Jerk Shrimp Tacos
August
20, 2020
The easiest and quickest taco night option you can do.
A spicy and sweet mix of flavors to get this weeknight option quickly to the table.
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These delicious jerk shrimp tacos are the easiest things to make.
In no time you and your family would be able to have the most perfect taco party with these jerk tacos
What I love about tacos is that you get to make them to your personal taste. Just make sure there are options that everyone can indulge in.
So this jerk shrimp taco with slaw is the perfect base recipe to create the ultimate taco.
How to make jerk shrimp tacos
You are going to need a few things for these tacos. The main things are:
- The shrimp, obviously. Some medium to large would do good. And
- Jerk marinade. What we need to give the shrimp the heat we want
- Taco shells. I prefer soft, flour tacos. But feel free to use whatever you like.
- Slaw. I love a slaw with this. A red, green, and orange cabbage mix. Gives a great crunch texture
- Mango cubes. This is the sweetness you need to combat the heat of the jerk shrimp.
- Avocado. The creaminess you want to mesh the crunchy slaw with everything else
- Fried ripe plantains. (optional) but it added a great additional texture and flavor to the tacos
Actually doing the shrimp is easy.
Place in the marinade and leave for at least 30 mins. You can also leave this overnight. The flavors will become more intense over time.
I do this on the stove top, but the shrimp can also be grilled or even baked.
The stove top is the fastest and less effort.
I like to butterfly the shrimp prior to making it marinate, for some extra plumpness
If you are like me and don't like too much heat, use mild. If I'm buying and using the bottled version. I like walkerswood brand.
The good thing with making it at home you are able to control the heat levels to your preference.
If you want to make your own marinade you can surely do that. You can see how easy it is when I made my stove top jerk shrimp.
We are actually using that same shrimp to build our tacos.
Tips & tricks
I like warming up my taco shells a bit. I like soft shells. So I just warm up a pan and throw them in there one by one to warm them up.
Stay away from stringy mangoes. And make sure the mango is ripe. It's the sweet from the mango that meshes great with the heat from the shrimp.
I prefer to use the hass avocados, again cubed up to fit
Pineapple - another good replacement for mango if you can't find any.
Sour cream
Jalapenos - if you want more heat from a separate source other than the shrimp
Sprinkles of parsley or shado beni
What about leftovers right?
Whatever wasn't used of the shrimp I store in the fridge as quickly as possible in an airtight container.
To reheat I place the shrimp in on the stop. I heat my pan up with some oil and then layer the shrimp and move them around for a little. Not too long at all so that it doesn't get rubbery.
I reheat shrimp once. I am not taking any chances with food safety after that.
Spicy BBQ chicken
Pulled Jerk chicken sandwiches
Sticky Jerk chicken
Jerk chicken wings
Stay away from stringy mangoes. And make sure the mango is ripe. It's the sweet from the mango that meshes great with the heat from the shrimp.
I prefer to use the hass avocados, again cubed up to fit
Additional topping for tacos
Pineapple - another good replacement for mango if you can't find any.
Sour cream
Jalapenos - if you want more heat from a separate source other than the shrimp
Sprinkles of parsley or shado beni
Storing
What about leftovers right?
Whatever wasn't used of the shrimp I store in the fridge as quickly as possible in an airtight container.
To reheat I place the shrimp in on the stop. I heat my pan up with some oil and then layer the shrimp and move them around for a little. Not too long at all so that it doesn't get rubbery.
I reheat shrimp once. I am not taking any chances with food safety after that.
Love jerk seasoned food? Check out these other spicy dishes
Spicy BBQ chicken
Pulled Jerk chicken sandwiches
Sticky Jerk chicken
Jerk chicken wings
Yield: 5
Jerk Shrimp Tacos
The BEST homemade jerk shrimp taco recipe you can find. This spicy shrimp layers on a bed of crunchy cabbage slaw and topped with avocado, mango and plantains.
Prep time: 30 MCook time: 10 MTotal time: 40 M
Ingredients:
- 1 lb large shrimp (uncooked)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk paste (mild or hot)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lime
- 1 mango, sliced and cubed
- 2 hass avocados, diced
- 1/2 ripe plantain, sliced in 1 inch slices
- Mixed cabbage slaw
- Taco shells
Homemade jerk paste (This can be made in advance and stored in the fridge)
- 4 - 5 scotch bonnet peppers - veins and seeds removed (if you want extremely hot leave all intact)
- 2 tablespoons pimento seeds
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 8 scallions/green onions
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon oil (optional)
Instructions:
if making your own jerk seasoning
- Add all jerk seasoning ingredients to blender
- Blend till combined.
- If needed add oil to mixture to get better consistency
- Store in airtight container in the fridge
For Shrimp
- Wash and de vein shrimp if needed
- Butterfly shrimp
- Pat dry
- Add 3 tablespoons oil to shrimp along with jerk seasoning.
- Incorporate well and leave to sit at least 30 minutes
- Heat shallow pan and add remaining oil
- Add shrimp in one layer in oil.
- Cook for about 1 minute per side
- Set to drain on paper towel
- Sprinkle juice from lime over shrimp
- While shrimp is cooking, fry sliced plantains in oil, then chop up
- Cut up mango into cubes
- Cut up avocados into cubes
- If desired, place soft taco shells in a warm pan and heat lightly
Build tacos
- In taco shell add slaw, mango, avocado, plantains and then shrimp.
- Squeeze a little lime juice and enjoy
Notes:
Do not over cook shrimp, it would become rubbery. Using a premade jerk marinade will save time. Try Walkerswood or Karibbean Kitchen Or make the marinade in advance and have in the fridge whenever you need some.
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