Manageability – Easy because I used peeled, deveined shrimp
I don’t eat a lot of shrimps. Normally I need them teeny-tiny, and breaded/fried with some bang-bang sauce, but The Girl with the Iron Cast’s Spicy Shrimp Tacos were plenty tasty and I didn’t need to bang-bang.
Marinade is important here, but it’s not that bad to prepare. Seafood like shrimpies will retain a lot of the flavors, and the best part of these is the red pepper and chili powder kick. And I’m also usually afraid of shrimp being too slimy, so I recommend using a pan so you can get a little sear on the edges of these stupid little crustaceans. Altogether though, this was a medium amount of work for a medium taco.
And maybe one day I’ll eat a cold shrimp cocktail at a dinner party like some Wall Street nerd from 1984 with permed hair and shoulder pads, but until then these tacos are a great way to enjoy a protein I don’t enjoy very often.
Ingredients
- 1lb shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 tsp dark chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tsp)
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients: 3 tbsp avocado oil, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Add in prepped shrimp, stir to coat all the shrimp with marinade. Place in refrigerator and marinate for minimum 30 minutes, or one full episode of the Office.
- While the shrimp is marinating, in a food processor add the avocado crema ingredients: avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, yogurt, olive oil, water and kosher salt. Pulse until all the ingredients are smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add another tbsp of water. Set aside.
- Using a mandoline or knife, shred the cabbages. Place in a small bowl, add a few spoons of the crema and toss to combine. Save the rest of the crema to drizzle over the tacos at the end. Tune the mandoline to “drop D”.
- You can either cook the shrimp in a cast iron skillet or grill them. I can’t tell you what to do with your life.
- Assemble the tacos: Place the tortilla down, add a few spoons of the cabbage slaw, add a few shrimps, drizzle avocado crema over the top, garnish with fresh cilantro, serve with lime wedges