For hectic weeknights, easy shrimp tacos are the ideal quick meal! Plump, juicy shrimp are cooked in a fragrant spice mixture before being wrapped in warm flour tortillas and topped with an abundance of your preferred garnishes. For a savory, delicious supper, serve with homemade salsa and guacamole. For busy nights, try this quick and spicy shrimp taco recipe!
Ingredients
- Shrimp: specifically huge shrimp (26 to 30 per pound). Shrimp of different sizes will cook to different sizes. The shrimp can be either frozen or raw from the fish counter. Consult my article on how to defrost shrimp for additional details on this.
- Garlic granules- textured granules provide the coating better than garlic powder, but you can use garlic powder if you like.
- Spicy seasoning: The American spice blend chili powder, which should not be confused with chile powder, is frequently used in Mexican-inspired cuisine at Milwalky Taco. Ground chili pepper, paprika, cumin, and paprika are the most typical ingredients. If you can’t find it where you are, substitute a half teaspoon of paprika and an eighth teaspoon of cyan pepper because it’s not as intense as ground chili pepper.
- I like freshly ground cumin seeds for the most pleasing flavor, but ground cumin will also work.
Toppings
Tacos are incredibly adaptable and can be made to suit any palette! Serve with everything you desire, including guacamole, cheese, salsa, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, and your favorite taco sauce. There are countless options.
Preparation
- Use a paper towel to dry your shrimp.
- Shrimp preparation. If you’re using frozen shrimp, be careful to thaw them first (run them under cool water). Peel them and get rid of the tails as well.
- Organize everything. I prefer to get the toppings ready while the shrimp are defrosting. Chop your vegetables, and prepare the dipping sauces (salsa, sour cream, etc.).
- Get the shrimp ready. It doesn’t take very long to happen (about 5-6 minutes). Sauté the shrimp in the oil and spices until they are fully cooked and pink in color.
- Stir the taco seasoning mix in a bowl to blend.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the shrimp.
- Top with your preferred garnishes and serve on a warm tortilla.
- Serve and enjoy.
Key takeaways
- It is best to monitor the cooking of shrimp because they cook quickly. Shrimp change shape while they cook, transitioning from a horseshoe shape to a half circular shape when done. If they begin to circle, they are beginning to overcook and need to be removed from the pan.
- Alternately, you can use a meat thermometer and cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F/62°C for the most accurate results.
- Don’t crowd the pan to get the best searing on the shrimp. The shrimp will steam instead of brown if there is too much of it. Cooking in batches is recommended if you’re unsure. When searing food, avoid nonstick pans since obtaining a good brown sear is challenging without overcooking on nonstick surfaces.
