I tasted some shrimp tacos that were packed with flavor at a Coyo Taco restaurant and asked the co-founder and chef behind the Coyo Taco chain, Scott Linquist, how they are made. He gave me a simple recipe and I’ve adapted it here.
Scott also advised that you could make the tacos and serve them, or you can simply place all the fixings in bowls on the table along with the warm tortillas and let everyone make their own tacos.
I like to buy frozen shrimp to have on hand. It’s easy to remove what you need. They take only a few minutes to defrost in a bowl of cold water.
Helpful Hints:
You can substitute several drops of hot pepper sauce for jalapeno pepper.
Look for finely shredded or thinly sliced coleslaw mix in the produce department.
If don’t have access to a blender, chop the cilantro, garlic, cumin and jalapeno together and mix with oil and lime juice.
Countdown:
Make cilantro mixture and add the shrimp. Prepare the remaining ingredients.
Warm the tortillas and set aside.
Cook the shrimp and the cilantro mixture. Fill the tacos and serve.
Shopping List:
To buy:
- 1 bunch cilantro,
- 1 jalapeno pepper,
- 1 package finely shredded coleslaw mix,
- 1 lime,
- 1 bunch radishes,
- 1 avocado,
- 1 small bag peeled deveined shrimp,
- 1 bottle ground cumin,
- 1 bottle reduced fat mayonnaise,
- 1 package 6-inch whole wheat tortillas,
- 1 bottle tomato salsa.
Staples: canola oil, garlic.
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 packed cup cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and cut into small pieces
- 6 whole wheat
- 6-inch tortillas
- 12 medium size peeled and deveined shrimp
- 3/4 cup finely shredded coleslaw mix
- 1 tablespoon reduced fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup tomato salsa
- 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
- 6 radishes, sliced
Puree canola oil, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno pepper and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Place in a bowl and add shrimp. Toss to coat shrimp with the cilantro mixture. Let rest while preparing remaining ingredients. Mix coleslaw and reduced fat mayonnaise together. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the tortillas two at a time flipping them over until they are warm, about 30 seconds. Wrap them in aluminum foil to keep warm. Add shrimp with the cilantro mixture to the same skillet. Cook for several minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat and set aside. To make the tacos, place the tortillas on a counter and put 2 shrimp in the middle of each one. Add 2 tablespoons coleslaw, 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 slice avocado to each tortilla. Fold over. Place 3 folded tortillas on 2 dinner plates. Add the radishes on the side.
Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 453 calories (25% from fat), 24.3 g fat (3.4 g saturated, 14 g monounsaturated), 138 mg cholesterol, 27.8 g protein, 47.6 g carbohydrates, 19.3 g fiber, 897 mg sodium.
(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, 'The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.' Listen to Linda on and all major podcast sites. Email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.)