Spicy Szechuan Shrimp Tacos with Cool Cucumber Slaw
Szechuan Shrimp Tacos with Cool Cucumber Slaw are ready to shake up your taco game! A fun fusion of two of my all-time favorites, these tasty tacos are ready to rock your plate in under 20 minutes.
Servings 4 tacos
Calories 201kcal
Ingredients
- 12 oz shrimp (fresh or frozen/thawed)
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 TBSP reduced-sodium GF soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic (approx. 1 tsp minced)
- 2 tsp Sriracha
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1-2 tsp sesame oil for sautéing*
- 4-8 corn tortillas (see notes)
- 2-3 TBSP chopped green onion for topping
- sesame seeds for topping to taste
COOL CUCUMBER SLAW
- 1/4-1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1//4 English cucumber sliced paper thin
- ⅓ bell pepper (diced or sliced)
- 2 TBSP rice vinegar
- honey to taste
Instructions
- Clean and peel shrimp, defrosting if using frozen. Lately we've been buying frozen, cleaned, easy-peel shrimp. All I have to do is defrost, peel, and cook! You can also buy your shrimp already peeled if you'd like!
- Set prepped shrimp in the fridge, covered while you make your slaw and sauce.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, Sriracha, red pepper flakes, and ginger. Set aside.
- For the slaw, slice cucumbers paper-thin using a sharpened knife or mandolin. (I use the slicer on my oxo grater set). Combine with shredded carrots and bell pepper and toss with seasoned rice vinegar and honey, to taste.
- Heat a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat with 1 TBSP of oil and sauté your shrimp. Cook on one side for about 2 minutes, reduce heat to low, stir in your sauce, and continue to simmer until shrimp curl and become opaque. The cook time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp, but regardless they’ll be perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes.
- OPTIONAL: Want a thicker, stickier sauce on your shrimp? Do what the restaurants do and whisk 1 tsp of cornstarch into 1 TBSP cold water. This can be whisked into your sauce to thicken it.
- Place your shrimp on a clean cutting board and chop into smaller pieces, much like you were coarsely chopping an onion. This extra step helps prevent the shrimp from dive-bombing out of your taco and onto your plate/lap/floor and makes them way easier to eat! Want them whole instead? Go for it, yo!
- Line your corn tortillas with your saucy shrimp and top with slaw. Double up on corn tortillas if desired to prevent breakage (see notes)
- Dig in while they're hot!
Notes
The amount of tortillas you use will depend on two factors: how many you're serving and how full you're stuffing each taco. For 4 tacos you may be able to get away with just 4 single tortillas or you can double up with 8 to prevent tearing. Totally up to you!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy! See post below for special diets + swaps.
* No sesame oil? No problem! You can use olive, coconut, or avocado oil if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1750IU | Vitamin C: 19.5mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2.3mg
