Hands-Down, These Are the Best Shrimp Tacos of Your Life

Whenever I’m at the beach, I feel like my whole system resets. Our family schedule is free of most commitments, so this time allows us to go into a more relaxed state. When we’re in Malibu, my favorite time of day is right before sunset, when everything is bathed in golden light and you can find us huddled around. Grill Preparing ingredients from the farm store, cold drink in hand. And this summer, our MVP are these grilled shrimp tacos with grapefruit-avocado salsa, also known as the world’s best shrimp tacos. Call us obsessed.

Now that I’m back in Austin, I’m committed to bringing that relaxed Cali atmosphere home. (Yes, even though I’m juggling the realities of a busy work schedule as well as carpooling to take my kids from one activity to the next.) For me, the best way to get into the summer mood is to cook (and eat!) outside as much as possible. This shrimp taco recipe is the perfect excuse to enjoy an al fresco meal any night of the week. Let’s get started – let me show you how easily they come together.

Ingredients for Grilled Shrimp Tacos

This is a short and sweet ingredient list—what I consider a basic requirement for any great summer recipe. Here’s what to buy from the grocery store:

• lemon
• grapefruit
• Honey
• Garlic
• Chili powder
• Mayo
• Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• Cabbage
• corn bread
• avocados
• Coriander
• Jalapenos

How to Make the Best Shrimp Taco Recipe

Marinate the Shrimp

The key to keeping this recipe simple is to let our ingredients do double duty. The marinade is also used as the base for the creamy sauce, and many of the marinade ingredients are used in the grapefruit salsa. Because again – I like a short grocery list.

To make the marinade, you’ll combine the peel and juice of your citrus fruit with honey, garlic, chili powder, and olive oil. You’ll then place the shrimp in a bowl and pour half of the marinade over them. You only need to marinate this shrimp for about 30 minutes to an hour at most – any longer than that, and you’ll risk the shrimp starting to “cook” in the citrus fruit. (We’re not making ceviche here.)

Make a Quick Crema

This sauce plays a key role in giving this shrimp taco recipe so much flavor. For the creamy sauce, all you need is the leftover marinade that you mix with mayo or sour cream. You’ll mix this with our shredded cabbage for five seconds, then save the rest to drizzle over the finished tacos.

Mix Your Salsa Together

I made grapefruit the main ingredient in this addictive salsa. It’s incredibly easy and takes these tacos to the next level. Simply mix avocado and grapefruit pieces together, then add cilantro and adjust the jalapeño to give it the spiciness you like. Double the recipe and serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips.

How to Cook Shrimp for Tacos

Trust me on this one: The key to success majority of To cook delicious shrimp, it’s important to sear them, which means a quick cooking method is best. I like to cook shrimp over high heat in a cast-iron skillet placed on a grill grate. This gives you the quickest cooking possible, while also ensuring that your shrimp don’t fall through the grate.

Once you’ve added the shrimp to the pan and heard the crackling sound, resist the temptation to stir or turn the shrimp until the first side is nice and caramelized.

Assemble your tacos

To serve, top your coleslaw, grapefruit salsa and then grilled shrimp on toasted corn tortillas. Garnish with cilantro and a drizzle of crema and serve with lime wedges. Voila – you’ve had the best shrimp tacos ever.

Tips for Shrimp Taco Success

Change the Toppings

If you don’t want to add salsa, just add creamy avocado chunks, fresh cilantro flakes and a few squeezes of fresh lime. Pico de gallo is always welcome!

Replace proteins

You can change these fish tacosUse the same marinade, sauce, and salsa. Cod or halibut fillets work great for this recipe.

Make it easy

I rely on a few key shortcuts when I make this shrimp taco recipe:

• Use a bag of pre-shredded cabbage.
• Buy raw lobster that is already peeled and deveined.
• Sear the corn tortillas right on the grill, so you can do all the cooking outside (with minimal cleanup!).

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