These spicy-sweet-crunchy-soft shrimp tacos are my summer anthem! As in I could eat them every single day, as in I just ate a full plate but I’m still craving more. And yes, everything should always be stuffed in a taco, always – but these flavors go way beyond, to salads and wraps and any other form you can think of.
Shrimp tacos are the perfect excuse to marry two of my favorite cuisines, Indian & Mexican, using one of my top flavor pairing obsessions, mango & habanero. Mango’s candylike sweetness really tones down the extreme heat of habaneros, but there’s still that perfectly lingering pepper note. Not to mention the gorgeous, naturally bright colors that make a table so inviting!
I adore habanero peppers but they can be a roulette wheel of fiery heat, ranging from as mild as a jalapeno to destroying all other flavors. “Two to six” is vague but I really recommend testing a tiny strip to decide how many you want to add. I used four large peppers and it was just the right level of spice for us, but yours could be very different!
Let’s sit down outside with people we really like, a big platter of tacos, and some bubbly rose. Perfect summer evening, made.
Shrimp Curry Tacos with Mango Habanero Slaw
Ingredients
Shrimp Curry Tacos
- 1 lb. shrimp peeled
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 inch ginger grated
- 1 t. garam masala
- 1 t. cumin
- 1 t. turmeric
- 1 t. salt
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 T. tomato paste
- 12 soft taco shells
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Mango Habanero Slaw
- 2 T. honey
- 2 T. lime juice
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1/2 head green cabbage thinly shredded
- 2 mangoes thinly sliced
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 2-6 habanero peppers seeded & thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
Mango Habanero Slaw
- Whisk honey, lime juice, and olive oil in a large bowl.
- Toss the rest of the slaw ingredients in the honey lime sauce. Let soften while you prepare the shrimp, at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Shrimp Curry Tacos
- Toss shrimp with garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Whisk tomato paste into coconut milk in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and add shrimp.
- Cook shrimp just until opaque, turning as needed.
- Arrange shrimp and slaw inside taco shells. Serve with lime wedges.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I want to gorge myself on these tacos. Shrimp is a major treat for me because my husband is allergic to shellfish, so I rarely get to indulge (so thanks for the very pleasant surprise at work, Kate!). I am already scheming to make these next time he’s out of town… 😉
These shrimp curry tacos were absolutely amazing! I loved the sweet and spicy kick because of the mangos and habanero peppers. It was spicy but not too spicy! So, yummy!!
OH MY GOODNESS!! These tacos are definitely a new fav. They are full of flavor and have the perfect amount of spice from the habanero peppers, sweetness from the mangos, and tang from the limes. I truly am in love and will be making again soon! Thanks Kate for sharing! 🙂
Making these again for sure! These were so simple and tasty. I didn’t measure anything as I cook to taste, but I used the listed ingredients. I did add hot curry to the shrimp and a pinch of salt to the slaw too.
This also paired nicely with rice. I’ll try making a chicken curry with potatoes next time for a rice bowl 😋. Thanks for the recipe!
I had a curry shrimp taco at a local restaurant and have been dreaming of them ever since. I found this recipe and they’re pretty darn close! I subbed jalapeños for habanero and added a little smashed avocado. I’m out of Garam masala and my grocery store didn’t have it so I subbed in some curry. Delicious!