Everyone loves a good taco, right? I know I certainly do. And specifically, I am a sucker for a good shrimp taco. There’s something about the combination of the delicious taste of buttery, browned shrimp and the fresh, raw ingredients of a taco that just explode with flavor when wrapped in in a little tiny tortilla. I’ve done my fair share of taco eating, and because of that, I have gone home wishing there was a way to recreate (or at least try to mimic) the masterpieces of taco I have found in restaurants.
I’ve tried to do this recreating process by paying attention to the fresh ingredients and toppings on tacos that are unique and you wouldn’t necessarily find in a chain taco restaurant like Taco Bell, for instance. I personally like tacos better when they aren’t weighed down by heavy greases and or overpowering flavors of meat. This is why I find that shrimp is a great, fresh tasting filler meat in a taco.
My recipe for fresh shrimp tacos is pretty simple, and the only actual cooking process it requires is the preparing of the shrimp, which if you’re not familiar with, is actually pretty simple, too. I like to wait until last to prepare the shrimp, because raw shrimp actually only takes about two to three minutes to cook fully when you cook it in a pan on the stove. First, I prepare the rest of the ingredients for the tacos.
- As many flour tortillas as you desire (small size to pack the flavor)
- Fresh kale, rinsed and broken into smaller pieces
- Fresh cilantro, rinsed and broken into smaller pieces
- A variation of pico de gallo salsa, chunky and with the juice drained off
- Avocado, peeled and sliced into thin pieces
- Some type of cooked rice. I prefer white rice or long grain rice because the flavor is mild and doesn’t get in the way of other strong-tasting ingredients
The first thing I will do is get out a pan, spray some kind of cooking oil in it lightly, let it get hot, then plop the tortillas in it and let them lightly brown on each side. Set the tortillas aside. Next you want to get all of your toppings out and ready to use on your finished products. Put the rice and salsa in bowls, and set out the kale, cilantro, and avocado slices.
Now, you’re ready to cook your shrimp. You want to buy fresh, raw shrimp that is peeled, de-tailed, and de-veined. This expedites the whole process and makes it a lot less messy. You don’t have to worry about thawing the shrimp and it tasting rubbery. In order to cook the shrimp, simply melt some butter in a pan in throw in some seasonings of your choice (I like Cajun, garlic, or Old Bay seasonings) and put the shrimp in on a medium-high heat. You want to let it turn pinkish brown, which will be about one to two minutes on each side.
Then, voila! You have all the ingredients you need for delicious shrimp tacos. The last step is to fill up your tortillas as per your desire!
