Description
Spicy, flavorful shrimp tacos with fresh cilantro lime slaw, avocado, pickled onions and cilantro lime crema – a delicious and easy weeknight meal! Gluten-free adaptable.
Ingredients
Mexican Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp (16-20), peeled and deveined
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (double for spicy!)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional, see note
Cilantro Lime Slaw
- 2–3 cups shredded cabbage- green, purple or a combo.
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (small stems ok)
- 2 green onions, diced
- lime zest of one lime
Cilantro Lime Crema
- 3/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1/4 cup mayo (or sub 2 tablespoons olive oil)
- 1/2 of a jalapeno, seeded and cut into slices
- 1/2 cup cilantro, small stems ok
- 1 fat garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Taco Ingredients
- 8 small tortillas (flour, corn or a blend), toasted or grilled
- 1 large avocado, sliced, salted
- optional additions: pickled onions, cotija cheese, radishes, microgreens, hot sauce.
Instructions
- Prep the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and place in a bowl. Mix the salt, sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the spice mixture ( use it all) and toss to combine well. Set aside until using or do this up to a day ahead and refrigerate.
- Slaw. Place the cabbage, cilantro, green onions, and lime zest in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cilantro Lime Crema. In a food processor, place the jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, salt, and lime juice. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the yogurt and mayo. Pulse again.
- Divide. Pour half (or a little more, as needed) of the Cilantro Lime Crema into the slaw bowl and toss to combine. Add more as needed to coat the slaw, and reserve the rest for drizzling over the shrimp. Season the slaw with a pinch of salt. Refrigerate slaw until ready to serve.
- Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and lightly oil it. Sear each side of the shrimp for roughly 3 minutes, until they are deeply golden. You may need to do this in batches. You’ll want space around them so they can caramelize. See notes for grilling.
- Warm the tortillas. Grill, toast in a toaster oven, toast over a gas burner on the stove, or warm in a dry skillet. Wrap in a kitchen towel.
- Assemble. Fill the tortillas with 1/4 cup slaw, top with 2-3 shrimp, a slice of avocado, and any optional additions. Spoon a little more cilantro lime crema over top.
Notes
Shrimp- seek out large wild shrimp (16-20 count per pound). Costco and Trader Joe’s usually have these frozen. Thaw in a bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes or so. Pat the shrimp completely dry- water is the enemy here. The spice paste includes sugar, which is optional, but will help the shrimp caramelize in the skillet, giving it a nice crust.
Storage – Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in separate, airtight containers.
Making ahead – The marinated shrimp, cilantro lime cream, and slaw mix (leave undressed) can all be made up to 3 days ahead. Store them separately in the refrigerator. Bring shrimp to room temp (30 minutes) before searing.
Want to use the Grill? Shrimp can also be grilled over medium heat (350- 400°F) along with tortillas- a nice option in the summer months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco with avocado and cilantro lime crema
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 547.2 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.1 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 28.1 g
- Cholesterol: 185.9 mg