I absolutely love Mexican food. What better way to showcase all kinds of bright and beautiful fruits and vegetables than with shrimp tacos! The key to any taco dish is getting your hands on fresh corn tortillas and of course, homemade guacamole.
The light, crisp cornstarch coating on these shrimp give a wonderful crunch instead of the usual thick coating. Don’t worry about compromising flavor, this delicate batter works just as well and it lets all of the other ingredients shine through. Whip up one of my Cucumber Cilantro tonics, or your favorite margarita, and have yourself the best #TacoTuesday ever!
Print Recipe
Crispy Shrimp Tacos
Servings: 8 tacos
Ingredients
For the Tacos:
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon chili de arbol powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 24 shrimp size 21-25, cleaned and deveined, tail-off
- ½ cup neutral oil like grapeseed or canola
- Pineapple Salsa recipe below
- 8 corn tortillas 5” in diameter
- Guacamole recipe here
- 6 tablespoons Chile Lime Crema
For the Pineapple Salsa:
- ½ cup diced pineapple
- ½ cup diced tomato
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno seeded
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
For the Crispy Shrimp:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the corn starch, chili de arbol, garlic powder, cumin and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add in the shrimp and toss to coat, making sure the shrimp are completely covered in the seasoned corn starch.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add in the shrimp, spacing them out in the pan and working in batches if necessary, cooking them for one minute per side, until cooked through, but not overdone. Place them on a cutting board and cut them each in half horizontally.
For the Pineapple Salsa:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the pineapple, tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt.
For the Tacos:
- Turn on two burners on your stovetop to medium heat. Using tongs to handle the tortillas, heat them directly over the flame for about 15 seconds per side. Place them on a sheet pan when finished, covering with foil to keep warm.
- To build the tacos, place about 2 tablespoons of guacamole in a line in the center of each taco, spreading it from end to end. Divide the shrimp among the tacos, placing the pieces on top of the guacamole. Top the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of salsa per taco, followed by roughly 2 teaspoons of chili lime crema drizzled on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you cannot find Sir Kensington's Chile Lime Crema, you can easily make your own by combining 1/2 cup of store-bought mayonnaise with the juice from 1/2 a lime, 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon of chile de arbol powder, 1/8 teaspoon of cumin, 1/8 teaspoon of mustard powder, and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
