Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Guacamole
Okay so… maybe I’m slightly very late for Cinco de Mayo…
But, really? When is it not a good time for tacos? Never. And these are especially delicious.
These tacos came about due to a competition at Mikey’s work. Every year they hold a Cinco de Seis (the day after Cinco de Mayo…lol doesn’t have to make sense) Guac-and-Salsa-Off, and this year I volunteered to make some! The awesome part was that they provided us with 15 avocados to get creative with! The not so awesome part is that I never found out who won >:(
I’m going to imagine it was me, because well…this guacamole kicks ass. The Tajin and mango flavor combo for the guac was inspired by these awesome Mango-ritas I made a while back. In case you’re unfamiliar with Tajin, click on the mango-rita post and I describe it there.
So, yeah, 15 avocados makes a shit-ton of guacamole—certainly more than you will need for these tacos, but I promise eating it won’t be an issue as it’s positively addictive. Throw a fiesta, share with your friends! They’ll thank you.
Let’s talk a bit about the other half of this recipe, the blackened shrimp. They are so fast and easy to make (seriously like 3 minutes), and the smokey, spicy, cajun-y flavor goes so well with the creamy and fruity guac. I used coconut oil to blacken them in, instead of the traditional butter. Some people may say that means they aren’t truly “blackened”; I say I don’t care at all and I like the subtle coconut with the mango—it’s a tropical theme, dammit!
I stuffed broccoli slaw inside these tacos really because I think it just tastes better and has more crunch than the standard cole slaw mixture, but you can use whichever you prefer. As for the tortillas, I’m kind of obsessed with these corn and wheat blend varietal, because they are chewy, soft, and studded with green chiles. But you do you, and use your own favorite mini little tortillas!
(Oh and yes, the guacamole is greener than that if you use it right away or same day, but these pictures were taken two days after it was made, and it was still delicious, just not as photogenic.)
PrintBlackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Guacamole
Yield: 8-10 tacos (and leftover guac)
Ingredients:
For the guacamole:
- 15 ripe avocados
- 4 ripe champagne mangoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp Tajin seasoning
- Salt, to taste
For the tacos:
- 16 oz. peeled and deveined shrimp
- 1/2 cup blackening seasoning
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- salt
- small tortillas (I use these green chile corn and wheat ones)
- broccoli slaw
- lime wedges
Directions:
For the guacamole:
- In a super large bowl, roughly mash the avocados. Add in the remaining ingredients and fold to combine. Season to taste with salt, and add more Tajin if necessary).
For the tacos:
- Heat are large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat the shrimp dry and coat each one generously with blackening seasoning.
- Melt the coconut oil in the skillet, and add in the shrimp (you may need to do this in batches). Cook for one minute on each side, until cooked through, but not over-cooked. Remove from pan, and salt them.
- Heat your tortillas in an oven or in a skillet until warm and pliable. Fill with generous amounts of guacamole, the shrimp, and the broccoli slaw. Serve with lime wedges!
