Spicy Shrimp Tacos

I love Mexican food. It’s more than just tacos. Mexican food started as mostly vegetarian. Beans, squash, avocados, tomatoes to name a few. Also, have to add jalapeno’s, because they like their food hot, and agave, well, a little tequila is OK. When the Spanish invaded Mexico, they brought meat, beef, lamb, pork. But seafood has always been popular along the coast, where it was readily available. So here we have Spicy Shrimp Tacos. Authentic Mexican food on your own table, I love it

Starting with shrimp, and a spicy little marinade I came across. It’s pretty versatile, and has a number of uses. Please check out this recipe Spicy Shrimp and Cheesy Grits where I pair it with cheesy grits to make a delicious dish. Also, remember we’re handling raw seafood, please be aware of safe food prep, please read my post Safe Food Prep practices in the Kitchen

Shrimp come in many sizes, and there’s a debate as to the flavor to size ratio. Also, take into consideration what you’re putting the shrimp in. Jumbo shrimp would be too big for the taco. Small, well, I think they’re too small, so medium works well. Clean, de vein and remove the shell from the shrimp.

The best way to marinate anything is in a baggie. So add the spices and the shrimp to a baggie, lay flat on the counter to remove the air, manipulate to mix everything. Put it on a plate in the fridge, and let the shrimp and spices get to know each other for a while. I like to let them sit there for and hour or so

So, now we move on what we’re going to put the shrimp in. As usual, lots of choices. Tacos are hard and Tortillas are soft, they come in white and colored. I prefer soft to hard, but colors, well, that depends on your mood, I’ll leave it up to you. As a tip, when you heat tacos, moisten the individual tacos, this can just be with wet hands, just rub the moisture all over the taco. Wrap tightly in foil and place in a warm oven, 250 degrees for 5 mins should work.

Now for the cooking process. Shrimp cooks pretty quick, however the rest, the peppers and onions take a bit. So I’ll saute the peppers and onions in a tablespoon of oil, covered on medium heat till nearly done, maybe 10 mins. Then turn up the heat and add the shrimp spice mixture from the baggie and keep stirring everything till the shrimp are done, about 5 mins (or until the shrimp are pink)

Now, more decisions. What to put with the tacos? Again, lots of choices. A little Queso is always required, a little slaw to rest the shrimp on. Re-fried beans are a popular side. My personal favorite is Mexicorn, a little charred corn with finely diced chili and bell pepper as a side or on the taco. Oh and please check out Sour Cream with Cilantro and Lime it’s a perfect offset to the heat of the shrimp. And, as with any Mexican dish, some sliced avocado on the side. No matter how you serve it, enjoy and thank you for reading.