Shrimp seems to be one of those foods where when you mention it, eyes light up in the room. It's versatile, flavourful, and fits well on any plate. And unlike going to the restaurants and getting a shrimp entree or chilled in a fancy martini glass of ice, Shrimp tacos at home can be quite affordable.
Decide on your choice of beer, get some tacos, and set up the table. You’re going to enjoy a great lager-based shrimp delight that is going to have the BBQ utilized in a fashion you probably haven’t tried before.
Shrimp tacos don’t have to just be a tuesday treat. Get some skewers and blaze up the grill, we aren’t losing any shrimp to the flames today.
Marinated Ingredients
- half a 355ml can of Canadian lager
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
- 1 tsp (5 mL) chilli powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) chipotle chilli powder or chilli powder
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
- large shrimp (31 to 40 count), peeled and deveined
Slaw for the Tacos
- 4 cups (1 L) finely shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves
- 1 green onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
- Half jalapeño pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) sour cream
- A quarter of a 355ml can of Canadian lager
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) pepper
Taco Toppings
- 8 6-inch soft flour tortillas
- 2 cups (500 mL) cubed fresh pineapple (1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces)
- 1 cup (250 mL) diced avocado
- Hot sauce (as required)
Marinate your shrimp
- In a bowl whisk together the lager, oil, chilli powder, chipotle chilli powder, sugar and salt. Add in your shrimp and toss to coat. Cover or place in a ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to high, and while waiting soak the bamboo or wooden skewers in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Get 6 or 7 shrimp onto each skewer and Set aside (see below) and grease grill.
-
To get even grill marks, allow marinated shrimp to hang over a baking sheet to allow excess marinade to fall into a dish.
-
- Cook shrimp on the grill, turning once. Shrimp should be pink and opaque with grill-marks. Roughly 1 to 2 minutes per side.
slaw it up
- Place cabbage in a large serving bowl. In a blender or food processor, blend cilantro, green onion, garlic, serrano pepper, mayonnaise, sour cream, lager, lime juice, sugar and pepper until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds. Pour a little more than half over cabbage and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate cabbage and remaining cilantro sauce for at least 1 hour.
- Serve shrimp tacos, slaw and reserved cilantro sauce, tortillas, pineapple, avocado, and hot sauce (if using). Let everyone dress their tacos at the table. And bring out the beer!
Tips
- You can also cook the shrimp on the stovetop: In a large skillet, cook shrimp over medium-high heat, turning once, until pink, opaque and lightly browned at edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
- No blender or food processor to make the dressing? No problem. Use a sharp chef’s knife to finely chop or mince the green onion, cilantro and serrano pepper. Mix them with all the other ingredients in a bowl. You’ll end up with a thicker sauce, but it will be just as delicious.
- Here’s a hidden tip… Japanese Mayo! get it from your local chinese grocery store and allow it to bring the taste to another level. Use it instead of mayo for anything, and enjoy the added flavour.
