My Favorite Easy Seafood Tacos

Seafood and tacos! Two of my favorite things in life. These were inspired by a little local restaurant that has the best seafood tacos I’ve ever had. It’s a little authentic hole-in-the-wall place, but to be honest, those are always the best. Who agrees?

These tacos could not be any simpler. When you have beautiful seafood and fresh ingredients, you really don’t need much else. I made a simple spice mixture for the seafood, and then just cooked the shrimp and scallops in a skillet.

Oh and BUTTER. There’s only one tablespoon in the recipe, but it adds that little touch of richness that can’t be beat. You can’t replicate the flavor of what a litttttle bit of butter does to a dish.

I don’t use it often in my cooking, but in these instances, it is so very worth it.

The toppings here are just as simple as the tacos themselves. Shredded romaine, diced tomatoes, cotija cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and lime.

I seriously dream about the tacos at the little local restaurant near me. I’m so happy I re-created them so I can make them more often! More tacos (and any Mexican food in general) = happy Molly.

Do you have anything planned for Cinco de Mayo? If you don’t, these should definitely be a part of your dinner plans. They are SO quick. They literally take less than 30 minutes to make, so that means more time for margaritas. Am I right?!

Another thing I love doing is thinning out sour cream with a little whole milk and lime juice. Sometimes lime zest too. Totally optional, but I love it. That’s how I made it pourable!

I want these for dinner every day of my life.

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My Favorite Easy Seafood Tacos with Lime and Cotija

These are my favorite seafood tacos and they're SO easy to make! Shrimp and scallops get tossed in a simple spice rub, and then topped with lime and cotija!

Course Main Course, Seafood, Tacos

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 3

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used jumbo shrimp!)
• 1/2 pound scallops
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• juice of ½ a lime
• shredded romaine for serving
• crumbled cotija cheese, for serving
• 1-2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
• sour cream for serving
• chopped cilantro for serving
• lime wedges for serving
• your favorite tortillas

Instructions

1. Pat your shrimp and scallops dry with paper towels. Add to a medium bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, and salt until combined. Add spice mixture to the seafood and toss to coat.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive/avocado oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and scallops in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add the butter and lime juice and stir to combine.

3. Add the seafood to your favorite tortillas, and top with romaine, crumbled cotija, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime!

Recipe Notes

*I like to thin my sour cream out with a little whole milk or cream and lime juice. Sometimes I add a little lime zest and salt too! Totally optional, but delicious.