Grilled Shrimp Tacos With Avocado-Corn Salsa Recipe

Gather the shrimp taco ingredients

To prepare this recipe, gather peeled shrimp, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, a lime, neutral oil, a large avocado, an ear of corn, some red onion, and skewers for grilling the shrimp. You'll also need either corn or flour tortillas for the tacos, depending on your preference. Once you have all these ingredients ready, you can begin cooking.

Step 1: Grill the corn

Remove the husks from the corn and set it on a preheated grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until it is lightly charred on all sides.

Step 2: Make the salsa

Cut the corn from the cob and mix it with the avocado, onion, cilantro, and lime. Stir well and season with salt to your liking.

Step 3: Season the shrimp

Put the shrimp in a large bowl and sprinkle in the spices. Mix well until the spices are evenly coated.

Step 4: Skewer the shrimp

Pierce the shrimp with a skewer.

Step 5: Grill the shrimp

Gently coat the skewers with neutral oil and set them on a grill preheated to medium-high. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked.

Step 6: Add a squeeze of lime

Complete the shrimp by adding a squeeze of lime.

Step 7: Time to eat

Accompany with avocado-corn salsa, warm corn tortillas, and extra lime wedges, if preferred.

Should I use corn or flour tortillas for tacos?

When it comes to choosing tortillas for tacos, one major question often arises: corn or flour? The answer largely depends on personal taste, as both options are perfectly valid.

Corn tortillas are the traditional option. For thousands of years, people in Mexico have been grinding corn to create thin flatbreads, and they remain the standard choice for most of the country today. In contrast, flour tortillas were introduced to Mexican cuisine after the arrival of the Spanish. Today, they are primarily enjoyed in northern Mexico, particularly in Sonoran cuisine and Tex-Mex dishes, while corn tortillas are more widely favored in the rest of the nation.

Feel free to use whichever type of tortilla you prefer for this recipe, but make sure to warm them up. Corn tortillas, in particular, benefit from a little cooking. Fresh out of the package, they can be quite fragile, but a quick stint on the grill not only adds a delightful charred flavor but also makes them more flexible and better suited to hold a generous filling of shrimp and salsa.

How do I pick a good avocado for salsa?

Selecting the perfect avocado can be quite a task, as it involves assessing the knobbly black fruit's exterior to gauge its interior quality. Additionally, you need to choose one that complements the dish you’re preparing. Thankfully, despite the challenge, you can glean a lot about an avocado just by looking at it.

For this particular recipe, you want an avocado that is ripe yet retains some firmness. An overly soft avocado will mash into the salsa, making it less visually appealing on the plate, while one that is too firm may have a crunchy texture instead of the creamy consistency we desire. The ideal avocado for a delicious avocado-corn salsa strikes a balance—firm enough to dice but soft enough to bite through easily.

If you're purchasing avocados on the same day you plan to use them, look for one that is neither too green nor too dark, and gives slightly when squeezed. These should be beautifully green inside and just firm enough for easy chopping. If you're shopping in advance, choose avocados that are a bit greener and firmer. Regardless of when you buy them, when you finally slice into your avocados, they will pair wonderfully with the grilled shrimp.