Name: Low-fat Mexicali Shrimp Sandwiches
Ingredients: 1 large ear of corn, husked; 10 ounces bay shrimp (or tiny shrimp), cooked (about 1 1/2 cups); 1 cup diced red bell pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 2 tablespoons chopped green onions; 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice; 1 teaspoon grated lime peel; 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce; 2 teaspoons fat-free mayonnaise; 6 - 4 inch Kaiser rolls or low fat hamburger buns, cut horizontally in half

Why it works: Pepper and lime match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,491 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Pepper + limetop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,491 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Corn + limetop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together773 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,324 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Onion + limetop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,263 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Shrimp: Provides the main protein and savory bulk of the filling.
Corn: Adds sweetness and a juicy, tender crunch to the salad.
Mayonnaise: Binds the salad and adds moisture and creaminess.
Lime juice: Adds acidity that brightens the flavors and balances the mayonnaise.
Red bell pepper: Contributes crisp texture and mild sweetness.

The step that matters

Chill the salad. Chilling lets the flavors meld and firms the mayonnaise-based dressing, so the filling holds together and does not make the roll soggy. Making it a day ahead gives the lime and pepper time to blend.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, shrimp, pepper, lime, sauce):

Capsicumfits better
Okrafits better
Tomatofits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against corn, shrimp, pepper, lime, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Corn	1/2 cup kernels (82g)	77
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Red Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Cilantro	1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)	1
Sauce	not in our table	0

Low-fat Mexicali Shrimp Sandwiches