jerk shrimp fajitas with tequila pineapple salsa
La semana de Cinco De Mayo, mi gente.
Fun fact: I took 6 years of Spanish between middle and high school. I even passed the AP exam my senior year – with a 3, and probably by one question, but hey, it counts. I have a decent grasp of spoken Spanish though my comprehension and listening is certainly flawed. Accents and cadence of native speakers usually disrupts my understanding, so I have to ask más despacio, por favor if I make an attempt.
While I don’t use Spanish in everyday life, despite being surrounded by the language, I think if one put me in a country where it’s spoken frequently, I’d pick up the nuances pretty quickly. I am able to string sentences together if I’m given a moment to think about them. Several of my coworkers both present and past are fluent. I’d enjoy hashing out my skill and becoming more proficient, and to me the best way to do so is to immerse myself.
I find that sometimes I replace Spanish words with Swedish ones, even though my Swedish is much less developed. I think this is because I used Swedish as often as I could while living there in 2015, so some things just stuck. That could get awkward if I start speaking Spanish with someone and replace o with eller and pero with men.
In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, here’s a fabulous fajita interpretation that blends a traditional Latin favorite with Jamaican-style seasoning. Jerk Shrimp Fajitas with Tequila Pineapple Salsa are probably near the top of my favorite tortilla-based dishes on FMG. The flavor is stupendous, rich and thick with spice, accented with a tangy and slightly boozy salsa and finished with a salty snap of cotija cheese. Can’t find cotija? Use feta. It’s just as good.
Shrimp, You Jerk
I don’t know why it’s called jerk seasoning. Rather rude name for something so delicious. I don’t feel like Googling it either, so if someone has an explanation, do educate me!
I love how quick this dinner is, less than 30 minutes from start to finish. The chopping is your main time-sucker so get started on that, and once all the ingredients are prepped the remainder takes a flash.
Start with the shrimp. Make sure they are very dry, peeled, and deveined. I like to keep the tail shell in tact but that’s up to you.
The length of the ingredients list really stems from the amount of seasonings involved in a jerk blend, but you likely have them shoved in your spice cabinet already. The key is a balance of sweet, smoky, and savory, and a snip of heat from cayenne pepper. Toss the shrimp in this homemade blend and finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Throw the shrimps in a skillet and cook a couple minutes per side. If you need to work in batches so to not overcrowd your pan, do so. Two usually does the trick for me. Once everything is cooked, add the whole portion to the pan and stir in a bit of browned butter. The shrimps crisp up a bit and gain a nutty finish. So good.
Veg Out
The final cooking step is a quick stir fry of peppers and onions. No big seasoning here, just some salt and black pepper. The veggies will pick up some of the bits from the shrimp and any butter remaining in the pan. Once the veg are soft, add the shrimp back to the pan and toss gently until warmed through.
Tequila and pineapple are just flawless together. Lime and orange juices zest up the salsa, cilantro lends freshness, and a diced jalapeno for heat. Stir the mix together to coat the pineapple with a bit of everything.
Warm the tortillas before assembling. Such is essential to prevent them from breaking. If you have a gas range, I’m fucken jealous – this is the best way to gently char the rounds on the edges. I haven’t quite figured out a method that works on an electric stove, though some people report that a quick broil helps. All that happens for me is a puffy tortilla, but who knows. I might just be unlucky. So, I turn to the microwave and a dampened paper towel. Blast the tortillas for 30 seconds or so to make them bend like Neo in The Matrix.
Pile on the fajita filling, spoon over some salsa, and complete each serving with some cotija and cilantro. An extra squeeze of lime doesn’t hurt either.
Leftovers are SO easy to customize if you run out of tortillas or just don’t want to do the same thing twice. White or brown rice, quinoa, really any kind of grain works. Maybe you have some cilantro ranch from a batch of egg rolls to drizzle atop. A big salad with kale or chopped romaine could use a serving of jerk shrimp too. Really, lots of ways to get creative and avoid burnout.
Not that we can burn out over tacos, right?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
A few of my favorite shrimp recipes:
Hot Honey Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad
jerk shrimp fajitas with tequila pineapple salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb large 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
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese (or feta)
- fresh chopped cilantro and limes, for serving
tequila pineapple salsa
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1-2 tbsp tequila
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry. Make sure they are completely thawed, if previously frozen.
- Whisk together the seasonings through cayenne pepper, as well as a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Toss the shrimp in the blend until fully coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches as needed, add the shrimp and sear for 2 minutes per side. Add in the butter and swirl around the shrimp until golden, about 2-3 minutes longer. Move shrimp to a plate.
- Drizzle in another tablespoon of olive oil as needed. Saute the peppers and onion for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the shrimp and all the juices from the plate into the pan and toss with the peppers and onions until warmed through.
- To make the salsa, stir together all ingredients until combined.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave, under a damp paper towel, for 30-45 seconds until pliable. Divide the fajita filling among the tortillas. Top with the pineapple salsa, cotija and chopped cilantro, as desired. Serve alongside any leftover salsa.
