Use as much heat as you like in the marinade and salsa for these shrimp tacos. And use the barbecue to cook the shrimp if it’s handy.
By Alexia Kannas
The warm weather is waning down in here in the Southern Hemisphere. You can feel it; the afternoons are golden, the nights are cooler and the leaves are beginning to turn red, gold and brown. Every year I wish Summer would last just a few weeks longer and I try and trick myself by cooking things like this. 
These chipotle shrimp tacos are the ultimate summertime food to me: fresh, tasty, spicy, sweet and lots of fun to eat. The shrimp are marinated in chipotles in adobo – that food of the Gods – before being cooked quickly so that they pop in your mouth. The smoky heat of the chipotles holds hands with the punchy green heat of the jalapenos turned through the sweet mango salsa and the whole lot is held together with a slather of creamy guacamole, simple and pure. The pomegranate seeds are not mandatory, but they sort of burst in your mouth when you into one every so often and release their sweet/tart juice all over the other fillings, taking these tacos to another level.
I’ll eat a couple more to celebrate the Summer that was, before passing this recipe to you, dear reader. You might be on the other side of the globe, catching a whiff of Spring’s sweet newness in the air. I which case, I’m a little jealous.
PrintChipotle Shrimp Tacos With Mango Salsa and Guacamole
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Use as much heat as you like in the marinade and salsa – I like mine super-hot if there’s cold, cold beer in the fridge. And use the barbecue to cook the shrimp if it’s handy.
Ingredients
- 24 shrimp/prawns, cleaned and deveined (leave tail on if barbecuing)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced (or to taste) and a little of the sauce
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed or other light vegetable oil
- 1 mango, cut into small dice
- 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, minced (seeds removed to taste – that’s where the hot is!)
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro/coriander
- Juice of 2 limes, divided
- 2 avocados
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- salt
- 8 corn tortillas
- seeds of 1 pomegranate
- fresh cilantro/coriander sprigs to serve
Instructions
- To marinate the shrimp, put them into a non-reactive bowl with the minced garlic, chipotle peppers, extra sauce and the oil. Toss well to make sure the shrimp are well-coated, cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the mango salsa. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine, being careful not to break up mango. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- For the guacamole, scoop the avocado flesh out into a medium bowl, discarding the pips. add lime juice and cumin and mash to a coarse paste. Add salt to taste and water to thin if you desire (I like mine a bit thicker). Set aside in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Warm corn tortillas in a pan over medium heat, two at a time until pliable. Wrap in a clean dishcloth or place in a tortilla warmer.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the shrimp in the pan in two or three batches (be careful not to crowd the pan and steam the shellfish). After a minute, toss the shrimp to encourage even cooking. The shrimp are ready when they turn opaque and bouncy – this should take no longer than a couple of minutes.
- To assemble tacos, add guacamole, three shrimp and mango salsa to each tortilla. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro/coriander and pomegranate seeds. Add hot sauce if you’re into it.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
