Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coconut Cream Sauce

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April 9, 2015

We love, love fish tacos around this house. But then again, who doesn’t? A good friend was telling me about a fabulous shrimp taco dish she enjoyed recently at a favorite restaurant in town. It sounded so delicious, I thought I’d try to make up my own version. She described shrimp seasoned with cumin and chili powder then grilled and topped with cabbage slaw, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado and a sweet cilantro coconut cream sauce. I think you’ll have to say that I’m on to something here as soon as you taste this. It’s really very simple to make, so eat it now and then save the recipe for the big outdoor grilling party later this summer. You’re going to want to share this with good friends.

I served this at our bariatric cooking class this week (minus the tortillas) and everyone loved it. I presented it as a salad with the shrimp arranged on top of a bed of cabbage with avocado slices, cilantro and chopped tomatoes with the sauce on the side. The sauce is made with light sour cream, light coconut milk, chopped cilantro, lime juice, agave nectar and salt. It not only adds a much needed sweetness to the spicy shrimp but also brings moisture to what would be a rather dry recipe.

There’s not much fat here either. Shrimp is such a great low-fat, high protein food. In fact, shrimp has more protein per ounce than any other food around. Seriously. It has some cholesterol and occasionally takes a bad rap for that, but that’s the only fat in shrimp which makes it a great choice for all of us who need high protein foods without all the nasty saturated fat. I buy frozen jumbo shrimp that are shelled and deveined because who has time to do those two things? They are quickly thawed by placing them in a colander and running cold water over them for a few minutes. They take up the southwestern seasonings so well, so be sure to take the time to marinate for at least 20 minutes. The best part? Shrimp take no more than 4 to 6 minutes a side to cook on the grill. Fast and easy, my friend. Then have fun putting these together for a great shrimp taco night. Take my word for it, your family is going to flip when they try these.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coconut Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes

Yield: 8 tacos

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coconut Cream Sauce
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
24 jumbo prawns, peeled and deveined
8 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
Shredded cabbage
Diced tomatoes
Chopped fresh cilantro
Diced avocado

Cilantro Lime Coconut Cream Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp coconut milk
2 tsp agave nectar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt
Zest and juice from one lime
Salt to taste

Whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl. Add in shrimp and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers. (Use two skewers side-by side to thread 6-8 shrimp. This makes it easier to flip and prevents shrimp from swiveling.) Grill shrimp 4-6 minutes per side or until opaque and no longer translucent. Remove from grill and keep warm.
Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and place on grill. Grill for 1-2 minutes per side or until slightly crispy but still soft.
For the Cilantro Lime Coconut Cream Sauce: Combine sour cream, coconut milk, agave nectar, fresh cilantro, cumin, lime zest, lime juice and salt in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve, arrange three shrimp in middle of each grilled tortilla. Top with small amounts of shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro and diced avocado. Spoon a tablespoon of sauce over top.

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