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We love tacos as much as anybody, but a quick and easy shrimp taco recipe? Now you’re really speaking our language. We demanded — uh, we mean, asked — Chef Tony to demonstrate how to make shrimp tacos, and he jumped at the opportunity to take the stylish Napoleon Phantom Prestige gas grill for a spin. His citrus-infused shrimp marinade adds brightness that’s almost refreshing, while the homemade mango-and-avocado salsa is the topping that ties everything together. Try this recipe at your next backyard get-together, and we bet your grilled shrimp tacos will be the talk o’ the town!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Tacos
- 2 lbs shrimp (about 20–25, with heads removed)
- 8–12 small corn or flour tortillas
- Cooking oil for tortillas (as needed)
- Whole fresh basil leaves
- Other taco toppings of your choosing
- Lime wedges (for garnish)
Ingredients for Salsa
- 2 mango chunks
- ½ a red onion, diced
- 3 serrano peppers, diced
- ¾ cup basil leaves, chopped
- Coarse salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 3 limes, juiced
- 2 avocado chunks
Ingredients for Marinade
- ½ cup fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 3 limes, juiced
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Coarse salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 3–5 serrano peppers, chopped
- ¾ cup sesame oil
Items You'll Need
Instructions
- To prepare the salsa, add all ingredients but the avocado chunks to a large mixing bowl. Stir well to thoroughly blend.
- Gently fold in the avocado chunks, being sure to not mash the avocados or overwork the salsa. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Chef Tony recommends preparing the salsa a day in advance — you’ll be rewarded with much more complexity, along with less to worry about during the cook day.
- Before beginning the marinade, preheat your grill for direct, medium-high heat.
- While the grill preheats, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, lime juice, lemon juice, black pepper, coarse salt, granulated sugar, chopped basil, minced garlic, and chopped serrano peppers in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to blend, then add the sesame oil and continue whisking until all the oil is incorporated.
- Add the shrimp to the marinade and allow them to soak up those flavors for about 10–15 minutes. Make sure the shrimp marinate for no more than 15 minutes, or they may come out mealy and mushy after cooking.
- While the shrimp marinate, prepare the tortillas by lightly oiling each side.
- Place the tortillas directly on your grill’s preheated cooking grates. Grill them for about 30–45 seconds per side, just until they take on a light brown color.
- Move the tortillas from the grill to a plate or pan, and cover them with a damp towel or damp paper towels. Set aside until needed.
- With your grill preheated for direct, medium-high heat grilling, transfer the shrimp from the marinade to a perforated grill wok or grill pan and place it on the grill grates.
- Close the grill lid for 1 minute, then open the lid and continue to grill the shrimp on their first side for another minute and a half.
- Shake the grill wok to toss the shrimp and turn them over. If there are any shrimp that didn’t flip over when tossed, use a pair of tongs or a spatula to turn them to their second side.
- Leave the lid open while you let the shrimp grill on their second side for 1 minute. After that, toss a handful or two of whole fresh basil leaves into the grill wok, then close the lid.
- Allow the shrimp to cook for another minute and a half, then open the lid and toss the shrimp in the wok or pan. Inspect the shrimp for doneness — you’re looking for each shrimp to be pink on both sides with some slight char, and for the basil to be wilted. If your shrimp isn’t there quite yet, cook for another minute or two.
- Once fully grilled, remove the shrimp and immediately start assembling the tacos. Add 2 or 3 shrimp to each tortilla, then top it with some mango salsa. Optional toppings include shredded cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole, and just about anything else you like on your tacos!
- Serve immediately with lime wedges, and enjoy!
