Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Chili Mayo
Enjoy a restaurant-quality taco feast made right in the comfort of your own home. These sensational, EVOO-fried, shrimp are tossed in a sweet chili sauce and mayonnaise combination adding layers of flavor. Joining the crispy-crunchy, super saucy shrimp in the taco-filling fun are crisp veggies, fragrant fresh herbs, and zesty citrus.
Yes, you can fry in EVOO! Mild intensity olive oils are amazingly versatile. These kitchen-capable oils have the ability to withstand high-heat temperatures of around 400°F. A typical deep-fry temperature hovers around 325 – 350°F, making this well within olive oil’s culinary wheelhouse. Fry on, friends!
Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Chili Mayo
Course: MainCuisine: American, Asian, FusionDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes30
minutes
The shrimp are tossed in a garlic-pepper buttermilk marinade before being tossed with cornstarch and fried crisp. The fried shrimp are then tossed in the sweet chili mayo and stuffed into toasted corn tortillas filled with shredded cabbage, cilantro, radishes, and tomatoes. You can also freestyle your taco fillers, adding in your favorites and subtracting those you don’t prefer.
Ingredients
- Sweet Chili Mayo
1/2cupmayonnaise
3tbspsweet chili sauce
Crispy Shrimp:1lbraw shrimp, peeled
1/2 cupbuttermilk
1/2 tspsalt
1/2 tspgarlic powder
1/2 tsponion powder
2tspsriracha or hot sauce
1/4tspblack pepper
4cupsmild intensity extra virgin olive oil for frying
3/4cupcornstarch
- Taco Essentials and Fillings:
8 – 10eachcorn tortillas, toasted
2cupscabbage, shredded
1/2cupcilantro leaves, chopped
1/4cupradish, thinly sliced
1/4cuptomatoes, diced
lime wedges and hot sauce
Directions
- Place mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to make the tacos.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, sriracha, and pepper, stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil to 350°F in a large heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. The oil should be a little over 2 inches deep in the pot or pan.
- Place cornstarch in a large bowl. Working in batches, using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the cornstarch (make sure to let any excess marinade drip off the shrimp before adding it to the cornstarch. Gently toss to coat the shrimp in the cornstarch and transfer to a baking sheet (single layer) while you bread the remaining shrimp.
- Working in batches of 2 – 3 shrimp, carefully place them into the hot oil, and fry until lightly golden and crisp, about 3 – 4 minutes. Transfer the fried shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet to drain.
- Remove the chili mayo from the refrigerator, add shrimp, and toss to coat. Fill tortillas with shredded cabbage, cilantro, radishes, and tomatoes. Top each taco with 2 – 3 fried shrimp and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.
Discover more recipes with extra virgin olive oil.
More Recipes
Jul. 21, 2023
Persian Tahdig with Mast-o-Khiar (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce)
This traditional Persian rice dish has a perfectly crispy golden crust surrounding a fluffy and savory inside.
Apr. 6, 2023
Spicy Italian Breakfast Sandwiches
With all its delicious spice and fruit, medium-intensity olive oil works really well in this recipe, used for both the spread and for cooking and preparing the sausages and eggs.
Apr. 18, 2023
Classic Cobb Salad with Olive Oil Bleu Cheese Dressing
Hearty main salads are especially satisfying for lunch or dinner. The salad components are classic, consisting of all those delicious ingredients known for a good Cobb Salad.
May. 31, 2023
We use a combination of soy sauce and ground turmeric to season the jasmine rice, even before it is stir-fried, making sure every grain is flavorful.