East Coast Mermaid’s New Brunswick Cold Water Shrimp Tacos

Around these waters, every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday, but this spring and summer, we’re excited to add New Brunswick Cold Water Shrimp Tacos to the mix!

Yes, I said NEW BRUNSWICK AND SHRIMP AND TACOS IN THE SAME SENTENCE!

It’s totally a thing!

I’ve raved about New Brunswick Cold Water Shrimp here on East Coast Mermaid before – remember these EPIC shrimp rolls? They’re perfect for beach trips, weekends at the cottage, or just a delicious lunch on your back deck on a gorgeous summer day.

If you’re unfamiliar, here is the quick and salty on cold water shrimp! These shrimp call the North Atlantic ocean home and are harvested in Northern New Brunswick and available year-round. And yes, they may be smaller in size than the shrimp you’re used to but —they’re actually considered to be much more flavourful. Not to mention, in many ways, more sustainable.

Coldwater shrimp are Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified and because they are harvested and processed right here in New Brunswick, so you can feel good about the shrimp you’re eating.

While dreaming up recipes we can enjoy all summer long, I thought, it’s time to turn this New Brunswick seafood treat into a taco!

The best part?

You can pick up many of the ingredients needed for this recipe at your local Farmers’ Market! From fresh radish, cilantro, garlic, and red onion to the sour cream and even tortillas!

Ok, I lied. There is one more best part.

This recipe requires VERY LITTLE COOKING TIME!

New Brunswick Cold Water Shrimp is sold cooked, meaning you only have to heat it up and toss in the seasoning to serve. I’ve included a bunch of delicious garnish options from Mango Salsa (YUM!) to Spicy Lime Sour Cream and fresh market veggies such as radish and watermelon radish!

Are you ready to excite your taste buds? Let’s dive in!

East Coast Mermaid’s New Brunswick Shrimp Tacos

Recipe by Crystal RichardCourse: MainCuisine: SeafoodDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• Shrimp Tacos

• 2 cups of New Brunswick cold water shrimp (cooked)

• 4-6 Flour Tortillas

• Shrimp Seasoning

• Juice from 1/2 lime

• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

• Garnish

• 1 ripe avocado (optional)

• 5-6 radish, cut into coins (optional)

• 1 watermelon radish for shredding (option)

• Mango Salsa

• 1/2 cup of diced red onion

• 1/2 cup of diced mango

• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• Juice from 1/4 of a lime

• 1/4 of a Jalapēno diced, remove seeds

• Salt & Pepper to Taste

• Spicy Lime Sour Cream

• 1/2 cup of sour cream

• Juice from 1/2 of a lime

• 2-3 dashes of hot sauce (more if you like it really spicy!)

• 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic

Directions

• First up, you want to mix your Spicy Lime Sour Cream and let it sit so that the flavors take hold. Add the squeezed juice from 1/2 of a lime to 1/2 cup of sour cream. Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic (or one clove). Lastly, add a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Less or more depending on how spicy you like it!
• Next, prepare your Mango Salsa. I like to make it at least 1 hour before serving (if possible) to really let the flavors blend together. Mix all of your ingredients in a small bowl and set in the fridge to chill.
• Add your shrimp (I recommend 2-3 cups of shrimp, depending on how full you like your tacos) to a bowl and toss in the Shrimp Seasoning ingredients. Chill.
• Next, prep your garnish. In the Spring, we love bringing home a variety of radishes from the Farmers’ Market, so in this recipe I’ve included both regular radish that I clean and slice into coins, as well as watermelon radish, that I grate with a box grater to sprinkle on the tacos. If you love avocado, you’ll want to add some cubes of avocado to your tacos too!
• OPTIONAL. If you’re following this mermaid’s lead and adding both types of radish to your NB Shrimp Tacos, I HIGHLY recommend grilling your coined radish (not the watermelon radish) on the BBQ at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes in a cast iron. This REALLY brings out their flavor.
• The last step before heating up your shrimp, is to heat up your flour tortillas for serving. I like to add a little olive oil to a pan and quickly warm them on medium heat on the stove, but there’s also no need to heat them if you like them fresh out of the bag!
• Lastly, the star of the show – New Brunswick Cold Water Shrimp! Which you have likely been seasoning in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. The beauty of NB cold water shrimp is that they’re already cooked, so you will only need to heat it and toss it long enough to warm it up and sizzle in the seasonings. If it’s BBQ weather, throw them in a cast iron on the grill – I grilled mine on the BBQ after my radish were ready!
• Assemble, serve, fall in love! There’s no wrong way to put your taco together – just don’t forget to add a little bit of everything, including your grilled radish coins, shredded watermelon radish, avocado, mango salsa and of course, spicy lime sour cream! Enjoy!

Notes

• This recipe is perfect for two! If serving for more than two people, simply double the recipe as needed!

As always, I encourage you to grab as many of these ingredients as you can at your local Farmers’ Market. With summer coming, there will be plenty of delicious ingredients to add to the mix, including radish, cilantro, red onion, garlic and more!

Want to know where to find New Brunswick Cold Water Shrimp? Swim over to the Moncton Fish Market or your local IGA/COOP. I have on occasion spotted them at select Sobeys locations too!

And most importantly – ENJOY! Oh and sharing is caring – if you try this recipe, share with a friend and tag me on social media. I’d love to see your photos!