Caldo de Camarón is a traditional Mexican shrimp soup inspired by the coastal flavors of Baja California. Made with tender shrimp, vegetables, and a rich guajillo chile broth, this comforting soup is packed with deep seafood flavor in every spoonful.
If you love Baja seafood as much as I do, be sure to try my, also try Caldo de Pescado.
Quick Recipe Notes
- Shortcut: Use seafood bouillon instead of homemade shrimp broth to save time. You’ll still get a rich, savory broth with plenty of flavor.
- Texture: Tender shrimp, soft potatoes and carrots, and a silky guajillo chile broth that’s rich without being heavy.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the broth up to 2 days in advance. Add the shrimp just before serving so they stay tender and don’t overcook.
- Flavor Tip: Fresh lime juice and cilantro stirred in at the end brighten the broth and bring all the flavors together.
- Best Shrimp: Medium or large raw shrimp work best. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them completely and pat them dry before cooking.
-Maggie
🌊 Baja California Story
This Caldo de Camarón is inspired by the seafood soups I’ve enjoyed on my many trips to Baja California. Living near the border means I’m lucky enough to visit often. I’ve spent many days exploring Tijuana, Ensenada, and other coastal towns, and one thing is always true: the seafood in Baja is incredible.
On one winter trip to Ensenada with my husband, we found ourselves caught in a chilly rainstorm. We stopped at a local restaurant looking for something warm and comforting, and the mesero insisted we order the Caldo de Camarón.
That first spoonful was unforgettable. The broth was rich, deeply flavorful, and packed with fresh seafood flavor. It was exactly what we needed to warm up on that rainy day.
🦐 Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Dried guajillo chile (or use a combo of ancho and guajillo to reduce the heat)
- Water
- Seafood bouillon (or vegetable broth)
- Fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Fresh lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
- Avocado (optional, for topping)
- Salt and pepper
- Epazote and bay leaf (optional)
👩🏼🍳 Step by Step Instructions
- Boil two cups of water. Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo chile and soak it in the boiling hot water. Cover and let it sit until softened.
- Blend the guajillo chile with the soaking water, onion, and garlic until smooth. (Strain if needed.)
- In a large stock pot, heat olive oil.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Stir for about 3 minutes.
- Pour the chile mixture into the stock pot. Add the remaining water and bouillon.
- Simmer on medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Seafood bouillon gives the broth its rich, savory flavor. If you have the time, homemade shrimp broth made from the shells is even better.
How to Make Homemade Shrimp Broth
- Once you remove the shells from the shrimp, rinse them and add them to a stock pot.
- Add 6 cups water, ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Discard shells, onion, and garlic before using the broth.
- If you prefer, you can also use vegetable broth.
- Add the shrimp and lime juice. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 3–5 minutes.
- Stir in fresh cilantro right before serving.
- Top with avocado slices and extra lime juice, if desired.
🫙 Storing Instructions
Allow the caldo de camarones to cool completely before storing. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
🔥 Reheating Instructions
Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. If reheating in the microwave, heat in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. Add a little extra broth or water if it has thickened too much.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To make it spicier, add an extra guajillo chile or a chile de árbol. For a milder broth, replace one of the guajillo chiles with a ripe tomato.
No. You can make homemade shrimp stock (or shrimp broth) using the shrimp shells, onion, garlic, salt, and water. It adds even more flavor to the soup.
This traditional Mexican soup is great with warm corn tortillas or Arroz Mexicano, or Mexican rice.
Technically, yes. However, this will not develop a strong shrimp flavor, and the shrimp might be rubbery. Add them at the very end and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until warm.
Yes! Baja California is known for its incredible seafood, and shrimp soups like Caldo de Camarón are especially popular in coastal communities. Fresh shrimp, chiles, and flavorful broths are a perfect reflection of Baja’s seafood traditions.
🍲 More Mexican Soup Recipes You’d Like
- Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)
- Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
- Sopa de Conchas (Shell Pasta Soup)
- Caldo de Albondigas (Meatball Soup)
- Sopa de Lentejas (Mexican Lentil Soup)
- Caldo de Verduras (Mexican Vegetable Soup)
Whether you’re craving a cozy meal on a chilly evening or a taste of Baja at home, this Caldo de Camarón delivers rich seafood flavor in every spoonful. Serve it with warm corn tortillas, fresh lime wedges, and sliced avocado for an unforgettable meal.
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Caldo de Camarón (Mexican Shrimp Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 potato peeled and cubed
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- ½ onion diced
- 1 garlic minced
- 3 dried chile guajillo without seeds
- 6 cups water divided
- 2 tablespoon seafood bouillon
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- Juice of 2 limes
- Cilantro handful, roughly chopped
- Avocado optional
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Boil two cups of water. Remove the stem and seeds from the guajillo chile.
- Add guajillo chile to the boiling water. Remove from heat. Put the lid on. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
- Heat oil in a large stock pot.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Stir for 3 minutes.
- In a blender, add the guajillo chile, the water it was sitting in, onion, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
- Add guajillo mixture to the stock pot.
- Stir in the remaining water and seafood bouillon until dissolved.
- Simmer on medium heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender. About 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp and lime juice. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the cilantro just before serving. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Top with avocado and serve with additional lime. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
This depends on your blender. If you have a blender that blends everything clean, then it will be unnecessary to strain. Pro Tip: You can make the guajillo sauce ahead of time. The bouillon adds a lot of sodium. Instead of the bouillon + water: swap out for shrimp broth, fish broth, or vegetable broth. How to Make Homemade Shrimp Broth:
- Once you remove the shells from the shrimp, rinse them and add them to a stock pot.
- Add 6 cups water, ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Bring to a boil.
- Discard shells, onion, and garlic before using the broth.
This soup is perfect. I love the ingredients, the flavors are terrific, and really appreciate all the info with the guajillo chile. Definitely making this soup! Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed this Jenny!
My kids LOVE shrimp and I just know my whole family is going to adore this soup. Trying it this weekend and will be checking out your other recipes. Thanks for sharing!!
So glad you enjoyed this Tristin!
I’ve been looking for a way to use my guajillo chilies and I am so glad I stumbled across this recipe! It’s a keeper!
Perfect recipe for your guajillo chiles! Hope you try it
Mexican shrimp soup looks yum. I need that bowl . I will give this one a try.
Caldo de Camarón is indeed a yum-filled treat! The flavors of succulent shrimp and aromatic spices come together in a bowl of warmth and comfort. You definitely need to give it a try!
A seafood soup is exactly what I need for dinner tonight. This one looks amazing!
Seafood is always a delicious option for dinner, and the Caldo de Camarón recipe tastes amazing! Enjoy making and savoring this flavorful Mexican Shrimp soup.
this soup has so much wonderful flavor in it. I would love to try this out.
Yes! So flavorful. Hope you enjoy making and devouring this Caldo de Camarón.
This looks amazing and full of flavor. Can’t wait to make ASAP!
With the delicious combination of shrimp and other ingredients, it’s sure to be a hit. I hope you enjoy the flavors in this mouthwatering Caldo de Camarón.
I’ve never had Mexican Shrimp soup before. This looks really savory and flavorful.
If you’re a fan of shrimp and flavorful soups, this recipe is definitely worth trying! Enjoy the deliciousness of Caldo de Camarón.
I have made this so many times! We LOVE it!
That makes me so happy. We LOVE this soup too!
Hola, si no tengo cubito de camarón knorr, puedo usar un poquito de camarón molido?
Nunca lo he hecho asi. No tiene knorr regular de pollo o res?
If I decide to add calabacita do i add it at the same time as potatoes and carrots?
Only 1 cube of bouillon right? Not the whole box ..?
Are frozen shrimp okay to use or are fresh better?
Yes, you can make Caldo de Camarón (or Mexican Shrimp Soup) with frozen shrimp. However, frozen shrimp will cook faster. So, add them at the very end for just 3-4 minutes, depending on the size. If they are really big shrimp, I would add them for up to 5 minutes.
Turned out so good maggie. So much flavor… everyone enjoyed it. Looking forward to new recipes..???
That makes me so happy!!! Glad you liked it.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
My husband is from Mexico. He was given fresh shrimp and asked if I would make a tomato-based soup with it and add potatoes.
This recipe was a perfect fit and so easy to follow.
My husband was so impressed with how it turned out that he called two of his friends over to join him and they finished the entire pot of soup! They all loved it and kept complimenting the flavorful broth.
I love your shrimp soup recipe and can’t wait to try it this weekend, YUM !! I usually add tomato sauce after sauteeing the vegetables. but I will definitely try making it with the guajillo chile’s instead and add the shrimp bouillon. I can almost taste all the flavors involved
Thank you! It’s such a great soup. Caldo de Camaron is a favorite! I’ll have to try it with tomato sauce. 🙂
Can this recipe be converted somehow to make a siete mares type soup?
So funny. I almost made Siete Mares yesterday, but the mussels at the store didn’t look good. To answer your question, Siete Mares is not like Caldo de Camaron, but I’m sure you can try. Siete Mares is actually easier than this soup. You just need good fish broth and lots lime. No chiles are needed. I’ll have to share my recipe one day. Stay tuned!
You probably don’t even know how to cook Maggie
Wow, this soup has nothing but color, which tells me it us so fkavorful. Loved how ypu developed the broth, that lovely pepper sauce. I can almost smell that spice and robust flavor!😋 Absolutely beautiful soup!😍👍👌
So good right? We love this one too
Do you have any substitute suggestions for the shrimp bouillon, the packaged item is not compliant for the Whole30 diet program? Any kind of information would be very helpful. Thank you.
Yes! Fish broth would work great for the Whole30 diet. I make my own fish broth at home, but so many people use bouillon. That’s why I included it. Hope you like it!
Awesome. Thank you! =D)
Do you strain the chile’s after the blender or do you just put the mix in with the little bits of dried chile?
Little bits of dried chile won’t hurt the dish. If you strain, I’d strain before adding to the pan.
U have to strain the Chile’s after u blend them
Wow, easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Thank you! You’re going to love this recipe.
You should def make this n put on ur YOUTUBE 🙂
Cant wait to try this recipe