According to the calendar it’s supposed to be Autumn, but I guess someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. The warm weather outside calls for something fresh and light, and since it’s Taco Tuesday and I’ve been on a street taco kick for the last couple of years, there’s no better way to introduce you to my cooking style. I lived in Southern California for a long time and tacos are pretty much a way of life out there. Unfortunately it’s not always easy to get guaranteed gluten-free tacos from trucks or restaurants, so I started creating my own at home. These green chile-tomatillo shrimp tacos hit all the right notes: smoky shrimp, crisp slaw, tangy pickles, creamy avocado, a spicy-tart sauce, and of course tender, charred tortillas to transport all that flavor from the plate to your mouth.
Despite the long list of ingredients, the recipe comes together pretty quickly and you get a terrific reward for your efforts. The pickled cucumbers make a wonderful addition to sandwiches and salads, so you may want to double (or triple!) that part of the recipe. They’ll keep in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a month.
Take note, you’ll need a blender or food processor to puree the sauce. Also, be sure to allow yourself enough time to prep and rest the tortilla dough if you’re making them from scratch.
Green Chile Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Good Health Gourmet
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- For Shrimp
- 4 oz (one small can) diced roasted hatch chilies, minced
- 2 medium or large garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 8 sprigs cilantro, tough stems discarded, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp cayenne (or more if you really like heat)
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Zest of one lime (reserve the juice to use later)
- 1 Tbsp fruity olive oil (or neutral oil), plus more for sautéing
- 1 lb raw shrimp (preferably wild-caught), shelled and deveined
- For Pickled Cucumbers
- 85 ml (⅓ cup) water
- 85 ml (⅓ cup) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 25-38 grams (2-3 Tbsp) sugar, to taste
- ¾ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 small cucumber (Persian or Kirby), sliced into thin rounds
- For Salsa Verde
- 8 oz tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into chunks
- ½ small sweet onion (yield about 3 oz), peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 green onion, trimmed, roughly chopped
- 1-2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeño, stemmed and roughly chopped (remove seeds and white ribs if you prefer a mild salsa)
- 5 ml (1 tsp) freshly squeezed lime juice
- 12 sprigs cilantro with tender stems
- 4 sprigs Italian parsley
- 15-30 ml (1-2 Tbsp) water if needed to blend
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- For Slaw
- ½ medium head green cabbage (yield about 1 lb), cored and thinly sliced
- 5-6 leaves lacinato kale (stems discarded), sliced into thin ribbons
- 1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tsp fruity olive oil (or neutral oil)
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- 3 green onions, white and dark green parts only, thinly sliced
- Cilantro leaves from 4 sprigs, roughly chopped
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- For Assembly
- 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
- 4 large or 8 small tortillas, store-bought or homemade
- 3-4 oz queso fresco or cotija cheese, grated
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Procedure
- Make the marinade: In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients except for the shrimp. Taste and adjust with additional cayenne if desired. Add shrimp and toss to coat well with the marinade. Cover or transfer to a ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Since the marinade doesn’t contain any acid, you can even let the shrimp sit in the marinade overnight.)
- Pickle the cucumbers: Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add cucumber slices, and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Transfer cucumbers to a jar or resealable container and top with pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Cucumbers will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator.)
- Make the salsa verde: Combine first eight ingredients (tomatillos through parsley) in blender or food processor. Turn on and process until blended (if slightly dry and chunky instead of liquefied, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and process until smooth). Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make the slaw: Combine cabbage, kale, vinegar, oil, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl. Use your hands to massage the mixture for about a minute, or until the cabbage and kale begin to soften/wilt. Add scallions and cilantro, and toss to combine. Season to taste with pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Char the tortillas: This step is optional, but it really improves the flavor and texture of store-bought tortillas. If using freshly cooked tortillas you can skip this step, though I still do it with my homemade ones because I love the added char. To do this over an open flame on a gas stove, turn on the flame to medium. Working with one tortilla at a time, use a pair of tongs to hold the tortilla over the flame, moving it around occasionally to distribute the char in various spots. See my photo for reference - you don’t want to torch the entire thing, you just want it to get it nicely blackened in several spots and around the edges. If you don’t have access to an open flame, you can broil the tortillas for a few minutes, or toast them in a cast iron pan. Once all the tortillas are charred, stack them on a plate and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel until ready to serve.
- Cook the shrimp: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and heat until shimmering. Remove shrimp from marinade, shaking off (not wiping!) excess liquid. Carefully add the shrimp to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently, just until cooked through (they will turn pink on the outside and start to curl up). Remove shrimp from pan and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the tacos: This process is up to you and your imagination - we all have our own methods for putting together the ideal taco (I prefer to layer my flavors and textures). Regardless of how you build yours, each tortilla should get slaw, shrimp, avocado, pickled cucumber, a drizzle of salsa verde, and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Serve with additional cilantro for garnishing and lime wedges for squeezing.
Notes
Feel free to use good store-bought tortillas for your tacos. If you'd like to make your own, here’s my recipe.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 large or 2 small tacos
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