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Coconut Shrimp Tacos With Mango Salsa and Avocado Cilantro Sauce

Coconut shrimp tacos with a side of mango salsa and lime slices.
Photo by Angelica Marie Valiton

This dish is so easy to make and yet looks and tastes impressive enough to serve for a dinner party. The salsa is really what makes the dish sing—you might want to double the recipe so you have leftovers for dipping with chips or using in taco salad.

Ingredients

4 servings

For the shrimp:

Coconut or avocado oil cooking spray
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 pound medium wild shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

For the salsa:

1 cup diced mango or pineapple
½ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup diced red onion
Zest and juice of 1 medium lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or mint

For the sauce:

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1 medium avocado
Juice of 1 medium lime
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

Small (gluten-free) corn tortillas or lettuce cups, finely shredded purple cabbage, avocado slices
  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack on top of a large baking sheet, coat with cooking spray, and set aside.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut and paprika and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water.

    Step 3

    Make an assembly line with the shrimp, egg wash, coconut mixture, and prepared baking sheet. Dip the shrimp in the egg wash, then dredge in the coconut, lightly shaking off any excess, then place the coated shrimp on the baking rack. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, spacing them out evenly on the baking rack so they will get crispy instead of steaming.

    Step 4

    Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the coconut has started to brown.

    Step 5

    While the shrimp are cooking, make the salsa and sauce. In a medium bowl, toss together the salsa ingredients and set aside.

    Step 6

    In a food processor or high-powered blender, add the sauce ingredients and ⅓ cup water. Pulse until smooth, adjusting the seasonings to your taste. If desired, spoon the sauce into a small zip-top bag and cut the tip off of one of the bottom corners (like you would to make a piping bag for icing), just enough to make a small hole. This will make it easier to drizzle your sauce more evenly, but you could also just use a spoon.

    Step 7

    To assemble the tacos, place 3 to 4 shrimp on a tortilla or lettuce cup, top with shredded cabbage, a spoonful of salsa, and an avocado slice. Pipe or drizzle the sauce over the top.

FromThe Wellness Remodel: A Guide to Rebooting How You Eat, Move, and Feed Your Soul© 2020 by Christina Anstead and Cara Clark. Reprinted with permission by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book fromHarperCollinsor fromAmazon.
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  • I think this recipe has potential, but we both thought it was rather tasteless . It needs more seasoning to give it some oomph. Not worth the time and expense. Would not make again as is.

    • shrinkingblonde

    • Sacramento, CA

    • 2/10/2021

  • Tasty, but next time I won’t bother with the avocado sauce, just add diced avocado and cilantro and serve with lime wedges (and probably add the cumin and cayenne to the coconut). Used unsweetened coconut flakes that I pulsed in the blender to make more fine, they stuck to the shrimp well. Served with rice.

    • Anonymous

    • 2/2/2021

  • Delicious! The flavor combination was so good and I had a perfectly ripe mango which enhanced the sweetness of the salsa. The coconut did not stick to the shrimp that well and next time I might just try it with grilled shrimp.

    • linsbvi435

    • pompano beach, fl;

    • 9/14/2020

  • I would definitely make this recipe again. Well written, well timed. The flavors were distinct yet blended well in every bite. I love the various textures. It’s going in my “go to” recipes.

    • winefairie

    • Spokane, WA

    • 8/17/2020

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