crispy jerk shrimp tacos with coconut pineapple salsa
When I’m feeling blue, tacos are coming through to soothe me.
This week I was truly stumped on what I wanted to do. I wouldn’t call it burnout, more like not quite sure what I was craving (other than popcorn. I’m always craving popcorn) and thus slagging on thinking up what to make for dinner. It’s sort of a weird time where winter is very much alive throughout the country, but in Florida we’re moving away from any semblance of a cold front and into springtime. Plus, spring training begins fairly soon, which is a marker of the seasonal transitions.
Call it springtime blues. I quite want to get my little planter herb garden going, yet the weather is just fickle enough that I fear starting up some basil plants at the risk of them wooding. I did buy a mint, though. He’s flourishing quite well. Because the days are promising to heat up, I slide into a little rut since I dread summertime and the endless swelter.
So, it’s been a weird time, and yesterday morning before my run I spent the whole hour I usually do sitting on the floor racking my brain. Eventually, I kind of just let it go. I’d been considering tacos for a week or so and landed on these, since I bought some shrimp awhile back and it was haunting my freezer. Plus, I had a pineapple on the counter threatening to overripen.
Because of these factors, I landed on tacos, with a whole lot of spice. I’m very pleased with these. I made a similar version in fajita form last year, but I think I like these better. The coconut pineapple salsa is just…magic. Utter brilliance. Yes, I’m kissing my own ass. Coupled with the spicy, super flavorful shrimpies, everything in this crispy shell just compliments one another swimmingly. They’re really great. Perfect to break apart ruts. and transport you to the tropics, if that’s your thing.
Jerk Work
These tacos take only 25-30 minutes from start to finish, on the longer end if you take awhile to chop. The ingredients list looks lengthy, but it’s mostly spices – pretty much your whole spice cabinet, since that’s effectively what jerk seasoning is.
Shrimp take about 5 minutes to cook, which is great if you’re in a big ole weeknight pinch. Make sure your batch is thawed, peeled, deveined, and very dry. I keep the tails on the shrimp mostly out of laziness, but you can take them off if you want.
Toss the shrimp in the jerk seasoning – which is a big blend that contains, among others, allspice, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and brown sugar – and sear a couple minutes per side in olive oil. Don’t crowd your pan – cook in multiple batches as needed. When all the shrimp is cooked, place the whole batch back in the skillet and brown some butter around them to get a real nice crisp. Those blackened bits at the bottom of the pan? Amazing. Scoop some of them up when you take the shrimp out to present even more flavor.
Put the Pine in the Coconut
…And the lime. Don’t forget the lime.
I don’t know why I never associated coconut with pineapple salsa, but here we are. It’s a damn fucken great marriage and really boosts up the Caribbean vibes in the dish. To achieve this, I infused my salsa with coconut rum. I also found that a splash of coconut extract and a little extra lime juice achieves a similar flavor if you don’t want to use booze – but very little extract, start at 1/4 tsp and work up from there. It’s very potent shit.
So refreshing. I bet it’d be great with fish, too.
When the shrimp are cook and the salsa stirred, assembly thy tacos. I kept my fillings pretty simple to let those two components stick out: shredded romaine, mashed avocado, and some extra cilantro and lime juice for me. Use lots of salsa in your portion. Maybe take a spoonful or two on its own to nibble while you create your ideal taco.
Oh, and those hard shells? I make my own, but you can buy them in the store, too, if you want. I make little foil tubes, drape warmed and oiled tortillas over them, and bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden. Much healthier and more fun looking than the crap you get in a box.
Taco Thursday? Let’s make it a thingy thing.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Taco taco taco.
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crispy jerk shrimp tacos with coconut pineapple salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 8-10 hard tortilla shells, homemade or store bought
- shredded lettuce, cilantro, and mashed avocado, to serve
coconut pineapple salsa
- 2 cups pineapple chunks
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1-2 tbsp coconut rum
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
Instructions
- Make sure the shrimp are thawed, peeled, and deveined. Dry thoroughly with paper towels and place in a large bowl.
- Stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the shrimp and toss to combine.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches as needed, sear the shrimp 2 minutes to per side. Melt the butter in the pan around the shrimp until browned, about 1-2 minutes, then toss the shrimp to coat.
- To make the pineapple salsa: stir together the pineapple, cilantro, lime juice, coconut rum, pickled jalapenos, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Pile shredded lettuce into the tortilla shells. Top with shrimp, mashed avocado, and pineapple salsa. Serve with extra cilantro, as desired.
