Fried Shrimp Tacos

5 from 1 vote

Craving an easy, fresh, and light summer dinner? These fried shrimp tacos feature corn tortillas, chipotle mayo, and a bright slaw and come together in under 30 minutes.

Servings servings

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Equipment

Cast iron frying pan

Ingredients

6 to 8 6-inch corn tortillas
½ cup chipotle mayo

Carrot and Cabbage Slaw

¼ head green cabbage chopped
¾ cup shredded carrots
1 medium lime juiced
2 pinches sea salt

Fried Shrimp

½ pound frozen "salad style" cooked shrimp, tail off
⅔ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg beaten well
Vegetable oil for frying
Lime wedges for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the chipotle mayo and slaw. To make the slaw, combine the cabbage, carrots, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl and toss gently until well mixed. Set both toppings aside in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Prepare to dredge and fry the shrimp:
First, combine the flour, paprika, cayenne, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat the egg in a second bowl and set aside.
Defrost the shrimp per package directions, then pat dry. In the meantime, preheat a quarter-inch of vegetable oil in a deep-walled frying pan over medium-high heat.
Now, dredge the shrimp. Coat the shrimp well in the egg, then toss in the flour mixture until coated well. Make sure to let any excess egg drip off before you transfer the shrimp to the flour. Work in batches as needed.
Fry the shrimp in batches so as not to over-crowd the pan (we usually do 2 batches). Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes, turning over once or twice to ensure even browning.
Transfer cooked shrimp to a cooling rack to drain (put paper towels underneath it to catch excess oil).
Serve shrimp tacos immediately. We recommend building your shrimp tacos with a bed of slaw, a couple of shrimp, as much chipotle mayo as you want, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

Corn tortillas - We make our tortillas from scratch and it is probably the single best improvement we’ve made to any of our dinners. We follow the recipe from the Mi Cocina cookbook (you'll need a tortilla press and a cast iron skillet). Of course, store-bought options also work and save some time and effort.

Chipotle mayo - We use chipotle mayo all the time, so much so that we’re now debating how much is too much for meal prepping. Try our chipotle mayo recipe, or use your favorite store-bought version.

Serving suggestions - We always love chips and guac with our taco nights! But there are so many great appetizers and sides that pair well with these seafood tacos. Check out our blog post above for suggestions.

Storing and reheating leftovers - Leftover fried shrimp keeps for 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. We recommend reheating leftovers in a frying pan with a little bit of oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until crispy.

Author: Alex Langdon

Calories: 631kcal

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: cabbage, carrots, chipotle mayo, corn tortillas, lime juice, shrimp, summer

Nutrition