Warm weather is on the horizon and that means that my favorite Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema are on the menu, again and again!
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Fire up the grill and skewer jumbo shrimp. A simple drizzle of olive oil and a generous (to down-right hefty) sprinkling of season salt and pepper is really all you need but if you have time, this Citrus Rum Marinade is delicious as well! As for the seasoned salt you use, any will do. I have been using the Trader Joe's Seasoned Salt because I think it has nice flavor but Lawry's is also delicious or a homemade mix of your favorite seasonings.
How to Grill Shrimp
The trick, if you want to call it that, to grilled shrimp is not to over cook them. I guess you could say that's the trick to cooking all shrimp in general. They only take a few minutes to turn from raw and grey to tender and pink which also means juicy and delicious.
It's very easy to leave them on too long and turn them into a dried out or rubbery mess so keep an eye on them. Skewers also help when grilling shrimp so that they don't fall between the grates. There is nothing worse than loosing food to the charcoal, am I right?
Ingredients in Shrimp Tacos
These tacos are really quite simple ingredient wise. The flavors are fresh and light but so satisfying on a warm spring or summer evening. Here's what you will need:
- Shrimp- I like to use peeled jumbo shrimp for this!
- Seasonings - olive oil, salt, pepper, fresh garlic and seasoned salt. Simple!
- Tortillas - I love the flavor of corn tortillas with the sweet shrimp.
- Cabbage- I buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage for this.
- Limes & Cilantro- I always love garnishing tacos with fresh cilantro and plenty of lime juice.
- Crema- If you can find Mexican crema, it's delicious! Otherwise you can mix a bit of lime juice into sour cream to thin it out and give it tang and that will work just as well.
- Avocado Crema- a mix of avocado, crema, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper.
TIP: If you want extra flavor, throw a couple of halved limes on the grill to char. They give a bitter but delicious charred flavor to the tacos.
Avocado Crema Recipe
Grilled shrimp is simple and delicious all on it's own but a quick homemade avocado crema really takes these tacos to the next level, flavor wise. So what is crema? It's basically the Mexican version of crème fraiche and makes the best creamy and salty sauce for tacos. I mix it with freshly mashed avocado, fresh garlic and seasonings in in seconds you have something like a creamy guacamole.
How to Assemble Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Quite honestly, there is no wrong way to assemble tacos but here are my steps for making the best tacos!
- Start by charring your tortillas slightly over the open flame of a gas range just to warm them through and make them more pliable. Unfortunately, you can't really do this over the grill, I've tried and it dries them out.
- Spread tortillas with a generous amount of avocado crema. Adding it to the bottom of the tortilla under the shrimp and cabbage gives a nice base to your tacos makes them easier to eat. Sauce on top of cabbage is always a mess.
- Add shredded cabbage and cilantro.
- Finally top with hot shrimp fresh off of the grill.
- Garnish with hot sauce, another drizzle of crema or lime juice and enjoy!
What to Serve with Shrimp Tacos
- Creamy Coconut Margaritas
- Grilled Mexican Corn Salad
- Watermelon Salad with Cilantro and Cotija
- Spicy Mango Jalapeno Margaritas
- Chips and The ULTIMATE Guacamole
Sweet spring days will quickly turn to long summer nights and these lighter meals will be a welcome change from our heavy winter classics. Who else is more than ready for warmer weather?
More Delicious Taco Recipes to Try:
- Mahi Mango Fish Tacos
- Corned Beef Tacos
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
- Fish Tacos with Coconut Avocado Crema
- Crockpot Shredded Beef Tacos
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
Grilled shrimp with avocado crema make a delicious taco.
Ingredients
- 24 large shrimp peeled and deveined
- olive oil
- seasoned salt- Trader Joe's or Lawry's
- black pepper
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 bag, shredded green cabbage
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- limes for garnish
- Mexican crema for garnish
- Avocado Crema:
- 1 large avocado or 2 small avocados
- ¼ cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine or grated
- squeeze of lime juice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Fire up the grill! I use Mesquite wood charcoal but any will do.
- Make the Avocado Crema: In a bowl smash avocado. Mix in minced garlic, and Mexican crema until smooth. If you can't find crema you can also use sour cream. Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lime or more to taste along with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Note: Season well as this is the base for your tacos.
- Rinse shrimp under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Drizzle shrimp with olive oil and season very generously with your favorite seasoned salt blend and freshly ground black pepper.
- Skewer shrimp and place on grill. Grill 3-4 minutes per side just until pink throughout. Depending on how hot your coals are, the shrimp can cook very quickly. Remove skewers from the grill and remove shrimp.
- Heat tortillas on the stove top (they will dry out on the grill) just until hot and slightly charred.
- Top each tortilla with a dollop of avocado crema and spread. Add shredded cabbage, shrimp, torn cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Drizzle with more Mexican crema.
- Serve immediately, while the shrimp is still hot!
Notes
Don't skimp on the toppings! The avocado crema, cabbage and cilantro all make the flavors of these simple shrimp tacos shine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 574Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 638mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 18gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g