sheet pan hot honey shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa verde
Ho ho ho, merry tacos.
Nope, it’s August. Shut the fuck up, Kellie.
I don’t know if you guys can tell, but I’m on a serious clothing binge lately. Target went and did me in with a huge 30% off apparel sale, and if you read my Sidebar yesterday I went a teensy bit hog wild. Granted, I underwent a two or three year drought in which I never bought new clothes, and if I did they were cheap articles from Walmart or, occasionally, shit I stole from my mom’s closet.
We’re gearing up for a little trip in a month up to Boston a friend of J’s wedding, so naturally I want to look less like a dumpster fire and more like a hot fire you’d willingly kindle in a bed of twigs. You know?
With all this going on in the back of my head, too, I’m eyeballing faster, more time-pressed weeknight recipes for the majority of my cooking arsenal. Life’s busy, but there’s always space for tasty, and these Sheet Pan Hot Honey Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa Verde are the pinnacle of all the above adjectives.
Also, it’s Tuesday, so why not dig up them tortillas and get taco-ing?
You Hot, Honey
Yeah, you, reading this. You hot. Ow OW.
Out there in the webverse there are many hot honey variations, but the main takeaway from any formula is to spice up regular sweet honey with cayenne pepper and other sorts of smoky, spicy flavorings. I chose chipotle chili powder and smoked paprika as the backup singers, and am pretty generous with all three components. I’m almost never shy with spices, and hot honey is not the time to get timid.
This recipe involves very few steps, which is why it’s dope for busy work or school nights. Simply toss thawed, dried, peeled, and deveined shrimp (large or extra large is best) in the hot honey mixture and spread onto a baking sheet. Roast for 8-10 minutes. Turn that broiler on at the end if you wish. I usually do, for a nice crispy finish.
Every Other Language It’s Ananas
Do not understand why English chose pineapple for this fruit. The fuck.
You have a couple options for the pineapple salsa verde. You can buy a good jar of salsa verde, for an extra fast preparation. Or, you can swipe my recipe from last week’s stuffed shells and use the sauce here. If you’ve the time, I assure you that homemade salsa is really special and tops anything you could get from a jar. But I’m not going to be an ass. Pick what works for you in that instance.
Once you’re armed with your verde, simply mix some up with chopped pineapple and, if you’re feeling sassy, like I always am, a touch of tequila. Sometimes I throw in extra cilantro if the verde doesn’t have quite the fresh cilantro taste I myself crave.
Finally, the cilantro garlic sauce. Optional, but great, since garlic and extra cilantro is never a bad idea for me. Blitz the yogurt, green onions, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a food processor.
Yup, that’s all. I char up my tortillas in a dry skillet and fill with shredded romaine, pineapple verde, shrimp, more cilantro, and some cotija or feta if I have it on hand. A blob of Greek yogurt or sour cream is great, too.
For meal prep, I stow the unassembled taco components in a compartmented container and wrap a couple uncharred tortillas on the side. Can’t complain about a taco lunch. No sir.
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!
Need more Mexican-inspired food in your life?
Dulce de Leche Stuffed Mexican Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
One Pan Jalapeño Popper Street Corn Orzo Bake
Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeño Peach Salsa
Chipotle Black Bean Jalapeño Popper Taquitos
sheet pan hot honey shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa verde
Ingredients
- 1 lb large or extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 8 corn or wheat tortillas
- shredded lettuce, cilantro garlic sauce (recipe below), chopped cilantro, and cotija cheese, for serving
pineapple salsa verde
- 2 cups pineapple, diced
- 1/2 cup salsa verde, homemade or store bought
- 2 tbsp tequila (optional)
cilantro garlic sauce
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 green onions
- 3 cloves garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet, or line with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powders, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp with the honey mixture until thoroughly coated.
- Spread the shrimp onto the baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, until opaque and the sauce caramelizes onto the shrimp. If desired, turn the broiler up for the last 1-2 minutes. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU USE PARCHMENT OR THERE WILL BE A FIRE IN THE HOLE.
- Meanwhile, combine the pineapple, salsa verde, and tequila (if using).
- To make the yogurt sauce, combine the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Whip until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Char the tortillas on a dry skillet or directly on the burner of a gas stovetop. Spread lettuce on the bottom of the tortillas, then add a few spoonfuls of the pineapple salsa verde. Top with shrimp, more verde, and a dollop of yogurt sauce. Finish with fresh cilantro and cotija.
