Baja Shrimp Tacos
Baja shrimp tacos filled with crispy jumbo shrimp, crunchy cabbage slaw, thinly sliced red onions, and Baja sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 small tortillas, warmed
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
For the Baja shrimp
- 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Baja sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 chipotle in adobo, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Mexican slaw
- 4 cups cabbage, shredded
- ½ cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- ½ jalapeno, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a blender bottle or food processor, blend together the mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo, garlic, lime juice, and salt for the Baja sauce until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley). In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a dutch oven until it reaches 350°F. While the oil is heating up, in a medium bowl, soak the shrimp in buttermilk. In a separate bowl, add the flour, panko, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Once the oil is up to temperature, working in batches, remove the shrimp from the buttermilk and shake off any excess. Toss in the flour mixture to coat. Fry the shrimp in batches until crispy and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer fried shrimp to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat until all the shrimp have been fried.
- Serve on warm tortillas topped with coleslaw, thinly sliced red onions, and drizzled with extra Baja sauce.
Notes
Storage: The shrimp is best enjoyed fresh, but all the elements can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.