Street taco on flour tortilla with shrimp, cheese and bell peppers.
Where this dish comes from
The shrimp taco exists in two forms in Mexico: the Baja version, battered and fried like the fish taco, and the coastal version from Sinaloa and Sonora, where shrimp are simply seasoned and cooked on a flat iron or griddle with garlic, lime, and chile until they curl and char slightly. The grilled version is faster, lighter, and closer to the street food tradition of the Pacific coast.
500g large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined
2 tbsp neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, salt
12 small corn tortillas, doubled
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 avocado, sliced or blended into crema
Salsa roja or chipotle salsa
Fresh cilantro, 2 limes quartered
Instructions
1
Toss shrimp with oil, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Marinate 20 minutes maximum — acid starts cooking the shrimp.
2
Heat a cast iron or flat iron over maximum heat. Add shrimp in a single layer. Cook 90 seconds per side — pull when the curl tightens and they have slight color but are not yet fully opaque.
3
Warm doubled corn tortillas. Place 3–4 shrimp in each.
4
Shredded cabbage underneath the shrimp. Drizzle avocado crema or sliced avocado. Salsa. Fresh cilantro. Lime wedge.