With a simple salsa full of juicy cherries, grilled corn and spicy jalapeños, these blackened shrimp tacos are a great summer meal.
I’m not totally hip to the acronyms these days.
No joke, it took me like months to wrap my head around what ICYMI (in case you missed it) and FOMO (fear of missing out) was.
I would stare at my phone, on whatever social media platform I saw them and sit there trying to figure out what they could possibly mean (too stubborn to just google it for the answer) for minutes on end before it would register.
This post is sponsored by White Claw Seltzer Works. All opinions and content are my own.
Now that I can proudly say I’ve committed these two to memory (granted, there’s probably at least 10 new ones I’m behind on again), it’s official, I’m suffering from severe FOMO when it comes to summer fruit.
There just aren’t enough carbs in the day for the amount of fruit I want to eat right now!
From peaches, to all the berries, even melon (not usually my favorite) and of course, C-H-E-R-R-I-E-S!
I’m living in a constant state of “oh my god, this fruit will be out of season in a few short weeks and I’m not eating enough of it RIGHT NOW!”
I know, #firstworldproblems right?
But for real, this is a cause of major anxiety every day and I wish I was kidding when I say that.
I’ve decided it’s just not enough to be getting my fruit fix in between meals, mid-July calls for ALL the fruit IN the meals too.
Desperate times, desperate measures.
So let’s talk about these blackened shrimp tacos with grilled corn cherry salsa.
The salsa is clearly the best part of these blackened shrimp tacos.
It’s got the whole juicy sweet cherry thing going on combined with the char of the grilled corn, the spice of the jalapeños and the tart of the lime juice, it really could be just eaten on its own or with plenty of other things like blackened mahi mahi or jerk chicken tacos.
But, that’s not to say those little blackened shrimp aren’t amazing too, because they totally are.
I know the spice list looks a bit long for those, but trust me, a couple minutes spent opening half the spice jars in your cabinet is worth it for that smoky/spicy bite of each shrimp piled into the taco shell.
Blackening seasoning is amazing like that because it gives so much flavor with no added calories. I love blackened cod for tacos like this too!
The tacos are summer epitomized in food.
The only thing missing is the drink to accompany them which is where the hard seltzer comes in.
Have you heard of hard seltzer lately? It might just be my new favorite drink. We’ve been packing the cooler with them every time we head down to the lake for the day because they’re the perfect “in the sun” drink for summer.
White Claw Hard Seltzer comes in three flavors: Natural Lime, Black Cherry and Ruby Grapefruit. Each 12 ounce can is only 110 calories and the best part…4 carbs! There’s literally no artificial ingredients, just seltzer, natural juice and pure cane sugar (<– where the alcohol comes from).
I love how versatile it is too, while each flavor is great in a cocktail, they’re equally as delicious on their own accompanying a summer meal.
I went with the refreshing Natural Lime flavor for these blackened shrimp tacos (it was 90+ degrees out when I made these!) but Black Cherry would also be perfect to complement the salsa.
And if you’re making these tacos in the winter, try switching up the salsa to something more seasonal like this pomegranate salsa!
If you want a salsa that can serve as a side dish and taco topping, try this mango black bean salad instead.
Only have frozen shrimp on hand? Check out this recipe on how to make frozen shrimp in the air fryer for an easy way to prepare them for these tacos.
Love these blackened shrimp tacos?
Don’t miss blackened salmon tacos or these spicy shrimp tostadas either for more seafood inspired tacos.
And make sure to check out these chicken street tacos for an easy traditional taco featuring queso fresco.
Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Grilled Corn Cherry Salsa
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1/2 pound large shrimp, deveined, tails removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- corn tortillas for serving
For the salsa
- 1 ear of corn, husk removed
- 1 cup pitted cherries, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the shrimp
- Combine the seasoning in a small bowl.
- Pat the shrimp dry and toss in the seasoning mixture until well coated.
- Place the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until opaque and starting to curl up. Flip, cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side until blackened. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
For the salsa
- Preheat a grill over medium. Place corn directly on the grill and cook, turning every few minutes until charred. Let corn cool to touch then use a sharp knife and cut kernels off the cob and place in a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine.
To assemble
- Heat the corn tortillas either on a grill or in a skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes so that they become slightly toasted but still pliable.
- Fill tortillas with shrimp and salsa mixture and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
That tacos look amazing! The cherries and corn are amazing!! And I am loving the White Claw for summer drinks!