Shrimp tacos are a delicious and popular taco option. When making shrimp tacos at home, one of the most important decisions is what side dish to serve them with. The right side can perfectly complement the flavors of the shrimp tacos and make for a more complete and satisfying meal.
What are shrimp tacos?
Shrimp tacos feature seasoned shrimp layered over warmed corn or flour tortillas and typically served with shredded cabbage and a creamy sauce. The shrimp are usually grilled or sauteed with Mexican-inspired seasonings like chili powder, cumin, garlic, and lime. This provides a tasty contrast to the cool, crunchy cabbage topping.
Some additional ingredients commonly found in shrimp tacos include:
- Pico de gallo
- Avocado
- Cotija cheese
- Cilantro
- Onion
- Jalapeno
The result is a flavorful taco with spicy and tangy notes. Shrimp tacos first originated in Baja California and have become popular fare in Mexican restaurants, food trucks, and home kitchens across North America.
What makes a good side for shrimp tacos?
When selecting an accompaniment for shrimp tacos, you’ll want a side dish that adds more flavors, textures, colors, and nutrients to the meal. Here are some criteria to keep in mind when choosing a side:
- Tastes good with lime, chili powder, cumin, and Mexican flavors
- Provides contrasting textures to the soft tacos and crunchy cabbage
- Bright, vibrant color for visual appeal
- Fresh and light to balance the richness of the shrimp and cream sauce
- Nutritious ingredients to make a well-rounded meal
10 tasty side dish ideas for shrimp tacos
Using the criteria above, here are 10 delicious options for what to serve alongside shrimp tacos:
1. Mexican rice
Spanish rice or Mexican rice is an excellent complement to shrimp tacos. It incorporates traditional Mexican flavors like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chili powder. The soft, warm rice contrasts nicely with the tacos.
2. Homemade refried beans
Protein-packed refried or charro beans pair perfectly with shrimp tacos. Cook the beans with bacon, onions, jalapeno, garlic, epazote, and cumin for deep Mexican flavor.
3. Esquites
Esquites is a popular Mexican street corn salad made with grilled corn, mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime. It offers a fresh, sweet crunch to balance the shrimp tacos.
4. Street corn pancakes
For an inventive twist, make pancakes with corn, red bell peppers, cilantro, and queso fresco. The sweet corn cakes add even more Mexican character.
5. Chipotle slaw
Creamy chipotle-lime coleslaw offers cooling crunch plus smoky spice. Toss shredded cabbage with Greek yogurt, lime juice, chipotle chile, cilantro, and honey.
6. Watermelon, jicama, and mango salad
A refreshing fruit salad with watermelon, jicama, mango, lime, and chili powder is a sweet and tangy choice. The jicama adds crispness.
7. Avocado salad
For a simple salad, toss cubed avocado with red onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Creamy avocado works well with shrimp.
8. Black bean and corn salad
Mix together black beans, corn, red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil. Top with cotija cheese.
9. Street-style grilled corn
For easy classic flavor, grill corn on the cob and slather with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, cilantro, and lime.
10. Zucchini ensalada
Thinly sliced grilled zucchini and yellow squash make a light, healthy salad when tossed with lime vinaigrette.
5 factors to consider when choosing your side
While the sides above all pair well with shrimp tacos, you can get creative and select whatever sounds best to you. Here are a few factors to think through as you choose:
- Dietary needs – Consider any dietary restrictions and tweak dishes to be vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. The fruit and veggie sides work well for various diets.
- Season and availability – Use fresh, in-season produce like summer corn and tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Cooking method – Grilled and fresh sides require less work than something like rice or beans that needs active cooking.
- Meal balance – Include a variety of nutrients by incorporating produce, whole grains, proteins, etc.
- Flavor and texture – Seek out acidic, crunchy, creamy, and spicy accents to complement the tacos.
Putting together your shrimp taco meal
When constructing your overall shrimp taco meal, consider these elements for a tasty spread:
- Shrimp tacos – Grilled shrimp, tortillas, cabbage, pico de gallo, avocado
- Salsa and limes
- Side dish – Rice, beans, salad, or veggie option
- Chips and guacamole
- Margaritas, Mexican beer, horchata or agua fresca
- Churros, flan or fruit for dessert
Set up a taco bar with various toppings so everyone can customize their tacos. Offer two or three sides so there’s a variety of flavors and textures. Round out the meal with crunchy chips, creamy dips, and Mexican drinks. With the right combination of recipes, your shrimp taco dinner can provide the perfect fiesta of flavors.
5 recipes for amazing shrimp taco sides
To get you started, here are 5 top-rated recipes for delicious sides to serve with your shrimp tacos:
Mexican Street Corn Salad
[insert photo of Mexican street corn salad]
This 20-minute salad combines grilled corn, peppers, chili powder, cotija cheese, and cilantro for authentic Mexican flavor. Get the recipe at:
www.culinaryhill.com/mexican-street-corn-salad/
Cilantro Lime Rice
[insert photo of cilantro lime rice]
Make this quick rice in just 30 minutes. Green onions, garlic, and cilantro lend fresh flavor. Recipe:
www.gimmesomeoven.com/cilantro-lime-rice/
Chipotle Lime Coleslaw
[insert photo of chipotle lime coleslaw]
Creamy, spicy chipotle coleslaw tossed with a zesty lime dressing is an easy 10-minute side. Recipe at:
www.culinaryhill.com/chipotle-lime-coleslaw/
Mexican Fruit Salad
[insert photo of Mexican fruit salad]
This bright medley of watermelon, jicama, mango, pineapple, and orange gets topped with lime juice and chili powder. View the recipe:
www.mexicanplease.com/mexican-fruit-salad/
Black Bean and Corn Salad
[insert photo of black bean and corn salad]
Black beans, corn, bell pepper, and onion are tossed in a lime-cilantro dressing for a quick salad. Get the recipe:
www.theendlessmeal.com/summer-black-bean-corn-salad/
The best shrimp taco side for you
Shrimp tacos make for an easy, fun dinner that you can customize however you’d like. Round out your meal with the perfect side based on your tastes, time, and what’s in season. Stick with classics like Mexican rice and beans or try fun new sides like esquites or zucchini salad. With a crispy, colorful, flavor-packed accompaniment, your shrimp tacos will be taken to the next level. Now it’s your turn to decide – what’s going to be the best side for your next round of shrimp tacos?
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