Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage and Lime
Shrimp cooked in a hot skillet until pink and opaque, tucked into warm tortillas with a crisp cabbage slaw and a squeeze of lime. A bright, fast taco night with no chili heat.
- Total
- 14 min
- Prep 8 · Cook 6
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Balancing with acid
- Savory
- Quick
- Mexican
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Shred the cabbage as thinly as you can and put it in a small bowl. Add the juice of half the lime and a pinch of the salt, toss, and set aside. Cut the remaining lime half into wedges.
~5 min
Salting cabbage early draws out water and softens it, while lime acid brightens and lightly wilts the slaw.
Balancing with acid Add lime gradually and taste: acid should brighten the rich shrimp and mayo without turning the slaw sour or soggy.
-
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towel and season with the black pepper and the rest of the salt.
~2 min
Drying shrimp removes surface moisture so they sear and brown instead of steaming in the pan.
Pat the shrimp completely dry before seasoning so they cook up plump instead of steaming.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook until pink and opaque, about 1 minute per side, then transfer to a plate.
~2 min
A shimmering pan means the oil is hot enough to sear shrimp quickly without overcooking them.
Searing Get the pan hot until oil shimmers, then leave shrimp undisturbed for about a minute per side; moving them too early steams instead of browning.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the shrimp cooks, warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a low flame until soft and lightly blistered, about 30 seconds per side.
~2 min
Warming tortillas makes them pliable so they fold without cracking and taste freshly made.
-
Spread the chipotle mayo down the middle of each warm tortilla. Pile on the cabbage slaw, then the shrimp. Squeeze a lime wedge over the filling and serve with the remaining wedges.
~2 min
Balancing with acid Add lime gradually and taste: acid should brighten the rich shrimp and mayo without turning the slaw sour or soggy.