These Mojo Mango Shrimp Tacos are total flavor-bombs! These tacos start with marinating shrimp in a mojo marinade-a mixture of orange juice, lime juice, garlic, spices, and a touch of oil and vinegar. The shrimp are then lightly battered and fried with an ultra-crispy tempura-style batter. Take these over the top by reducing the remaining marinade into a sticky-sweet glaze, then top it off with a scoop of my Sweet Heat Mango Salsa, a simple crunchy slaw, cilantro, lime juice, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese!
While there are a lot of components to this dish, most of them can be made ahead of time, especially while the shrimp is marinating. Once you have everything ready, it's as simple as frying the shrimp, tossing in your Mojo glaze, and then assembling your tacos. These are a great meal to make for a day at home, so take your time, relax, and get ready to dig in!
My recipe for Sweet Heat Mango Salsa finishes this dish off perfectly. It has the perfect amount of sweetness and heat and is seriously delicious! The last part of this recipe, which is key, is to toss some thinly shaved cabbage in the extra juice from the mango salsa. Doing this helps keep the taco from becoming too "wet", yet still keeps things juicy! (I seriously loath a wet, soggy taco...Just thinking about it makes me cringe).
Shrimp Taco Mojo Marinade Ingredients
The backbone of this recipe is the Mojo marinade. Mojo sauces and marinades have deep Latin American and Caribbean roots and will vary by regions and countries. Typically, it is served as a sauce that consists of bitter or sour oranges, limes, coriander, cumin, garlic, and oil. My recipe uses a combination of orange juice, lime juice (in lieu of the bitter/sour orange juice), cumin, garlic, coriander, chili powder, some olive oil, and a touch of vinegar for balance. The complete list of ingredients is below:
- Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
- Garlic Cloves
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil (Any neutral cooking oil will work)
- White Wine Vinegar
- Sugar
- Kosher Salt
This marinade also becomes the glaze for the shrimp after they are fried. Do this by reserving the marinade after you remove the shrimp, then simmering it in a sauce pan with a bit of sugar and water over medium-low heat for 8 to 10-minutes until thickened and glossy. Pull the shrimp from the fryer, immediately salt, and toss in the sauce to evenly coat.
Shrimp Taco Tempura Breading
The breading for these shrimp tacos is a simple tempura-style batter. This method creates an ultra-light and extra-crispy texture. This stuff even stays crispy when coated in the glaze! The tempura batter is extremely simple as well. Flour, cornstarch, fine sea salt, and some cold club soda are all that you need. This is about the easiest frying method since there's no need for separate flour or egg dredges. Just combine the batter ingredients, dip your shrimp, and then fry.
Don't feel like frying the shrimp? Grilling or sautéing them is definitely a great option! Just be sure to toss them in the glaze while they're still hot, regardless of the cooking method.
Mango Salsa
If you look up the definition of "sweet heat" in the dictionary, all you'll get is the recipe for my Sweet Heat Mango Salsa, and you won't be disappointed! This stuff is ridiculously addictive. Featuring fresh mangos, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, agave nectar, white wine vinegar, and a bit of cayenne pepper gives it the perfect balance of sweetness and heat.
This salsa uses the following ingredients (see the full recipe at the link below for more details!):
- Mangos
- Jalapeño
- Lime Juice
- Cilantro
- Red Onion
- Cayenne Pepper
- Agave Nectar - Substitute equal amounts of honey or granulated sugar
- White Wine Vinegar
- Kosher Salt
Simple Slaw Ingredients
After this salsa is assembled, you will end up with a good bit of liquid in the bowl after it sits for a few minutes. Drain this liquid off into a separate bowl, and add some finely shredded cabbage, then toss to evenly coat to make a simple slaw that serves as the base for this taco. This does two things: (1) the cabbage adds some crunch and texture to the taco, and (2) it soaks up some of the extra salsa liquid to keep the taco from getting soggy.
Mojo Mango Shrimp Taco Assembly
Now that you have all of your components finished, it's time to assemble your tacos! Begin with a flour tortilla, add a little bit of the slaw, place three shrimp on top, add a tablespoon or two of the mango salsa, and finish with a pinch of cilantro, cotija cheese, a squeeze of lime, and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Go check out my recipe for Beef Tallow Flour Tortillas to send these tacos into the stratosphere!
Feel free to substitute the flour tortillas for Homemade Corn Tortillas if you want, however; the flour tortillas hold together a little better and provide a little cleaner eating experience.
Pairing Suggestions
Here are several of my recipes that I recommend pairing with these tacos. These are easy recipes and will give you the complete Mexican restaurant experience right at home! Restaurant Style Cheese Dip, Chorizo Cheese Dip (if you're feeling fancy!), Simple Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat), and a Classic Margarita to round things out.
Did you make this recipe for Mojo Mango Shrimp Tacos?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Mojo Mango Shrimp Tacos
Equipment
- Pestle and Mortar Optional - (Recommended if using whole seed seasonings for marinade. This is not needed if using pre-ground spices)
- Gallon Zip-top Bag or Medium Covered Container For Marinade
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Large Dutch Oven or Cast Iron/Stainless Skillet For Frying
- Instant Read Digital Thermometer Optional
- Medium Sauce Pan
Ingredients
Mojo Marinated Shrimp
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Whole Cumin Seeds Crushed (½ teaspoon for pre-ground)
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds Crushed (½ teaspoon for pre-ground)
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoons Whole Black Peppercorns Crushed (¼ teaspoon for pre-ground black pepper)
- ¼ Cup Extra Light Olive Oil 2 oz.
- Juice of 2 Oranges About 4 oz.
- Juice of 2 Limes About 2 oz.
- 1 ½ Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Lb. Shrimp Peeled and Deveined
Sweet Heat Mango Salsa
- 2 Fresh Mangos Diced (About 2 Cups)
- 1 Jalapeño Seeded and Finely Minced
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Red Onion Minced (About ⅛ Onion or one "wedge")
- Juice 1 Lime About 1 oz.
- 2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar Substitute equal amounts of honey or granulated sugar
- 2 Teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Cilantro Minced
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cayenne
- ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Slaw
- 2 Cups Green Cabbage Finely Shredded
- ¼ Cup Excess Sweet Heat Mango Salsa Liquid
Tempura Batter
- ½ plus ⅓ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Cold Club Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 2 - 3 Cups Peanut or Neutral Oil For Frying
Mojo Marinade Glaze
- Reserved Marinade Liquid
- ¼ Cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
Taco Assembly and Toppings
- 10 Beef Tallow Flour Tortillas
- ¼ Cup Cilantro Minced
- ⅓ Cup Cotija Cheese Crumbled (Parmesan is a close substitute if you can't find this)
- Lime Wedges
- Hot Sauce Optional
Instructions
Mojo Marinade
- If using pre-ground seasonings: Combine all of the marinade ingredients into a container of your choice (zip top bag or a dish with a lid, etc.), and add shrimp, stirring to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1-hour, up to overnight.
- If using whole seasonings: Add garlic, chili powder, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, whole peppercorns, sugar, and kosher salt to a pestle and mortar. Grind into a paste. Add extra light olive oil and stir to combine. Juice oranges and limes into a marinading container of your choice (zip top bag or a dish with a lid, etc.). Add seasonings and oil the juice, and add white wine vinegar, stirring to combine. Add shrimp, cover and refrigerate for 1-hour, up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove shrimp from marinade and reserve the liquid to make the glaze (Instructions to follow).
Sweet Heat Mango Salsa
- While the shrimp is marinading, combine diced mango, minced jalapeño, minced red onion, lime juice, agave nectar, white wine vinegar, cilantro, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt in a bowl.
- Allow to rest for 20-minutes. Strain off ¼ cup of the extra liquid and reserve for the slaw (instructions below). Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble tacos.
Slaw
- Combine shredded green cabbage and excess Mango Salsa liquid. Toss to evenly coat. (This should not be dripping wet). Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble tacos.
Tempura Batter
- When ready to fry, add frying oil to a large Dutch oven or cast iron/stainless skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 350℉ to 375℉.
- While frying oil is heating, combine the all purpose flour, cornstarch, fine sea salt, and cold club soda in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until a thick batter forms and all lumps have dissolved.
- Once oil is hot, dip half of the shrimp, one at a time, in the batter to completely coat, drain off the excess, then transfer immediately to hot oil. Fry for 5-minutes, flipping several times until completely cooked. Remove from oil and immediately salt. Repeat frying process with remaining shrimp.
Mojo Marinade Glaze
- While the shrimp are frying, add your reserved marinade to a medium sauce pan with ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Heat over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat slightly to medium-high and simmer until thickened and glossy, about 8 to 10-minutes. Stir frequently to ensure the sugar doesn't scorch. The liquid should be reduced by about half.
- While the shrimp are hot, add your and toss to evenly coat.
Taco Assembly
- Place tortillas on a plate. Add 1 to 2-tablespoon(s) slaw, followed by three pieces of shrimp. Add 1 to 2-tablespoon(s) of the Sweet Heat Mango Salsa, and sprinkle cotija cheese over the top. Garnish with minced cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Optionally, add several dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
Ericka says
Started out being obsessed with the Mango salsa...YUM. So I had to try these tacos and they did not disappoint!