with how fast these are to prepare! We’ll be cooking the bacon and preparing our condiments as the shrimp marinates. Don’t worry, I’ll explain how to get everything together in the most efficient way as possible so you won’t need to dedicate too much time in the kitchen! If you’ve got your guacamole and pico de gallo on hand, then this is such an easy recipe to whip up for lunch. Looking to make your own guacamole and pico de gallo? No problem, I’ve got you covered!

• Incredible & Easy Homemade Guacamole
• How to Make Authentic Pico de Gallo

I’m very excited to share this recipe with you, and I hope you’ll try this out for a unique Mexican recipe! At the time of writing this, it’s almost Cinco de Mayo, so I totally recommend you try this out for your parties! Be sure to watch the video so you can see exactly how these awesome Mexican bacon and shrimp wraps come together! If you’re not already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel! If you hit the bell icon, you’ll be notified when my video recipes go live along with the written recipes! I love to share the videos for those of you who are visual learners and so that everything is laid out clearly so you’re set up for success! Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients for Mexican Shrimp Wrap with Bacon

Here is what we’ll need to make awesome Mexican Shrimp Wraps with Bacon don’t forget that the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE is at the bottom with quantities of the ingredients listed!

• Shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen shrimp, but if you’re using frozen shrimp, be sure to allow the shrimp to defrost. I’ll have instructions on how to defrost the shrimp in the recipe.
• Amazing Homemade Cajun Seasoning: To marinate the shrimp. You can make your own Cajun spice or use a store-bought one.
• Olive oil: We’ll add some olive oil for the shrimp marinade. We won’t need any additional cooking oil because we’ll cook our shrimp in the bacon fat and in the oil from the marinade.
• Bacon: Use your favorite kind of bacon, but I recommend a thick slice of bacon for the most body and deliciousness! I’m using double-smoked bacon I got from my butcher! This nicely complements the Cajun shrimp.
• Incredible & Easy Homemade Guacamole: Again, you can use a store-bought one, but I recommend to make your own! You can easily get this ready as your shrimp marinates and the bacon cooks.
• Authentic Pico de Gallo: Same as above! This comes together so easily, and a homemade Pico will add lots of freshness to your wraps!
• Pita bread: It may seem odd that I’m using pita bread for a Mexican wrap, but there’s a reason why! I’m using a Greek pita bread because these fillings are loaded and thick, and a Greek pita bread will be able to contain everything without getting soggy or having your toppings fall out of the bread!

How to Make Spicy Mexican Shrimp Wrap with Guacamole and Bacon

Peel and clean your shrimp and transfer the shrimp to a small bowl. Add the Cajun seasoning and the olive oil.

Mix well, ensuring the seasoning is well combined on the shrimp. Marinate for 10-15 minutes.

In the meanwhile, place the bacon strips on a cold non-stick pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until crispy and to your liking.

Drain any excess fat and in the same pan, add the marinated shrimps. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked - opaque in the middle.

While the shrimp is cooking, warm up the pitas. Either for 30 seconds in the microwave or toasted lightly over a pan.

To assemble the wrap, spread the guacamole onto the pita. Follow with the shrimp, bacon and the pico de gallo.

Finish with pico de gallo, and wrap the pita.

Use a skewer to secure the wrap and serve warm.

Tips for Cooking the Bacon and Shrimp

• To defrost shrimp quickly, place them in a bowl of cold water and have a small stream of running water flowing into the bowl.
• Start cooking the bacon from a cold pan to ensure the fat renders out properly and the bacon is crisp as ever.
• Cooking the shrimp in the same pan as the bacon will really pack it with tons of smoky flavor.
• Skewers are a great way to really pack the wrap and make sure it stays a wrap.

Wrap Recipes: Where a Shrimp and Bacon Pita Fits In

People searching for wrap recipes are usually after one of a handful of things, and it is worth naming them so you can tell whether this is the one you want. There is the classic tortilla wrap — a chicken wrap, a Caesar wrap, anything rolled in a flour or whole-wheat tortilla. There is the deli wrap built from cold cuts, like our healthy deli roasted turkey guacamole wrap. There are breakfast wraps, such as meal prep breakfast burritos or a Tim Hortons style farmer's wrap. There are vegetarian and vegan wraps, usually built on beans — black bean and corn is the standard — or on tofu, roasted vegetable and grains. And there are lettuce wraps, where the wrapper is a leaf rather than bread.

This recipe is none of those. It is a pita wrap, and that choice is the whole point. The filling here is heavy and wet — guacamole, cooked shrimp, bacon, lettuce and pico de gallo — and a thin flour tortilla splits under that load or turns soggy from the bottom up. A Greek-style pita is thicker, softer and has no pocket to tear open, so it folds around a generous filling and holds. If you only have tortillas, use two stacked together, or warm a whole-wheat tortilla well so it stays pliable.

It is also worth saying what this is not: it is not a light lunch wrap. With bacon and guacamole in it, this sits at the indulgent end of the category. If you came here wanting the lighter version, the turkey and guacamole wrap on this site is the closer match, and it is an easier one to make for kids or to pack for picnics.

What Goes Inside, and Why the Layering Order Matters

The recipe makes four wraps and calls for fourteen medium shrimp (41-50 count, about 5 oz, peeled), one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, one tablespoon of olive oil, four slices of bacon, a quarter cup of guacamole, pico de gallo for topping, lettuce, and four Greek pita breads. Two of those are recipes in their own right, and they are what bring the freshness to an otherwise rich wrap.

The guacamole is avocado mashed with tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, a green chili, a tablespoon of lime juice, salt and pepper. It is doing two jobs here: it is the creamy dressing that would otherwise be a bottled sauce, and it is a moisture barrier. The pico de gallo is tomato, onion, cilantro, a Serrano pepper, ground cumin and lemon juice — that is the source of the fresh vegetables and the fresh herbs in every bite, and it is deliberately not cooked.

The order in the recipe is not arbitrary. Guacamole goes onto the pita first, and because it is fatty it seals the bread against everything wet that follows. Shrimp and bacon go next, which keeps the crunch of the bacon away from the wettest ingredient. Lettuce adds the crunchy veggies. Pico de gallo goes on last, closest to the fold and furthest from the bread, because chopped raw tomato leaks. Then a bamboo skewer holds the whole thing shut. Assemble in that order and the texture stays right through the last bite; assemble it backwards and the pita is damp before you sit down.

A few honest swaps. There is no cheese in this wrap at all, which is unusual for the category — if you want some, a light crumble of cotija or a little shredded cheddar works, but skip parmesan, which fights the lime. If you want it sweeter and less smoky, swap the standard guacamole for the chunky mango guacamole on this site. A little diced red pepper adds crunch without adding water. And if you are cooking for someone who does not want heat, cut the Cajun seasoning back — it is the only source of spice in the recipe.

Leftovers, Making It Ahead, and Taking These to a Picnic

Assembled wraps do not keep. The pico de gallo and the lettuce start releasing water into the guacamole within the hour, and reheating is not an option once there is raw salad inside. So treat this as a components dish rather than a make-ahead one.

Everything except the assembly can be done in advance. The shrimp marinate in the Cajun seasoning and olive oil for 10 to 15 minutes and can sit longer in the fridge. The bacon starts in a cold non-stick pan so the fat renders out properly, and the shrimp then cook in that same fat for 2 to 4 minutes, just until opaque in the middle — both can be cooked, cooled and refrigerated. Guacamole and pico de gallo are better made the same day, but a few hours ahead is fine.

For a picnic, carry the components separately and build on site: it takes about a minute per wrap once the parts are ready, and the pitas only need 30 seconds in the microwave or a light toast in a pan to become foldable again. The bamboo skewer is what makes these travel-friendly at all — it holds the fold so the wrap survives being carried. As leftovers, cooked shrimp and bacon are worth keeping on their own; use them the next day over rice or in a salad rather than trying to revive a wrap.