Speedy shrimp tacos

Fast, flavourful and fun!

I think my family believes that Taco Tuesday is just a weak guideline; if they had their way, we’d probably have tacos for dinner three or four nights a week. I’m constantly mixing things up and the latest experiment was shrimp tacos, which were a huge hit. While the shrimp were delightful, you could easily follow the method below to cook scallops or segments of firm, white fish for tacos. Get everyone in on the action of prepping the ingredients and assembling the tacos and you’ll have dinner ready in less than 15 minutes!

Ingredients

Coleslaw dressing / taco sauce

• 1/3 cup (90 mL) mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) sour cream
• 1 – 2 teaspoons (5 – 10 mL) sriracha or other hot sauce (or more, to taste)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp Tacos

• 1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 limes, in wedges
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 pound (454 g) shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) garlic powder
• 2 – 3 tablespoons (30 – 45 mL) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) each shredded cabbage and carrot (or your favourite coleslaw blend)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves

Method

• Make sauce by whisking together mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha and lime juice in a small bowl. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until needed.
• Toss shredded cabbage and carrot (or slaw mix) with a few tablespoons of the prepared sauce (just enough to lightly coat the vegetables). Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Put sliced avocado in a bowl and squeeze 1 – 2 wedges of lime over top; toss gently to coat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl or plastic bag, coat peeled and deveined shrimp in cornstarch which has been mixed with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Add just enough oil to a large skillet to evenly coat the bottom and place pan over medium-high heat. Let warm for several minutes before shaking any excess cornstarch from shrimp and carefully adding to pan, making sure not to overcrowd (cook in batches if necessary). Cook for just about 1 minute per side, until pink and just beginning to curl. Remove from heat and transfer shrimp to a plate.
• Assemble tacos: top one warm corn tortilla with 3 or 4 shrimp and sprinkle with dressed chopped slaw. Add avocado slices then drizzle with a little more of the sauce and sprinkle with cilantro. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Makes 8 tacos; recipe can easily be multiplied.