These chipotle shrimp tacos take me right back to growing up in Texas. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe at this restaurant we went to all the time when I was a kid. Their shrimp with guacamole and a chipotle sauce was one of my favorite dinners, and call me nostalgic, but I’ve been on a quest to recreate that meal recently. Good news for all of us: I think I nailed it.
The shrimp paired with the creamy guacamole, spicy chipotle and the crispy but soft cheesy tacos are insane. I hope you like it just as much as I did!
Why You’ll Love These Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp tacos are an incredibly satisfying meal. First off, they’re freakin’ delicious, with so much flavor from the shrimp and the chipotle. Secondly, they come together in basically no time at all. Thirdly, tacos. Enough said.
These chipotle shrimp tacos have a super simple preparation, so it’s perfect for your weeknight taco night. Something that my childhood restaurant didn’t have was my Cowboy Candy Seasoning, so I decided I’d try flavoring the shrimp with that for an extra boost of sweet and spice. It turned out to be the perfect balance!
Add in the guacamole and an easy, creamy chipotle sauce and we’ve got some next level tacos. I went with corn tortillas and classic toppings (red onion and fresh cilantro), but feel free to riff if you want something different. Don’t skip the cheese though!
Want more shrimp recipes? Check out my Shrimp Tostadas, Smoked Shrimp, Stuffed Shrimp and Garlic Chorizo Shrimp.
Chipotle Shrimp Tacos Ingredients
- Shrimp: Grab some peeled, deveined, tail off shrimp. We’ll season them with Cowboy Candy rub and chopped cilantro.
- Guacamole: Simple ingredients, big flavor. We’ll make my go-to guac with ripe, creamy avocado, diced red onions, more chopped cilantro, lime juice and kosher salt to taste.
- Chipotle Sauce: Our chipotle lime sauce has sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo sauce and more lime juice.
- Tacos: For assembly, you’ll need corn tortillas, shredded jack cheese, more cilantro and more red onion. It’s always a great day when we can use the same ingredients in multiple components of the dish!
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What is Chipotle in Adobo?
If you’ve been wondering what exactly are chipotle peppers in adobo, here’s your answer. You’re holding a can of smoke-dried jalapeños, which are packed in a tomato-vinegar sauce for extra tang and flavor. These bad boys are a staple ingredient in Mexican food to add intense, smoky heat to dishes.
Since they’re actually jalapeño peppers, they’ll add a good amount of heat to your dish. But don’t sleep on the sauce, which has tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, salt, and spices like cumin or oregano, for adding that smoky flavor to your dish. You can use chipotle in adobo in sauces, marinades, stews and tacos. Think enchilada sauce, chili, marinades for meats like barbacoa, compound butter for steak, and mayonnaise-based sauces like the one for our chipotle shrimp tacos.
You can store any leftover chipotles in the fridge for a few weeks or even freeze them for up to six months. Save them to make recipes like Chipotle Cheesesteak, Chipotle Ranch Steak Quesadilla, Chipotle Lime Red Snapper and Smoked Chipotle Steak Chili!
How to Make Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
Let’s get this Taco Tuesday going, shall we? My favorite night of the week!
First, preheat a large skillet over a medium-high heat fire (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Next, grab your raw shrimp and mix them in a bowl with Cowboy Candy Seasoning, chopped cilantro and canola oil.
Then, add your shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until they are opaque white and no longer translucent. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add your tortillas to the grill to cook, topping with cheese and another tortilla. Flip to cook both sides. You’ll need 10-12 corn tortillas total and about 2 cups of shredded jack cheese for all your tacos.
In a bowl, mix together your ingredients for the guacamole: avocados, mashed; finely diced red onions; cilantro; juice of 3-4 medium limes; and kosher salt to taste. Set to the side.
To make the chipotle sauce, place sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo and lime juice in a blender. Blend those ingredients until smooth.
To serve, assemble your tacos with the cheesy warm tortilla, guacamole, a handful of shrimp, red onion, cilantro, and chipotle sauce. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
Basically, any side dish you get from your favorite cantina would be so freakin’ delicious with these chipotle shrimp tacos. Rice and beans, Mexican rice, Mexican street corn, a lime and scallion slaw, peppers and onions — the list goes on. And don’t forget chips and salsa (or more guac) and a cold light beer to round it all out!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover chipotle shrimp tacos, store your shrimp, guacamole and chipotle sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat your shrimp gently in a skillet at medium-low heat until they’re just warmed through. You don’t want to overcook the shrimp or they’ll become rubbery. For the tortillas, it’s best to heat and assemble those right before serving.
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FAQs
The chipotle in adobo is the main source of heat in this recipe, and the peppers themselves add the most intense spice level. You can reduce the number of peppers if you want the dish less spicy, and up it if you want to play with fire!
I’d say medium or large shrimp are the best, which gets you 35 to 41 shrimp per pound. You don’t want the shrimp so big that you can’t eat it in one bite, but you don’t want them to disappear either.
Sure! I like the corn tortillas better here since they have an earthier flavor and a firmer texture. But these chipotle shrimp tacos will still be so freakin’ delicious with flour tortillas.
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Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1 lb Shrimp peeled/deveined/tail off
- 2 tbsp Cowboy Candy Rub
- 1 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
Guacamole:
- 5-6 Ripe Avocados removed from shell
- ½ cup Red Onions finely diced
- ½ cup Chopped Cilantro
- 3-4 medium Limes juiced
- Kosher Salt to taste
Chipotle Sauce:
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 4 oz Chipotle in Adobo
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice
Tacos:
- 10-12 Corn Tortillas
- 2 cups Shredded Jack Cheese
- Chopped Cilantro garnish
- Chopped Red Onion garnish
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over a medium high heat fire (about 350F).
- Mix your shrimp in a bowl with the seasoning and other ingredients.
- Add your shrimp to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are opaque white and no longer translucent.
- Add tortillas to the skillet to cook, topping with cheese and another tortilla. Flip to cook both sides..
- In a bowl, mix together the guacamole and set to the side.
- In a blender, blend the chipotle sauce until smooth.
- Serve the taco with cheesy tortilla, guacamole, handful of shrimp, red onion + cilantro, and chipotle sauce. Enjoy!
