Shrimp Tacos with Slaw and Beans

Cooking Tacos for picky eaters

As a mom, one of my biggest concerns with making meals for my kids is if they’re going to eat it. The simplest way to get my kids excited about Taco Tuesday is to add fried beans to their tacos. If it wasn’t for my kids being picky eaters, I am not sure if I would have tested this shrimp taco recipe. As odd as it may sound, it pairs so well that even my husband starts asking for seconds. Hence, In a few years I will probably have to make twice as much since it’s been such a hit on Tuesdays.

Buying Shrimp on Sale

As a true San Diegan, Mexican food is a staple in our weekly meal plan and I love it. Therefore, one of the smartest things we’ve done for our Taco Tuesday nights is to buy our shrimp when it’s on sale. Usually, as I mentioned in my blog 6 Ways I Overcame Meal Prep Burn Out, I checkout sales at my local (VON’s) grocery store that are excessively on Fridays. This means we don’t always luck up on shrimp being on sale, but when we do we take full advantage. Having shrimp ready to go in the freezer will open up the options of a delicious a Taco Tuesday.

Coleslaw Hater

I will admit it, I’m not a fan of coleslaw, but once trying it with that hint of Apple Cider Vinegar WOW sold! It gives it such a good remix to other variations of shrimp and slaw tacos and I can’t stop recommending it. A small “cheat-cheat” that I do is to buy a pre-shredded cabbage from the grocery store to keep the cooking process fast. I usually prefer the multi-colored cabbage to give my tacos a bit of color, but the all green cabbage works as well. I do taste it to see if it’s good on salt and you could add some more cabbage to this recipe if you choose for sides for another meal in your week.

The Shrimp Tacos with Slaw and Beans

Alright now to the main course of this blog post, the delicious Shrimp Taco with Slaw and Beans. Again, I will admit that adding fried beans isn’t traditionally put in shrimp tacos, but hey that’s what makes them unique. This is our family’s version of shrimp tacos with slaw and beans and yes, we love it. For some reason, the hint of the seasoned tortillas, the apple cider vinegar, and the fried beans just go. Lastly, the cooking process is fairly easy and not time-consuming as I know how those hungry mouths do get impatient.

Ingredients for Shrimp Tacos:

• Corn Tortillas
• 1 can of Fried Beans
• 1 lb of Shrimp
• 1 tbsp of Vegetable oil
• Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• ½ bundle of Cilantro
• A dab of Trader Joe’s Jalapeno Sauce (Hot!)
• ½ tbs of Salt
• ½ tbs of Pepper
• ¼ tbs of Minced Garlic
• ¼ tbs of Paprika (I put a “little” less)
• ¼ tbs of Bijol (Optional for food color)
• ½ Lemon 

Ingredients for Cold Slaw:

• ½ Cup of Mayo
• 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ tbs of Salt
• ¼ tbs of Pepper
• ¼ tbs of Paprika (I put a “little” less)
• ½ Lemon 
• ½ Bag of Pre-Shredded Cabbage Mix

Directions for Shrimp Tacos and beans:

1. I personally cook in an iron skillet and add the vegetable oil to heat up and add the garlic to get the aroma ready for the shrimp.
2. You want to cut the shrimps in halves for easy to eat taco bites to the skillet to cook.
3. Then you want to add all of the dried seasonings on top of the shrimp and mix well. Next, add a little bit of lemon juice to keep it moist, I usually do half a lemon.
4. Once cooked, remove from iron skillet and use the oil and seasonings from the skillet to heat up your tortillas. This seasons you tortillas amazingly, but add a little bit of cooking spray to keep the skillet well coated.
5. In a separate pot, add a little bit of oil and heat up the can of fried beans. Mix well and it will be done.

Directions for the Slaw:

1. In a medium to large bowl add the ½ cup of mayo and mix in all of the ingredients. 
2. Next, you want to taste it to see if it’s up to par with seasoning since it only needs a little.
3. Lastly, you add in the shredded cabbage. This slaw should be fully coated and you could add in more of the shredded cabbage mix if you like.

Taco Assembly:

1. Heated corn tortilla
2. Add a line down the tortilla of fried beans
3. Add cheese on top of the fried beans (kind of like a mini bean and cheese taco)
4. Add enough shrimp halves
5. Add Slaw with a little bit of cut cilantro
6. Lastly, add a little of the Jalapeno sauce (very spicy)
7. Optional: You could also add sour cream and other hot sauce of your preference. 

Closing

Well, I hope you try my family style shrimp tacos with slaw and beans. I agree that the fried beans in a shrimp taco do sound a little different, but it works and it’s delicious. Plus who doesn’t want their little picky eaters asking for seconds? Umm, I do! I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know when you’ve tried it.