Baja-Style Fried Shrimp Tacos - Milk Street Cooking School

Baja-Style Fried Shrimp Tacos

Name: Baja-Style Fried Shrimp Tacos
Yield: 12 Tacos
Ingredients: ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided; 1 teaspoon baking powder; Kosher salt and ground black pepper; 1 large egg white, beaten; ½ cup lager, such as Dos Equis or Pacifico, plus more if needed; 1 pound large (31/35 per pound) shrimp, peeled (tails removed), deveined and patted dry; ½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil; 12 6-inch flour tortillas, warmed; 2 cups shredded red cabbage; ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped; Chipotle mayonnaise, to serve; Pico de gallo, to serve; Red salsa, to serve; Lime wedges, to serve

By Courtney Hill

12 Tacos

Free

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These fantastic tacos are a shrimp version of the ever-popular fried fish tacos. The recipe comes to us from Jorge Fritz and Beto Estúa, proprietors of Casa Jacaranda cooking school in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The shrimp, with their briny-sweet flavor and pleasing plumpness, are particularly delicious thanks to the beer-batter coating that fries up airy and crisp. We like to use a Mexican lager to make the batter, but any light, quaffable brew will do. When measuring the beer, allow the head to settle before gauging the volume, and don’t polish off the rest of the bottle because you may need a little more to thin the batter if the consistency becomes too thick after the first batch of shrimp are coated. Fritz and Estúa offer three sauces for dressing the tacos: a creamy chipotle mayonnaise; a fresh, bright pico de gallo; and a red salsa with chili heat and notes of char. Each one brings a unique flavor to the tacos and, for convenience, can be made in advance. Six-inch flour tortillas are ideal here, but if 8-inchers are the only size available, they work perfectly well, too.

12

Tacos

Tip

Don’t overcrowd the skillet when frying the shrimp, or the temperature of the oil may drop too much, resulting in greasiness. Frying the the shrimp in two roughly equal batches is a good way to ensure the pan will not be too full.

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 large egg white, beaten

½ cup lager, such as Dos Equis or Pacifico, plus more if needed

1 pound large (31/35 per pound) shrimp, peeled (tails removed), deveined and patted dry

½ cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

12 6-inch flour tortillas, warmed

2 cups shredded red cabbage

½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped

Chipotle mayonnaise, to serve

Pico de gallo, to serve

Red salsa, to serve

Lime wedges, to serve

Ingredients

½

cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1

teaspoon baking powder
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1

large egg white, beaten
½

cup lager, such as Dos Equis or Pacifico, plus more if needed
1

pound large (31/35 per pound) shrimp, peeled (tails removed), deveined and patted dry
½

cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
12

6-inch flour tortillas, warmed
2

cups shredded red cabbage
½

cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped
Chipotle mayonnaise, to serve
Pico de gallo, to serve
Red salsa, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve

Directions

01

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ½ cup flour, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the egg white and beer, then whisk until the batter is smooth and frothy; it should have the consistency of pancake batter. Let rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
02

Distribute the shrimp in an even layer on a large plate, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and toss to coat.
03

In a nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Using your hands, dip 1 or 2 shrimp into the batter until fully coated, allow excess to drip back into the bowl and place the shrimp in the skillet. Continue in this way until half of the shrimp have been coated and added to the pan. Cook until the shrimp are golden brown on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a thin metal spatula, flip the shrimp and cook until the second sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes; adjust the heat as needed if the shrimp are browning too quickly. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Batter and cook the remaining shrimp in the same way; if the batter becomes too thick, whisk in additional beer as needed to restore to the consistency of pancake batter.
04

Divide the shrimp evenly among the tortillas. Top as desired with the cabbage, cilantro, chipotle mayonnaise, pico de gallo and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.