Shrimp Tacos.
When I think about tacos, I think back to my first experiences eating them as a kid. As a first generation kid growing up with Iranian parents who had no idea what a taco was, my taco experiences were primarily limited to either taco lunch day at school or my Mom cooking ground beef and serving it with the hard shells. I only associated tacos with the El Paso hard corn taco shells.
It’s safe to say that my taco experience growing up was not that enriching or positive. As I’ve grown up, I’ve found that I have an intense affinity for all things taco. Tacos in the traditional sense are a Mexican dish, but meat eaten between a piece of flatbread is something that’s as old as time itself. I think that’s why I love tacos so much, because it just reminds me of Persian food in a lot of ways where you can some delicious meat and you eat it with some lavash or other tasty Iranian bread.
The word taco has a etymology that’s rather confusing and not exactly clear, some say it stems from a Nahuatl word “tiahco” which means half or in the middle which would make some sense for the word taco. Others say it comes from Mexican minors who would make “tacos” which were explosive plugs that were wrapped in paper. Tacos as a food are send to pre-date the Spanish invasion, as it’s been recorded that indigenous Mexicans would eat fish tacos regularly. The fish taco game has been going strong for hundreds of years apparently.
Fish tacos are good, but shrimp tacos are even better. Shrimp lends itself perfectly to tacos, they carry great flavor, they have great texture, and they’re quick & easy to make. I love making shrimp tacos and this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes (as long as you have shrimp ready).
You can eat these with flour or corn tortillas, I tend to prefer flour tortillas but that’s just my preference. Remember if you’re not making your own tortillas always serve your tortillas warm.
Recipe – Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
1 Pound of Deveined Shrimp (or not deveined your preference, it’s quicker if you don’t devein obviously)
1 Tsp. Cumin
1 Tsp. Coriander
1 Tsp. Paprika
1/2 Tsp. Chili Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
Flour or Corn Tortillas
1 Tbsp. Butter
Taco Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. Mayo
1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 Tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp. Cumin & Coriander
Step 1 -Mix your shrimp with all of your ingredients except the butter, tortillas, and taco sauce.
Step 2- Allow the shrimp to marinate for 5 minutes.
Step 3- Heat up the butter in a large non-stick pan, and then brown the shrimp for about three minutes (once they’ve turned bright pink they’re cooked, but test one before you take them off.
Step 4- Remove the shrimp from the heat, and mix together your taco sauce ingredients.
Step 5- Heat your tortillas in a large non-stick pan, one at a time, about 30 seconds a side. Again use your best judgement here.
Step 6- Plate your tacos! I like to use some pickled cabbage as well because I think the sour flavor of the cabbage adds a good punch to the tacos.
Enjoy!
