Jacqueline Casey 
The weather is finally starting to get warmer and there is something about warmer weather that makes me crave light, fresh meals. This recipe always fits that bill with a quick marinade for shrimp that is immediately grilled and then topped with fresh salad, pico de gallo and a really good creamy chipotle sauce (that in my opinion, makes the dish). Served on a soft shell taco with a side salad or some tortillas and guacamole, you’ll feel ready for summer when eating this.
Options, Tips and Substitutions!
- I used frozen large, peeled and deveined shrimp, but you could use any size shrimp or also use fresh shrimp.
- Shrimp grill very fast. They only need 2-3 minutes per side. While I’m always tempted to multi-task while food is cooking, I have to make sure I don’t stray too far away because they can be easy to overcook leaving your shrimp tough and rubbery. As soon as shrimp are pink and no longer translucent, they are fully cooked.
- I took a short cut to save time with pre-made Pico De Gallo. If you prefer, you could make from scratch with chopped tomatoes, onion, lemon, garlic and your choice of spices like cilantro.
- My chopped salad was a mix of Romain lettuce, shredded green cabbage, shredded carrots, green onion and cilantro. It was a southwest chopped salad and I liked all the variety it added. You could use any plan lettuce or find a similar mixed bag of lettuce. I always have extra lettuce that I can make a side salad to serve alongside this.
- Any soft shell taco would work. I prefer the soft shell tacos that are on the smaller size but have used whole wheat (shown in the pictures), corn and regular flour and they all taste great.
- You could also top with some chopped avocado, green chilies, jalapenos, corn or a number of combinations.
- The Sauce-even though it’s only 4 ingredients, is so good, I think it could have it’s own post. If you have creamy chipotle sauce leftovers, the sauce is amazing with sweet potato fries, roasted potatoes, topped on hamburgers, really anything.
- While the leftovers for the sauce are great, we always eat all the shrimp so I can’t make any recommendations on how these would taste the next day. These are so good, eating them all shouldn’t be a problem 🙂
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Grilled Shrimp seasoned with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper is then topped with chopped salad, Pico di Gallo and a creamy chipotle sauce. Served wrapped in a soft shell taco for a light and fresh meal.
- grill or grill pan
- 1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp
- 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 package chopped or mixed salad
- soft shell tacos
- Pico de Gallo
Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Chipotle Sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- lemon
If using frozen shrimp defrost prior to cooking following instructions to thaw shrimp from your bag.
In large bowl, add shrimp. Then squeeze most of the juice of 1 lemon and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until all mixed.
Using a grill pan or grill, place all shrimp side down on grill and cook for 2-3 minutes then flip to other side and grill for an additional 2-3 minutes. Shrimp are fully cooked, when they are pink and no longer translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare sauce by mixing chipotle sauce, mayonnaise, and ketchup in a small bowl until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the remaining juice of your lemon and give a few more mixes.
Get ready to assemble your tacos. If your shrimp still have their tails attached, remove tails. You can either keep the shrimp whole, or chop them up. Create a little work station with your shrimp and all your toppings.
Take a soft shell taco and add shrimp, salad, Pico De Gallo and any other toppings. Top with a generous amount of the creamy chipotle sauce. Repeat process until you have your required amount of tacos.
