Ground beef was starting to feel blah. So I decided to liven up taco night with sweet shrimp, made smoky with a little shower of powdered chipotle and finished with a drizzle of chipotle-lime crema.

In an effort to avoid soggy tacos, I've opted to skip the salsa and keep things simple with the tropical taste of mango and creamy avocado cubes, a nice contrast to the crisp shredded lettuce and juicy shrimp.

I like to give flour tortillas a good char on my gas stove; letting them toast directly over the flame for 30 seconds to a minute on each side adds a flavorful char and pleasant crunch.

No gas burner? No problem. Just heat them up quickly under the broiler or warm them in the oven.

Fresh taco in one hand, cold cerveza in the other. You're basically on the beach in Mexico.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle powder, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
  • 1 package 8 flour tortillas
  • 1 small head lettuce, shredded
  • 2 mangoes, cored and cut into cubes
  • 2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, olive oil, half of the chipotle powder, salt and pepper.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes on each side. Set on a plate until ready to assemble.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream with the remaining chipotle powder. Squeeze in about three wedges of the cut limes, then stir to combine. The consistency should be thick, but pour in a thin stream.
  4. Turn on the gas burner to medium-low heat, and using tongs, char each flour tortilla for one minute on each side. Alternatively, char under the broiler or heat in a 400 degree oven for 2-3 minutes.
  5. For assembling the tacos, take each warmed flour tortilla, layer a little of the shredded lettuce, add a few cubes of diced mango and avocado, then the shrimp.
  6. Garnish each taco with cilantro leaves, then drizzle on the chipotle-lime crema to your liking, and serve.