Tequila shrimp is a classic and beloved Latin American dish - but no one seems to know exactly where it came from! There are several variations on the recipe, but none that really hone in on a nation of origin. Shrimp, lime, and tequila are the only three ingredients that seem to be used in all the recipes, so it is easy to bend the recipe to nearly any type of Latin cuisine.
This is an incredibly simple dish that packs a lot of flavor and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser at your next Latin themed event.
Type of Tequila
- This is not actually as important as the name of the recipe may sound. Any tequila that you find suitable to drink, will work fine in this recipe. Whether white or gold; top shelf or bottom shelf; if you like it, use it.
Shrimp Size
- The type of shrimp you use for this dish is not as important as the freshness. Buy whatever shrimp your fish monger tells you is freshest for your area on that particular day. You probably want to purchase your shrimp the day of cooking this recipe for maximum freshness and flavor.
- Shrimp are sold by size. After being separated into uniform sizes, the shrimp are then marketed by how many shrimp are in a pound (ie. Medium large shrimp are sold are 41/50 count because 41-50 shrimp are in a pound).
- For this recipe 21/25 count (jumbo) shrimp are recommended, but you could size up or down a bit.
Tequila Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- One pound of 21-25 count shrimp deveined and peeled
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- Small onion, diced
- Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 scallion thinly sliced (greens for garnish, whites for sauteeing)
- 1/2 cup tequila (white or gold will work)
- ½ lime juice
Optional:
- 1/2 cup crema or sour cream
- 2 teaspoons favorite hot sauce
Procedure
- Sautee onions, garlic, and scallion whites in butter until translucent.
- Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until they begin to tour pink. Or you can grill the shrimp separately and spoon on the sauce after plating.
- Add tequila and flame off alcohol (this is an impressive little trick at parties). Add lime juice at last minute and serve.
Optional: Stir in homemade crema or sour cream for added richness. Or you can add your favorite hot sauce to fire this dish up.
You could also make a marinade of the garlic, onions, oil and tequila and marinade the shrimp for 4 hours before skewering and grilling.
This dish goes really well served over rice and peas garnished with the scallion greens. Shooter of sangrita and tequila make a refreshing drink to have along side.
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