Crispy and delicious fried shrimp tacos with a lot of Tex-Mex flavor.
I’ve already shown you how to make spicy shrimp tacos with green sauce, but here we are getting a bit crazier: deep-fried breaded shrimps with sweet Thai chili mayo. Another level in the shrimp taco universe.
Breaded shrimp tacos are a super easy and fun idea for taco Tuesday night. They may seem more difficult than regular pan-seared shrimps but the extra effort is so worthy. Besides, I will tell you my ultimate secret to fry with ease: organizing your workstation.
Never underestimate the power of a clean countertop with three plates for the coating (egg, flour, and breadcrumbs). You have everything you need in one single place. Then, it is a simple assembly line that ends on the pan with oil.
I tell you this because it used to be stressful for me to fry ANYTHING. My kitchen always ended in a mess, like if a bomb exploded in the middle of it.
If you want to see my ultimate guide about deep frying you can check this post.
How to make deep-fried shrimp tacos?
For this recipe, I like to use bite-size shrimps. The best size for these tacos is 26/30 shrimps. No jumbo size that you can’t eat in one bite but not those teeny tiny shrimps that disappear while frying.
The key for a crunchy shrimp is the batter and coating. As always, three ingredients are the key for a perfect breaded shrimp: flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.
You MUST coat the shrimps in that exact order. Flour > beaten egg > breadcrumbs. The reason is the following:
The flour will stick to the wet surface of the raw shrimp and it will hold the crust.
I used to get so upset when a big batch of fried shrimp would lose their coat in the oil and all my work was wasted. Sad, naked shrimps for dinner 🙁
When coating, the order of the ingredient DOES matter.
Then, it’s just frying with a good quality vegetable oil. I mostly use canola oil or sunflower oil.
Also, you can use a deep fryer to make the job way easier.
What to put in fried shrimp tacos?
Whatever your foodie heart wants, honestly, whatever.
This is why I love tacos. You can put anything you have in your fridge and create a delicious meal.
My rule is to add 2-3 veggies (+ mandatory avocado) and a creamy sauce.
For this recipe, I made a sweet Thai chili mayo that goes amazing with seafood. It’s creamy, garlicky and sweet.
You can also use my infallible cilantro garlic sauce to shake things a bit. It’s more pungent and has a stronger garlic flavor.
Veggies ideas:
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Corn
- Onions
- Spinach
Also, you can add the classic Tex-Mex toppings: cheese, black beans, jalapeño, mango pico e gallo, caramelized onions, sour cream, etc.
Other Mexican Recipes
Fried Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Chili Thai Mayo
Ingredients
- 4 flour tortilla
- 1 ripe avocado
- 4 tbsp sweet corn
- Lettuce or any green mix of preference
- Jalapeños optional
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro optional
Fried shrimps
- 300 gr Shrimps 26/30 12-15 units
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Vegetable oil to fry
Sweet chili thai mayo
- 2 tbsp sweet chili thai sauce
- 6 tbsp mayo
- 1 garlic clove minced
Instructions
Fried Shrimps
- Clean the shrimps and devein them.
- Beat the eggs and add the salt.
- Place flour and breadcrumbs in separated plates. Create an assembly line in the following order: shrimps. flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs.
- Coat the shrimps in that order. Fry them in a pan with enough vegetable oil to cover the shrimps.
- Let them rest in a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Sweet chili thai mayo
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and stir.
Assembling the tacos
- Warm the flour tortillas (microwave 15-25 seconds).
- Top the tortillas with the veggies, in this case, green mix, grated carrot, and sweet corn.
- Add the fried shrimp, avocado, jalapeño, sweet Thai chili mayo, and some fresh chopped cilantro.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.