Spicy Shrimp Taco
Spicy grilled shrimps, nestled in a sriracha mayo sauce, sharing space with a roasted corn avocado salsa, and all snugly tucked into a crispy taco, is one Shrimp Taco that you must sink your teeth into. The spicy, creamy, crispy flavors that burst into your mouth will make you save this quick-assemble recipe for a busy weeknight dinner or an outdoor grill party with friends. My taco seasoning is the secret here.
To satisfy a craving
Have you ever been in a situation where an image of a dish has set off an uncontrollable craving to eat it? Well, it happened to me the other day, when I was scrolling on social media. With just a glimpse of a juicy Shrimp Taco, I started to crave it like crazy. And this is one craving I do not like ordering in as the taco tends to get soggy and makes it unappetizing.
So, I quickly assembled this simple, yet so amazingly delicious Shrimp Taco that came together in less than 30 minutes. And that includes the 15-minute marination time! I used avocado in the salsa for its creamy texture and corn for the sweetness and crunch. Added a few Jalapeno slices to ramp up the heat. The salsa also complements the spicy sauce.
Kept the sauce simple with mayo, sour cream, and spicy sriracha. And assembled it super quick on some tortillas. Shrimp taco craving or not, do give this recipe a shot. Try this out yourself, soak in the flavors, and let me know what you think.
This dish is also perfect for an outdoor summer grill party, where you can prep up all the ingredients and leave it to your friends to assemble it the way they want.
Ingredients
Marinating the shrimp
- Shrimp – Pick up the shrimp of your choice. I prefer fresh shrimps, but frozen should do as well. Just bring them to room temperature before you use them. Clean, devein, and drain off the excess water. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel if needed.
- Seasonings – Smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Smoked paprika is a key ingredient for that smoky charred street side taco flavor.
- Garlic – 2 cloves finely minced.
- Lime – Helps to tenderize the protein and adds a bright, zesty flavor.
- Oil – Helps to retain the moisture while cooking the prawns.
- Cilantro – The peppery flavor pairs well with the garlic and spices and enhances the flavor of the marinade.
Preparing the Spicy Taco Sauce
- Mayo – A thick and creamy sauce is what I prefer on my taco. So, I chose mayo as the base for the sauce.
- Sour cream – A slightly tangy addition to complement the sweetness of mayo.
- Sriracha – Some like it hot and some do not! Add as much or as little Sriracha as you wish.
- Lime – I use a splash to balance the rich flavors from the mayo and sour cream. Lime also adds a vibrant freshness and zing to the sauce.
Making the salsa
- Corn on the cob – Roasted on a grill until charred. The kernels add a bright pop of color, a toothy crunch, and just the right amount of sweetness to the salsa.
- Avocado – The creaminess of the avocado goes so well with the crunchy cob and spicy Jalapenos. A match made in heaven, if I may say so.
- Jalapenos – Are you a “Just a few slices, please” person, or a “It ain’t fun if my mouth ain’t watering” type? Add or subtract as per your tolerance.
- Lime – Yes, it is lime all the way for me. It just brings in a freshness to everything it is added to. Very importantly, it also keeps the avocado from discoloring.
- Salt and Pepper
- Coriander leaves – For garnishing.
- Tortilla – Pick your preference: flour, corn or gluten-free
Let’s get Shrimp Taco-ed
Get the shrimps, sauce, and salsa ready
Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you. Assembling this taco is as easy as it can get.
- Marinate the cleaned and deveined shrimps in the ingredients mentioned under “Marinating the shrimp” for 15 minutes. After that, grill them in a griddle pan or outdoor grill for 2-3 minutes on either side until cooked through.
- Mix all ingredients mentioned under “Preparing the spicy sauce” to make a smooth, silky sauce.
- Put together the salsa ingredients noted under the “Making the salsa” section.
Assemble the Taco
- Warm the tacos on a pan or run them over an open flame until the edges are slightly charred.
- Spread some of the spicy sauce on the taco, load it with shrimps, overload with salsa, sprinkle with cilantro and add a dash of lime.
- All that you need now is a wide open mouth to ensure that all the flavors explode on your tongue with every bite you take! Go ahead, get taco-ed!
Serving Suggestions
Shrimp Tacos are perfect are perfect by themselves for any weeknight dinner. But if you have friends coming over for a weekend party and you plan to warm up your outdoor grill, then you can consider prepping up these side dishes.
When I have friends over, I usually put together a Mexican spread by including Mexican rice, some nachos with roasted tomato salsa, avocado dip, and of course, margaritas to wash it down.
Storage Suggestions
Storing an assembled taco is a strict no-no for me. It is very difficult to reheat soggy tacos or get back the perfect crispness of a hard taco. The solution is to assemble only as many tacos as required and store the leftovers separately.
When you are ready to consume, bring the salsa and sauce to room temperature. Warm the shrimps up very slightly. As they are already cooked, overheating might make them rubbery and hard. Then assemble all the ingredients on a freshly warmed taco.
More Taco recipes to try
Shrimp Taco
Ingredients
- 8-10 6 inch Corn/Flour Tortillas
- 1 pound Shrimp cleaned and devein
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- Juice of lime
- ¼ cup Chopped Cilantro
For Assembling Tacos (Avocado Corn Salsa)
- 1 Corn on the cob
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Jalapeno chopped
- ½ teaspoon Lime juice
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
Taco sauce
- â…“ cup Mayo
- ¼ cup Sour cream
- 1-2 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Juice of lime
Instructions
- Marinate Shrimp– Begin with marinating Shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, drain water well after thawing. Add all the ingredients mentioned under marination. Rest for 15 minutes.
- Taco Sauce- Mix everything mentioned under Taco Sauce. Check and add more hot sauce or lemon juice if you need.
- Roasted Corn Avocado Salsa – Roast corn cob on a grill pan or outside grill until little charred marks appear. Remove the kernels. Add roasted corn, diced avocado, finely chopped Jalapeno, cilantro, salt, pepper, and lime juice to a bowl. Toss well and keep.
- Grill Shrimp – Shake off extra marinade, grill the shrimp on a griddle pan or outdoor grill 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Assemble Tacos- Warm the Tacos or run over the flame directly until it is slightly charred around the edges. Spread spicy taco sauce, top it with grilled shrimp, avocado corn salsa, more cilantro and squeeze of lemon juice. Serve.
Notes
- Use medium-sized shrimps as they hold well in the tacos.Â
- You can make the taco sauce and Avocado corn salsa 1 day ahead and refrigerate. You might see a little discoloration in the salsa.Â
- Â Once tacos are assembled, I recommend consuming them immediately else they will go soggy.Â
