Crispy chicken and shrimp tacos packed with bold Mexican flavors. Easy to make and totally satisfying, this recipe is your new go-to dinner the whole family will love.
Wondering what to make for dinner and you’re craving something easy but oh so tasty? If you’re like me, you love some awesome crispy chicken. Hand me a crispy chicken burger and I just can’t say no! Psst - if you’re also looking to satisfy that crispy chicken burger craving, then be sure to check out my Crispy Panko Chicken Burger recipe! You can either go on the lighter side by baking the chicken, or go traditional by shallow frying. The choice is yours!
These tacos came to be because of just that - I was craving some crispy chicken! I had tortillas, guacamole, and shrimp to use up! At the time, I was in the process of creating many of the recipes you see here to get this website ready for launching! I had the leftovers and wasn’t quite sure what to do. Well, I just took a gamble and just went for making a chicken and shrimp taco. I have to admit that I’ve also been wanting to try this combo for quite some time!
At restaurants, I’ve had crispy fish tacos and they were absolutely scrumptious! I’ve experimented just once or twice with shrimp tacos in the past, but I really wanted to have the deliciousness of chicken and shrimp together!
As a result, I took pictures and wrote down everything I did, and I have to say that in this scenario, the first time was a charm! Oh gosh, I was seriously in love with the result! The chicken and shrimp were perfectly crispy, so flavorful, and just amazing! Tossing the chicken and shrimp in some breading mixture with Blackening spice really does the trick! I’m using my Easy & Bold Homemade Blackening Spice recipe for these tacos, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand! If you don’t have anything, then definitely prepare your own spice mixture! I promise you that it will only take an extra 5 minutes, and you’ll have delicious Blackening spice for many recipes to come!
I’m also serving these tacos with my Incredible Easy Homemade Guacamole recipe and some chopped tomatoes. Of course, I love a cheesy taco, so don’t forget a small layer of cheddar cheese to be added!
I love serving my tacos in mini tortillas because I find it just makes eating the tacos more fun, and you can really stuff them up to make them full and messy! Let’s all agree that the messier the food is, the better right!
From start to finish, this chicken shrimp taco recipe should only take about 30 minutes to prepare! Shrimp is a winner here because of how fast it cooks! But don’t worry about the chicken - it’ll be pounded very thin so that won’t take much extra time to cook!
So what are you waiting for? For any occasion, you can have these awesome crispy and tender tacos right on your table for a fantastic and satisfying dinner!
Can I Use Chicken Thighs for These Chicken Shrimp Tacos?▼
I don’t see why not! Chicken thighs would be fantastic to use here! Chicken thighs have more fat on them than chicken breast, so the dark meat will become very tender and absorb the marinade well. That means they’ll be even more loaded with the awesome flavor of the Blackening spice!
What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?▼
You can use whatever shrimp you’d like! Here I used Argentinian shrimp, and they were already frozen. Argentinian shrimp are fairly large, but they aren’t jumbo or mega-sized. Perhaps the extra large shrimp won’t fit in your mini tortillas, so any small or medium-sized shrimp will work. Additionally, you can use fresh or frozen shrimp. Just make sure that if you are using frozen shrimp that they have completely thawed before cooking. Pat them dry with paper towel before breading them.
Furthermore, you can use peeled shrimp or with the shell on. Just note that it will take extra time to remove the peels from your shrimp if they have not already been removed.
Tips for Getting the Chicken & Shrimp Perfectly Crispy
Make sure to season the breading mixture before adding the proteins. This will make sure the chicken and shrimp are well seasoned once fried.
The oil should be hot before adding the breaded proteins. If the oil is not hot enough, the breading will absorb the oil and become soggy rather than crispy. If unsure, test the temperature by frying a piece or two.
You may use a sauce pan if frying a small batch or a stainless steel pan if frying a larger batch. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan which will cause the temperature of the oil to go down.
Make sure to sieve any excess flour/semolina before adding the proteins to the oil. Any excess flour/semolina will burn and settle in the oil and taint the flavor in the oil.
Once fried, make sure to pat out any excess oil and season right away. The heat will help the seasonings to stick to the breading
How to Make Crispy Chicken & Shrimp Tacos
Add oil and blackening spice to a bowl and whisk together to make the marinade. Add the prepared chicken and shrimp and toss well to combine.
If using onions, add onions to the same bowl as chicken and shrimp and mix well to combine.
Prepare the Guacamole, Lettuce and Tomatoes for the topping prior to frying the proteins. For more details, be sure to check out the complete recipe for Incredible Easy Homemade Guacamole!
Heat oil on medium heat for frying and in the meanwhile, take a small batch of the breaded chicken, shrimp and onions and add to a sieve. Shake well to remove any excess breading.
Add to the oil and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the proteins are a light golden brown. While the proteins are frying, you can heat up the tortillas.
Heat another pan on medium heat and place tortillas on the pan. Add a strip of cheddar cheese down the center, along with a tablespoon of sour cream on each tortilla. Warm until lightly crispy and then set aside on a plate or taco stand.
Once the proteins have cooked, transfer to a bowl and lightly pat with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
How to Assemble the Tacos
Top each tortilla with lettuce and then evenly distribute the proteins, making sure each taco has some chicken, shrimp and onion.
Then, add a scoop of guacamole over the proteins, followed by the tomatoes and sprig of cilantro.
Serve with a fresh wedge of lime and your favorite hot sauce! Enjoy.
Additional Recipe Notes
The semolina helps add some texture to the breading and makes it extra crispy and flavorful.
You may use a taco stand to make the assembling the tacos much easier, especially if you are making a large batch.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried proteins from the oil to help filter out any excess oil
Serving Suggestions
As you can see, I’ve loaded my tacos with lettuce, cheddar cheese, guacamole, and chopped tomatoes. You can definitely add more toppings if you like! Here are some recommendations:
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Irresistible Crispy Chicken Shrimp Tacos Recipe
Crispy chicken and shrimp tacos packed with bold Mexican flavors. Easy to make and totally satisfying, this recipe is your new go-to dinner the whole family will love.
Prepare the breading mixture by mixing together the flour, semolina and baking powder in a large bowl.
Prepare the breading mixture by mixing together the flour, semolina and baking powder in a large bowl.
2
Add oil and blackening spice to a bowl and whisk together to make the marinade. Add the prepared chicken and shrimp and toss well to combine.
Add oil and blackening spice to a bowl and whisk together to make the marinade. Add the prepared chicken and shrimp and toss well to combine.
3
If using onions, add onions to the same bowl as chicken and shrimp and mix well to combine.
If using onions, add onions to the same bowl as chicken and shrimp and mix well to combine.
4
Heat oil on medium heat for frying and in the meantime, take a small batch of the breaded chicken, shrimp and onions and add to a sieve. Shake well to remove any excess breading.
Heat oil on medium heat for frying and in the meantime, take a small batch of the breaded chicken, shrimp and onions and add to a sieve. Shake well to remove any excess breading.
5
Add to the oil and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the proteins are a light golden brown. While the proteins are frying, you can heat up the tortillas.
Add to the oil and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the proteins are a light golden brown. While the proteins are frying, you can heat up the tortillas.
6
Heat another pan on medium heat and place tortillas on the pan. Add a strip of cheddar cheese down the center, along with a tablespoon of sour cream on each tortilla. Warm until lightly crispy and then set aside on a plate or taco stand.
Heat another pan on medium heat and place tortillas on the pan. Add a strip of cheddar cheese down the center, along with a tablespoon of sour cream on each tortilla. Warm until lightly crispy and then set aside on a plate or taco stand.
7
Once the proteins have cooked, transfer to a bowl and lightly pat with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Once the proteins have cooked, transfer to a bowl and lightly pat with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Assembling the Tacos
1
Top each tortilla with lettuce and then evenly distribute the proteins, making sure each taco has some chicken, shrimp and onion.
Top each tortilla with lettuce and then evenly distribute the proteins, making sure each taco has some chicken, shrimp and onion.
2
Then, add a scoop of guacamole over the proteins, followed by the tomatoes and sprig of cilantro.
Then, add a scoop of guacamole over the proteins, followed by the tomatoes and sprig of cilantro.
3
Serve with a fresh wedge of lime and your favorite hot sauce! Enjoy.
Serve with a fresh wedge of lime and your favorite hot sauce! Enjoy.
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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
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