Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Fried Shrimp Tacos with Salsa Roja

At Mariscos Jalisco, Raul Ortega’s food truck in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, the tacos de camarón, or shrimp tacos, are the main attraction, and for good reason. Ortega stuffs a perfectly seasoned shrimp filling into tortillas and fries the tacos to golden brown crispness before finishing them with tomato salsa and avocado.
His recipe is a closely guarded secret, but in her version of those tacos, food writer and recipe developer Paola Briseño-González attempts to replicate that delicious melding of flavors and textures. The shrimp are chopped in a food processor to make the filling, so though the recipe specifies shrimp of a certain size, just about any size will work.
Servings: 8 tacos
Author: Milk Street

Ingredients

Salsa:

  • 1 pound ripe plum tomatoes cored, halved and seeded
  • ¼ large white onion chopped, about ½ cup
  • 2 medium garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon dried mexican oregano
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 cup finely chopped green cabbage
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro chopped

Taco filling:

  • 8 ounces ripe plum tomatoes cored, halved and seeded
  • ¾ large white onion chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves smashed and peeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces large shrimp 26/30 per pound (see headnote), peeled, tails removed, and deveined

Tacos:

  • 1 cup canola oil plus 3 tablespoons, divided
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 8 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 1 ripe avocado halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
  • lime wedges to serve

Instructions

Prepare the salsa:

  • In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Transfer to a medium bowl; reserve the food processor bowl and blade.
  • Stir the cabbage and cilantro into the puree, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

Prepare the taco filling:

  • In the food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
  • Pulse to a coarse puree, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a small bowl.
  • To the food processor, add the shrimp and pulse until finely chopped, about 4 pulses.
  • In a 10-inch skillet over medium, heat the 3 tablespoons oil until shimmering.
  • Add the tomato-onion puree and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
  • Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn pink and the mixture has thickened, about 1 minute. Set aside off heat.

Warm the tortillas:

  • Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium until water flicked onto the surface immediately sizzles and evaporates.
  • Add 2 tortillas in a single layer (it’s fine if they overlap slightly) and heat, flipping them once, until warm, about 30 seconds per side.
  • Transfer to a kitchen towel and wrap loosely to keep warm and pliable.
  • Repeat with the remaining tortillas, stacking and wrapping them in the towel.

Fill the tacos:

  • Add the remaining 1 cup oil to the skillet; keep warm over low while you fill the tortillas.
  • Lay 4 of the tortillas on a work surface and divide half of the shrimp mixture evenly among them, placing the filling on one side of the tortilla.
  • Fold the unfilled sides over and press lightly; leave the edges open (do not seal them).
  • Fill the remaining tortillas with the remaining shrimp mixture in the same way.

Shallow-fry the tacos:

  • Return the oil to medium and heat until shimmering (about 350°F).
  • Carefully add 4 of the tacos and cook until golden brown and crisp on the bottoms, about 3 minutes.
  • Using a thin metal spatula, flip each taco and cook until golden brown on the second sides, about 3 minutes, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Fry the remaining tacos in the same way, adjusting the heat as needed.

Finish and serve:

  • Transfer the tacos to a serving platter and spoon on some of the salsa.
  • Top with the avocado slices and serve with the remaining salsa and lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Don’t try to bypass the step of warming the tortillas before filling them. Straight from the package, the tortillas likely will be brittle and will crack when folded. After warming the tortillas, be sure to keep them wrapped in a towel so they remain pliable until you’re ready to fill the tacos.