While we enjoy tacos fairly regularly, we don’t necessarily reserve any particular night of the week as a taco night. But recently, everything lined up and we found ourselves making tacos on a Tuesday. It may have actually been our first official “Taco Tuesday.” And it was a delicious one!

For this momentous occasion, we went with a garlicky shrimp for the protein. The shrimp are quickly seared then finished in olive oil infused with fragrant garlic and rich, smoky paprika. The shrimp are added to a tortilla then dressed up with sweet red bell pepper, creamy avocado slices, and chopped, herbaceous cilantro. Lime infused sour cream and the garlic oil add additional flavor to the amalgamation. A final squeeze of lime brightens all the flavors. Shrimp prepared this way will be starring in our tacos for the foreseeable future. Even if it is not Tuesday night!

Garlic Shrimp Tacos

Garlic Shrimp Tacos (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com) Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus serving wedges
• salt
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 2 dozen)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• warm tortillas, sliced avocado, sliced red pepper, salsa, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges for serving

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and lime juice then season it with salt. Mix well and set it aside.

Mix up the lime crema.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Season the shrimp with salt and add half of them to the skillet. Sear the shrimp for 1 minute on each side, then transfer them to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining shrimp. The shrimp will not be cooked through yet. They will finish cooking in the flavored oil.

Sear the shrimp for 1 minute . . .

. . . on each side.

Adjust the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the garlic and paprika to the skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add the olive oil, garlic, and paprika to the skillet.

Add the shrimp and the accumulated juices, and cook, turning and basting, until the shrimp are opaque, just cooked through, and evenly coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes.

Cook the shrimp though in the flavored oil.

Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a shallow serving bowl.

Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving bowl.

To build the tacos, pile a few shrimp in the center of each tortilla and drizzle them with some of the garlic oil.

Build the tacos.

Top with avocado, red pepper, salsa, cilantro, and the lime crema, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Serve and enjoy!

Garlic shrimp makes Taco Tuesday delicious!  ~Linda

Garlic Shrimp Tacos (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com) Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 15 minutes, Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus serving wedges
• salt
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 2 dozen)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• warm tortillas, sliced avocado, sliced red pepper, salsa, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges for serving

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and lime juice then season it with salt. Mix well and set it aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Season the shrimp with salt and add half of them to the skillet. Sear the shrimp for 1 minute on each side, then transfer them to a plate. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining shrimp. The shrimp will not be cooked through yet. They will finish cooking in the flavored oil.

Adjust the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the garlic and paprika to the skillet and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and the accumulated juices, and cook, turning and basting, until the shrimp are opaque, just cooked through, and evenly coated in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a shallow serving bowl.

To build the tacos, pile a few shrimp in the center of each tortilla and drizzle them with some of the garlic oil. Top with avocado, red pepper, salsa, cilantro, and the lime crema, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.