Janice I love Tacos! These smoky shrimp tacos are seasoned with chili, cumin, garlic, and paprika powder, giving them a warm and smoky flavor with a little heat that will reach the back of your throat for a surprise. They are extremely quick and easy to make by frying them in a skillet, ready to be thrown on a warm corn or flour tortilla. The best part of a taco is the unlimited garnishes and sauces you can top it with ingredients like crunchy cabbage, lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, radishes, jalapeno, cheese, cilantro, and any sauce your taste buds desire. The result is a delicious balance of savory, spicy, creamy, and fresh in every bite.
I grew up eating Filipino food, so tacos weren’t exactly part of my regular meal lineup. For the longest time, I genuinely thought Taco Bell was authentic Mexican cuisine—until my best friend set me straight in high school. She’s Mexican, from Michoacán, and when she told me Taco Bell wasn’t the real deal, I was both shocked and mildly embarrassed. I mean, I actually liked those hard shell tacos… only to find out they’re not even traditional! She even showed me how they’re made, and let’s just say—mind blown. Honestly, I probably shouldn’t admit this, but here we are.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I had Taco Bell. These days, I much prefer making tacos from scratch—they’re just so easy and fun to customize. You can cook up any kind of meat you like—pork, beef, chicken, or even go veggie—and season it however you want. Then just pile on your favorite toppings or whatever you have on hand.
Personally, I like my tacos loaded with all the fixings, stacked so high that ingredients start spilling out with every bite. The messier, the better, if you ask me. My fiancé, Zach, is all about the meat—he loads his up with hot sauce and a generous helping of cheese.
Ingredients
- Shrimp: I use medium wild-caught shrimp, but any size works just as well
- Spices: My go-to seasoning for a smoky flavor are chili, paprika, cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, but you can add other spices such as onion powder, chipotle powder, or dried oregano to give a lot of flavors as well.
- Garnishes: Use any veggies and sauces you like and be creative. The possibilities are endless. I love adding textures to my taco, such as cabbage, lettuce, avocado, radishes, onions, slaw, cilantro, sour cream, hot sauces, etc.
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
- 16 oz shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbs avocado oil use any oil of choice
- 6-8 tortillas corn or flour
Garnishes
- diced tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, cheese, sour cream, jalapeno, cheese, hot sauce, guacomole
