Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

Frozen Shrimp gets a bad rap & this is my attempt at some damage control. Because a protein that you can keep in your freezer, thaw in no time, and turn it into THIS in just 20 minutes??

That deserves more attention.

These are the tacos I make when I want dinner in 20 minutes and don't want to think about it. Frozen shrimp, bagged slaw, tortillas, and an easy cilantro-lime sauce!

Somehow they'll taste like you tried harder than you actually had to.

Full recipe, spice blend, and the sauce technique that makes it all work below for paid subscribers.

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

• 1 lb frozen large shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off), thawed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• avocado oil

Slaw:

• 1 bag coleslaw mix (14 oz)
• Cilantro-Lime Sauce (below) OR use storebought like this one

For the Tacos:

• 8-12 corn tortillas
• Cilantro-Lime Sauce
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Optional toppings: crumbled cotija, hot sauce, lime wedges, pickled red onion

Cilantro Lime Sauce (optional):

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbs mayo
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 garlic cloves
• 2-4 slices pickled jalapeño (to taste)
• 1 tsp pickled jalapeño brine (just a splash)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Thaw the shrimp. Put the frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for 10-15 minutes until fully thawed. Drain & pat dry with paper towels. Be sure to get them really dry so they sear instead of steam. 
2. Make the Sauce: While the shrimp thaws, add all sauce ingredients to a tall container or blender cup. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and pale green. Taste & add more lime if you want it brighter, more jalapeño brine if you want it punchier, more salt if it needs it.
3. Make the slaw: toss about 1/2 C cilantro lime sauce into the bag of coleslaw and shake to combine. Add more sauce if you prefer! Reserve the rest of the sauce for topping
4. Season the shrimp. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and salt until evenly coated. Permission to skip measuring this portion- you want enough seasoning to give an even reddish brown coat to the shrimp (pic below)
5. Sear the shrimp. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet or cast iron  over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the shrimp in a single layer (do batches if needed so you don’t crowd the pan). Cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Overcooking shrimp is what makes it rubbery so keep an eye on it! 
6. Warm the tortillas. While the shrimp is searing, turn a gas burner on high heat and place a tortilla directly on the burner using tongs. Heat for 10-15 seconds per side. Stack tortillas on a plate, cover with a paper towel to keep warm.  Or wrap tortillas in a damp towel and  microwave for about 20 seconds.
7. Build the tacos. Layer each tortilla with slaw, shrimp, avocado slices, pickled red onions, and a drizzle of cilantro-lime sauce. Top with cotija! 

Stretch It:

This cilantro lime sauce is one of my favorites, so while you have the immersion blender out, my thought is why not make more? Works well as a topping for taco bowls, fajitas, or this breakfast hominy hash.

Servings Kids?

If you have a toddler, this was a big hit as a deconstructed bowl! I diced the shrimp and mixed it with some mashed avocado. Since the coleslaw was a little too tough for Camila at this age, I served some tomatoes on the side for more veg.

Notes:

• If you don't have an immersion blender, respectfully WHAT? Why not??? It is one of my most loved kitchen gadgets because it makes it so easy to up level a recipe like simple shrimp tacos. I would not be pulling out my blender to make a sauce like this, but the immersion blender take it to a 5 minute thing!
• This recipe (every recipe?) gets easier when you throw away your measuring spoons. If you want to skip that part, just season your shrimp till it looks like this: