Tacos Gobernador Recipe (Crispy Shrimp Tacos)
Description
Tacos Gobernador, aka crispy shrimp tacos, feature chunks of shrimp tossed in a saucy tomato-chile mixture and piled into tortillas with melted cheese. They're bold in flavor, slightly spicy, and wonderfully crispy. Plus, they easily feed a crowd!
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Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes, cored and diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed and minced*
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, + lime wedges for serving
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp (26/30), peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons high-heat neutral cooking oil, such as canola, grapeseed or avocado
- 12 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
- 8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
Toppings
- shredded romaine lettuce
- diced avocado
- fresh cilantro
- hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholula
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) with rack set in lowest position. Combine 2 diced tomatoes, 1 chopped onion, 1 minced jalapeño, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 minced cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add tomato mixture and cook until liquid has thickened and mostly evaporated, and tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut 1 pound shrimp into ½-inch pieces. Remove skillet from heat and stir in shrimp; set aside.
- Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with 2 tablespoons neutral oil (1 tablespoon per sheet). Arrange 6 corn tortillas in a single layer on each prepared sheet. Brush remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil over tortillas.
- Divide 8 ounces shredded cheese evenly among tortillas, then top with shrimp mixture. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until bottoms and edges of tortillas are golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted, 9–14 minutes.
- Top tacos with shredded lettuce, diced avocado, cilantro, and hot sauce. Quickly fold tacos in half and arrange, standing up, in a rimmed platter or dish.
- Repeat cooking, topping and folding with remaining 6 tortillas and filling. Serve with lime wedges and additional hot sauce.
Equipment
Notes
For a more mild, less-spicy taco filling, seed the jalapeño before mincing.
Buying a block of pepper Jack and shredding it yourself makes all the difference. It’s creamier and meltier than pre-shredded cheese because it isn’t tossed with an anti-caking agent.
The shrimp do not need to be cooked through on the stove top—they’ll finish cooking in the oven.
If you prefer to cook these on the stovetop: Preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Brush with oil. Pre-fold the tacos and cook each side until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining tacos.
This recipe is loosely adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 tacosCalories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 29gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 756mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
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