Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa

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Fire up the grill for these easy shrimp tacos, packed with succulent grilled shrimp and spicy avocado salsa—perfect for any casual summer gathering.

Filled with succulent grilled shrimp and spicy avocado salsa, these shrimp tacos are one of my go-to summer shrimp recipes. They are perfect for a laid-back weeknight dinner or a casual cookouts with friends. Not only do they deliver great flavor, but they are also healthy and fun. Although you can prepare most of the recipe ahead of time, it comes together so effortlessly that there’s really no need to. Just fire up the grill and arrange all the fixings, then let everyone assemble their own tacos. And since you’re eating with your hands already, complete the meal with some freshly boiled corn on the cob or grilled Mexican street corn.

What You’ll Need To Make Grilled Shrimp Tacos

• As with all of my shrimp recipes, I recommend buying frozen shrimp labeled “shell split and deveined.” Most shrimp are cleaned and flash-frozen shortly after being caught, so the “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood case at the supermarket is typically thawed frozen shrimp. Who knows how long it’s been sitting there, so you’re better off buying frozen and defrosting it yourself.
• Some brands of corn tortillas can be dry. For store-bought, I recommend Mission Super-Soft Corn Tortillas. If you’d like to make your own (it’s really easy!), check out my recipe for homemade corn tortillas.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by making the avocado salsa. For the jalapeño pepper, I cut the flesh off of the seeds, ribs, and stem, leaving the spiciest part of the pepper behind. If you like more heat, throw in some of the seeds. (When working with jalapeños, avoid touching your eyes and wash your hands well afterwards.) Combine the jalapeño pepper with the shallot and garlic in a food processor.

Process until finely minced.

Add the mixture to a bowl along with the avocado, tomato, salt,  lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Stir to combine. When you taste it, you might worry that it’s too spicy but, rest assured, it’ll be perfect combined with the shrimp and fixins in the tacos. It’s not intended to be eaten on its own like guacamole.

Next, prepare the shrimp by combining it with the olive oil, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper.

Toss until evenly combined.

Grill the shrimp over medium heat. The reason I use large shrimp for this recipe is so that they don’t fall through the grates. If you’re worried your shrimp will slip through, you can always thread them on skewers or just cook them indoors in a skillet. Either way, be careful not to overcook them — they only need a minute or two per side. You’ll know they’re done when they look opaque and start to curl into a more-closed “C” shape.

Finally, heat the tortillas on the grill or in the microwave, and assemble the tacos with all the fixings.

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• Grilled Chicken Fajitas
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• Baja Fish Tacos