Crispy Shrimp Tacos in Tomato Broth from Rick Bayless
It’s safe to say that no matter how many tacos we eat, we can always find room in our stomachs to fit more. Especially when it comes to these crispy shrimp tacos. Layers of fresh salsa, pickled vegetables and warm chile heat make tacos so exciting to eat. Each is unique, customized and no two tacos are alike.
Crispy Shrimp Tacos Recipe
Then there are the crispy tacos. Oh, crispy. Tacos. We’ve fried up tortillas, folding them in the process and had crispy tacos that way. But Chef Rick Bayless introduced us to his version of a rolled crispy tacos with fresh tomato broth. This warm, crispy, crunch takes the eating experience to a whole nother level.
When we first saw the recipe, we didn’t think they were tacos at first sight. Because they were rolled, taquitos and floutas came to mind. Then we googled to see what the difference between the two were and it basically came down to the size and/or type of flour/corn tortilla they were made of.
After about 30 minutes of delving into the research of tacos, taquitos and floutas, it’s obvious we left the computer more hungry than ever before. Rick Bayless’s version is wonderful with the contrast of the crispy hot tacos against the flavorful tomato broth. Best of all, they’re quite simple to make. The only problem is that they’re so addicting to eat, you’ll have to prepare at least 5-6 per person. For us, these tacos became a full dinner, rather than just a appetizer.
Rick Bayless will be in Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo for this years Food & Wine Fesitval celebrating all the beautiful flavors of Mexico. This will be a fabulous 3 day event and if any of you were planning to do an eating tour of Mexico, this would be a great time! The event will not only showcase the food of the local Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo region, but all of Mexico as well.
We’ll be attending as well to celebrate the 32 tastes of Mexico’s diverse 32 states. Hope to see some of you there!
How to Make Crispy Shrimp Tacos
These are quite easy to make and super delicious. You can use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. If you’re using corn tortillas, then you’re making shrimp flautas. Hope the step by step photos are helpful. Enjoy!
Crispy Shrimp Taco Recipe
Ingredients
Taco Recipe Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Olive Oil
- 1/2 Sweet Onion , cut into 1/4" dice
- 2 cloves Garlic , crushed or finely chopped
- preferred Spicy Chilies to taste , usually about 2 Jalapenos, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon (5g) ground Cumin
- 3/4 pound (340g) Tomatoes (@ 2 medium sized tomatoes), diced into 1/4" or ran through food processor's coarse grating disc
- 1 pound (455g) Shrimp , peeled, de-veined, and cut into 1/2" pieces
- 3 - 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro
- Sea Salt , to taste
- 12 thin Corn Tortillas
- Oil for frying (enough to have a depth of 2" in your pan), preferably Grape Seed Oil or Peanut Oil
Instructions
Taco Directions
- Make the filling: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, @ 3-4 minutes, then add garlic, chilies, and cumin and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to a thick sauce, about ketchup consistency. Add the shrimp and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in cilantro and season with sea salt to taste.If serving with Tomato Broth, make now. *recipe follows
- Roll and Fry Tacos: Heat the oil to about 350-375º, or until hot enough a drop of water reacts quickly when flicked in oil. Grab two tortillas at a time with a pair of tongs, and dip them for few seconds in the oil to soften then. Pat dry with paper towels and pile them into a single stack.
- Spoon 3 Tablespoons of filling in a line across the bottom of the tortillas. Tightly roll them up the tacos, then skewer with toothpicks to keep them closed.
- Fry the tacos in the hot oil for about 1.5 minutes, then turn over and finish frying until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with tomato broth poured over.
Tomato Broth Directions
- Combine tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender. Puree until smooth.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. When hot enough to sizzle a drop of the puree, add all of the puree, cook and stir until noticeably thicker and darker, @ five minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil and simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes. It should have a "soupy" consistency. Add a little water if necessary. Season with sea salt to taste.
Nutrition Information per Serving
Here’s more info about taquitos vs flautas.
Made these last night… AHHH-MAZING! I will definitely be telling everyone how great they are! Thanks for sharing the recipe! ๐
I’m in Perth Australia and we never have access to food like this, mexican for us is nachos drowned in cheese… I just made these for dinner and it was incredible. I can’t wait to share it with anyone who will listen!
I am on a mission to find more Rick Bayless recipes to recreate and this one fits the bill! The looks amazingly crunchy and delicious!
Those would actually be called Taquitos meaning small tacos. This recipe looks amazing.
Shrimp + tacos = winning.
As long as the shrimp is cooked through, i think just rolling up the corn tortillas (we do the same as the commenter above.. damp dishcloth in microwave to soften tortillas) with the shrimp mixture and serving would be a perfect little taco. Maybe some ‘slaw on the side.. zucchini slaw.. mmm..
I made these on Tuesday for our weekly taco tuesday night and they were a huge hit! Sooooo good, I can’t even begin to explain. The prep is a bit time-consuming, but well worth it! Next time I make them, I’m going to try doing the tomato sauce and the filling a day ahead of time. YUM!
I tried making these, and they were incredible, but the tomato broth didn’t turn out well… it was too liquidy! How can I make it more solid/”soapy”? Thanks ๐
Hi Kelly,
Glad you liked the tacos. The broth is actually supposed to be pretty liquidy. However, some tomatoes have much more liquid than others, so if you find the broth is too thin for you, just keep simmering the sauce on medium heat until it reduces to the consistency you prefer, or you can cut back on the broth by maybe a 1/2 cup and see if that works more to your taste. Good luck!
Excited to try! Love Rick Bayless…apparently his Sopa de Lima recipe that I use rivals my mother-in-law’s in my husband’s eye. Which is huge.
wolverina401 at gmail dot com
Oh God. Save me. I have to make this regardless of my promise (to myself) to watch out for fried foods
oh my~~i want these…however i am a little scared!!! are these hard to make!!!! if so can you come teach me!!!??? thru the blog~~maybe????
Easy as can be. You can do it!
Why am I not eating these right now?
These look so, so very good. I am a little scared of deep fryers, but after looking at your gorgeous pictures, I’m tempted. Think it’s possible to get them as crispy any other way?
Mara- thank you for the comment and it’s really got us thinking more about this. Right now, we can’t think of a way to crisp them up and ensure that the filling cooks too. Maybe you can pre-cook the filling, then brush the tortillas with a bit of oil and bake the rolls in the oven?
If we try it and the rolls turn out good, we’ll let you know!
i made these accompanied with some orange mexican rice,
they were absolutely amazing!!! thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
and since you guys shared this recipe i will share a tip with you,
instead of frying the tortillas just put them in the microwave
wrapped in a napkin in batches of 10 until soft and they roll perfect (:
Lidia- thank you for that tip! Sounds so much easier, especially on the calories. Less guilt.
Beautiful photographs, love the opener.
Make flautas not war!
Shades of “Chico’s Tacos”. Except for the shrimp filling and lacking mounds of cheese.
People who know El Paso, Texas will understand exactly what I mean. Crispy rolled tacos in a thin, watery tomato broth is an acquired taste. But trust….there’s nothing like ’em!
this looks simply delicious!