Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Sauce

Outside of Chicken Tacos, Shrimp Tacos are my ABSOLUTE favorite tacos. What makes it great is one thing: the incomparable Cilantro sauce. I have made this sauce countless times and it doesn't just go well with shrimp, it pairs beautifully with chicken and steak as well. I even use the sauce as a dressing or as a dip with pita bread. It elevates the meal tenfold.

The shrimp isn't the main star of this dish, however, this recipe is incredibly simple to make and takes no time at all!

When I began my prepping, I always start by making the cilantro sauce first. I want to ensure it has some time to chill in the fridge while I prep the shrimp and cook it. You can make the cilantro sauce well ahead of time too, I would recommend the day of. The cilantro sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-5 days, but for me, I usually finish it by the next day :)

Since this dish calls for such a limited amount of ingredients, in order for the taco to feel a bit more full, I pair the cilantro sauce with cabbage. Mixing the sauce with chopped cabbage makes a great topping. If you want an extra topping, cotija cheese is an excellent addition to this. If you REALLY want to elevate this taco, you can also add cilantro rice.

Personally, what attracts me to this taco is its simplicity, though it is just a few ingredients, it's very fulfilling.

Tip: Be careful with how much lime you add, you dont want to bite into a taco thats far too tart and sour!

Now, let's get on with the show!

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Sauce

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Cilantro Sauce:

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1 bunch of green onion, chopped into 3

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste, or 2 cloves of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• Juice of 1 lime, or about 4-5 squirts of lime juice

• 1/2 cup sour cream

Shrimp spices:

• 1 bag of medium or large shrimp, tail removed (this can be doubled if you are serving more than 4 people, so 2-3 bags)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (I like my food spicy so feel free to do 1/4 teaspoon)

• 1 teaspoon salt

Taco assembly:

• 8-10 small tortillas (corn)

• cotija cheese

• avocado for extra topping

Steps:

1. If using frozen shrimp, place it in a bowl filled with warm water so it can thaw.

Cilantro Sauce steps:

1. Add the water, oil, green onion, cilantro, garlic paste, salt, lime, and sour cream to a food processor and mix well. Taste and add more salt and lime if necessary.

2. Mix cabbage and about half of the sauce together, and place in the fridge. The remaining sauce you can use as a topping for the tacos, or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Shrimp:

1. If there are tails on the shrimp, remove them beforehand. Place shrimp on a paper towel and pat down to soak in the moisture.

2. Place shrimp back in a bowl and add all spices. Mix well together and let sit for 10-15 mins.

3. On medium-high heat, add about 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a pan or skillet. Gradually add all of the shrimp until pink (if shrimp was bought uncooked), for about 7-10 mins. Flip as need be until fully cooked.

4. Assemble your tacos with shrimp, cilantro slaw, and cheese (feel free to add more toppings like avocado and extra lime).

5. Bon Appetit!

Credit for Garlic Cilantro Lime Sauce: Pinch of Yum https://pinchofyum.com/spicy-shrimp-tacos-with-garlic-cilantro-lime-slaw#tasty-recipes-40894-jump-target