Spicy Shrimp Tacos For Two

Spicy Shrimp Tacos For Two, the fusion of taco-style eating with the melted cheese gooeyness of a quesadilla and spicy shrimp.  

All this is topped with shredded lettuce, diced avocado, salsa picante, creamy sweet chili sriracha sauce and fresh cilantro. These spicy shrimp tacos are spicy, sweet, quick and simple!  Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner for two, and can easily be doubled to serve more.

At least once a month, April - October, a postcard arrives announcing that the Fabian Seafood Truck will roll into our local Lucky 7 gas station.  Fabian Seafood is a family business based in Galveston, Texas.  

In 1975, they started selling their fresh seafood throughout the Midwest and Plains states. 

Neighbors line up to purchase fresh gulf shrimp, blue crab meat, crawfish tails, shucked oysters and red snapper. Handwritten signs taped to the back of the refrigerated truck announce the fresh catch and prices. 

At first, I was skeptical of buying from a truck in a gas station parking lot – really?  But I now anticipate the arrival of some of the freshest seafood available in Minnesota. As soon as I see that postcard, I begin thinking about shrimp recipes and this one has definitely made my keeper list!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos For Two ... The Details

Shrimp – Try to buy shrimp with shells and tails (fresh or frozen can work in this recipe), to peel and devein yourself – it’s actually easier than you think.  Plus this is a great job to include your dining partner in the meal preparation.

Creamy sweet chili sriracha sauce -  Starting with the sauce, the base is mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, and hot sauce.  I doubled the sweet Thai sauce and used a light mayo.  You could also use yogurt, or an avocado oil-based mayo, but I do think light mayo is probably the best option.  Use a bottled sweet Thai chili sauce found in the Asian section of most grocery stores.

Corn or Flour Tortillas -  The white corn tortillas are my favorite, but any 100 percent corn tortillas will work here.

Monterey Jack Cheese – This cheese melts beautifully and creates that distinctive melted cheese gooeyness of a quesadilla.

Diced avocado, shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, and salsa picante pair well with these tacos.  And, don’t forget to have extra hot sauce  for an extra spice kick.   

How To Cook The Shrimp

It all starts with fresh or frozen shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, run it through cold water for a few seconds to defrost it. You will need to devein the shrimp and remove the shells and tails if they have not been removed.

Next place the shrimp in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag and combine with the spices in the recipe below. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 days if you like.  The longer the shrimp sits in the spices the better. 

When you are ready to cook, simply place the shrimp in a heavy duty or cast iron skillet and cook for 1 minute.  Flip the shrimp, remove from heat and let it set in the hot pan until it is just opaque. The shrimp will finish cooking in the oven when we melt the cheese.

Now we will turn to the oven to achieve the characteristic quesadilla melted cheese gooeyness.   

Brush 2 baking sheets with oil and place the tortillas on the prepared sheets.  Make sure to brush the top side of the tortillas with oil to brown and crisp. 

Divide the Monterey Jack evenly among the tortillas, top with the shrimp and bake.  This will only take about 7 to 9 minutes.

The Finishing Touches

While the tacos are in the oven make the creamy sweet chili sriracha sauce and pull together your favorite garnishes.    I also recommend making some Chipotle Sauce from the Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe

Lastly, if you make the Spicy Shrimp Tacos for Two, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating!  I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to your comments.  And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram.  @Ourtable4_2 or #OurTable42.  Looking through all the photos is a daily highlight!