Chipotle Shrimp Tacos with Citrus Jicama Salsa
Is anyone else out there doing Whole30 this month? Just me? Cool cool cool.
Ok in all seriousness, I’ve actually been loving Whole30 this time around! After a year of rich food in culinary school in 2019 and some serious quarantine comfort food in 2020, it felt time for a re-set in 2021. I’ve still been able to cook a ton of delicious food this month and it’s forced me to be more creative than usual with my meals. Here is a post where I talk about some of the recipes on my site I’ve been loving in case you’re also doing Whole30.
My goal this month has been to cook recipes that taste delicious, are full of flavor and don’t seem like they’re Whole30. Enter this insane shrimp taco recipe!
These tacos are spicy/smoky from the chipotle shrimp, bright/acidic/sweet from the citrus jicama salsa and are just the best weeknight meal! If you’re trying to be a little cleaner with your diet or just trying to eat something fresh, seasonal, delicious and easy for dinner, this recipe is perfection!
You can serve in a rice/greens bowl, on tortillas, or in lettuce cups like I did here. I hope you love this one as much as I do!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp chipotle powder*
Kosher salt
4 Tbsp avocado oil, divided
3 limes, divided
4 oranges (I love cara cara)*
1/2 bulb of jicama
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves + tender stems, minced
1 small fresno chili (or jalapeno), minced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Lettuce cups or tortillas for serving
METHOD
Marinate your shrimp by combining the shrimp, chipotle powder, 2 tsp kosher salt, 2 Tbsp of the avocado oil, the zest from 2 of the limes and the zest from one of the oranges in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
While the shrimp is marinating, prep the ingredients for your citrus jicama salsa. Peel your jicama bulb and then slice into 1/4 inch planks. Cut those planks into 1/4 inch matchsticks and cut those matchsticks in half, lengthwise so that they’re bite-sized. “Supreme” your oranges (meaning cut into segments - see notes below for how-to).
In a medium bowl, combine the jicama, orange segments, 2 Tbsp of the citrus juice, the juice from two of the limes, minced cilantro, minced chili and extra virgin olive oil. Season with 1 1/4 tsp salt and then adjust salt to taste. Cover the bowl of salsa and transfer to the refrigerator to allow the flavors to develop for 30 minutes (or up to a couple of hours).
Remove the salsa from the fridge to temper. Meanwhile, cook your shrimp. Heat a large skillet (I prefer cast iron) over high heat. Once ripping hot, add the remaining 2 Tbsp avocado oil and transfer the marinated shrimp in a single layer to the pan (you’ll need to cook in batches). Cook the shrimp over high heat for 2 minutes on the first side and flip to the other side to cook for an additional 10 seconds (shrimp will overcook very quickly!). Transfer the cooked shrimp to a cutting board.
Remove the tails off of the shrimp and dice into bite-size pieces. Finish with flakey sea salt and lime juice from the remaining lime.
Assemble your tacos by layering the shrimp, citrus jicama salsa and sliced avocado on top of either lettuce cups or tortillas. Enjoy!
NOTES
The shrimp is fairly spicy. If you like more heat, add 1 tsp more of chipotle powder (that’s 1 Tbsp total) and if you like less heat, add 1 tsp less (that’s 1 tsp total).
I love using cara cara oranges in this recipe if you’re able to find them! Navel and blood oranges work amazingly too.
To supreme (or segment) your oranges:
Slice off the top and bottom of the orange to reveal the flesh.
Then, starting from the top and working your way to the bottom, run your knife along the peel to remove it, revealing just the flesh of the orange. Do your best to remove the white pith along with the peel (it can be bitter and unpleasant to eat). Repeat this process all the way around the orange until all of the peel and pith is removed.
You will see a thin opaque membrane that separates each orange segment. To remove the segments, use a paring knife to carefully make two incisions on the inside of each of those membranes and run the knife toward the center of the orange. At that point, the segment will release from the orange. Continue this process until you’ve removed each segment.
I filmed how to supreme an orange in my Instagram stories in this Instagram highlight!