Starting the week off with tropical tacos! If you read yesterday’s favorites post you know my family is planning a trip to the Caribbean this summer. After thinking about that trip, I was inspired to make a fun tropical taco. Of course, they’d be even better if they were enjoyed on a tropical beach in ninety-plus-degree weather…a cool drink with an umbrella would be a great addition too! I still have a few months until that family trip, but until then, I’m making these tacos. They’re not as exciting as that vacation, but geez, they sure are good. And they’re the easiest to make too!
By looking at the ingredient list, these tacos might seem involved, but they could not be easier or quicker to make. They’re complete with spicy seasoned-up shrimp, the best roasted jalapeño pineapple salsa, and a creamy cooling cilantro lime garlic sauce too. There’s a lot happening, but I have a few tricks that keep these tacos quick and easy!
Here are the quick details
Start out with the shrimp. I love to roast the shrimp in the oven – so quick and mess free. The shrimp are tossed in a tropical spicy mix of chili powder, all-spice, ginger, thyme, and cayenne pepper. It’s very, very Caribbean-inspired. On the same pan as the shrimp, I also roast up the garlic for the garlic sauce, and the jalapeño for the salsa. Just throw everything into the oven and roast. The shrimp cooks in less than ten minutes, so these really do come together quickly. I love to give everything a little crispiness right before I pull the pan out of the oven. So for the last minute of cooking, I switch the oven to broil for that extra little touch. Just be sure to watch closely, broilers work quickly!
Now, that garlic sauce
For the garlic sauce, I grab those two roasted garlic cloves from the sheet pan and puree them with a little greek yogurt. I then add plenty of cilantro and green onions. It’s best to keep this sauce on the simpler, cool side since both the shrimp and the pineapple have a nice kick to them. This sauce provides the perfect balance.
And lastly, the salsa…my favorite
We all know how much I love a fruity salsa. I include them in most of my taco recipes and prefer them to a tomato-based salsa any day. But this roasted jalapeño pineapple salsa…it’s all done up. And it’s my favorite salsa yet. For one, the roasted jalapeño is a game-changer. It adds a smokiness to the sweet pineapple that’s so delicious. My next non-traditional secret? A squeeze of orange juice in addition to fresh lime juice. It carries out the tropical flavors and vibes and adds an extra special citrus essence to the salsa that’s addictingly good. I would eat this by the spoonful… But of course, it’s better when piled into these tacos. So layer up a little smashed avocado, creamy slaw, salsa, and shrimp then drizzle over that garlic sauce. Looks fancy and like these tacos took hours to prepare, but in reality, they take thirty minutes – tops. Got to love that, and what’s even better? They taste pretty darn amazing too. Perfect weeknight taco to keep dinner fresh and exciting! Looking for other tropical recipes? Here are a few… Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Pineapple Chili Sauce Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos Cilantro Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa Lastly, if you make these Sheet Pan Jalapeño Pineapple Shrimp Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
