I feel like shrimp tacos are kind of underrated. Good old fashioned beef tacos, fajitas, even fish tacos, but shrimp tacos? Not something you see on the menu as frequently. I really love them though! Plus I find them a bit easier than fish tacos because one, you can grill the shrimp and give it that delicious char, but also, grilling fish can be a real pain in the butt sometimes depending on the type.
Ancho chili powder and lime are two of my favorite combinations when it comes to shrimp. It seemed fitting as I scanned the fridge for what to make for dinner tonight and somehow landed on these. The lime on the shrimp is fresh and light, the ancho has a tiny pop of spice, and then the crunchy slaw and smooth guacamole had me pretty much in heaven.
Our fridge is still broken, so I'm still running pretty lean on groceries but was happy I had enough to put this one together! I used my favorite shrimp from Costco. They come in bags containing 2 lbs of deveined, tail-off, raw shrimp. This way you can cook them as you please and know they won't get tough during the cooking process, whereas with pre-cooked shrimp, you aren't able to infuse the shrimp with as much flavor since the cooking process has already occurred. Plus the tail-off and deveined are the fast track to getting dinner on the table in a flash. Occasionally Caputo's carries shrimp with my laundry list of expectations, but when all else fails, I'll buy the ones with their tails on and just remove the tail on them before I marinate them.
I enjoyed grilling these so it infuses that char and smokiness into the shrimp, but these could easily be broiled for a few minutes on high or sautéd in a skillet. I use a grilling basket for shrimp so none of them fall through the grates. Here is the one I have and it really is a game-changer for the grill. It's versatile enough to use on vegetables, grilled potatoes, or shrimp!
I should add too, our thermometer read 120° on our deck while I was grilling these! It was steamy. Another reason I choose the grill.
How to Make Ancho Chili Lime Tacos with Cabbage Slaw:
To get started on making these shrimp tacos, de-thaw and rinse the shrimp into a colander. This way the shrimp are not watering down any of the marinade to ensure the shrimp soak up the most marinade possible.
I use a fair amount of lime in these, so it's important you only marinate the shrimp for 20-30 minutes. The shrimp is such a tender shellfish that the lime can actually start to cook/toughen the shrimp if left marinating too long.
By mixing together limes, olive oil, Garlic, Oregano, Tabasco Sauce, Cumin, Ancho Chili Powder and Trader Joe's Chili Lime Seasoning, the marinade comes together. If you do not have the Trader Joe's Chili Lime Seasoning, Tajín has a similar one that can be found in most grocery stores or on Amazon here. Add the shrimp into bowl and give it a good stir to coat the shrimp. Put your shrimp into the fridge to marinate for 20-30 minutes and begin preparing the slaw.
The Ancho Chili Powder seems like a non-pantry staple, and it's not usually in the regular spice aisle in the super market but it is usually in all markets. It's a deeper chili flavor with hints of smokiness and usually can be found by the bagged Mexican spices and dried peppers in grocery stores. If you can't find this and don't mind some heat, Chipotle Chili Powder is another great option (can be found in the standard spice aisle), or Chili Powder.
Now onto the slaw. I usually I love matchstick carrots in my slaw, but honestly, I'm happy I didn't have them because the green onions and purple cabbage were perfect. The green onion wasn't overpowering on the shrimp and the cabbage gave it that perfect crunch with each bite.
The slaw dressing was super simple to put together. Using a combination of greek yogurt and mayo, Chili Lime Seasoning, fresh limes, fresh cilantro and a few other pantry staples, this was delicious and quick to come together. Once it's mixed, into the fridge it goes for the flavors to set!
The completed version of this slaw was really good with just the shrimp too, which I also ate later :). It's got a bit of spice from the Chili Lime Seasoning which I enjoyed, but definitely not overpowering.
Lastly, it was time to get my shrimp cooked up. Like I mentioned, a few minutes and these are done on the grill. It's important to watch the shrimp closely to ensure they don't get tough. Once they turn bright pink, it's time to pull them off the grill.
Now it's time to assemble! I charred my tortillas on an open flame on the stove so they became pliable, added my shrimp and slaw, some pre-packaged guac I picked up at Costco and fresh cilantro and I was done. Dinner is served! The good news is these have vegetables, healthy protein and a low fat carb...I just served them right on their own with no sides and no one complained.
The toppings really are endless but another squeeze of fresh lime...cojita cheese...pico de gallo...all would be super delicious on these Ancho Chili Lime Tacos!
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