Habanero Butter Shrimp Tacos

I’m going to let you in on a little secret; well, it’s really not much of a secret, because anyone who has had the GREAT pleasure of me cooking for them, knows I make THE BEST tacos and these Habanero Butter Shrimp Tacos are no different. I make tacos at least once a week in my house, and now I’ve added making chicken wings once a week too, now that I tackled how to make perfectly crispy wings in your oven. Bye-bye bikini body, hello sweatshirts and baggy pants. Not only are tacos and wings my FAVORITE things in the world, but both this recipe and my Crispy Baked Wings recipe contain a seriously spicy kick from the addition of a few spices from Sonoran Spice. 

Why I Chose Habanero Flakes in this Recipe

My wings contained their Carolina Reaper powder, but I decided to tone it back a bit and use their habanero flakes for these tacos.

Don’t let these innocent looking flakes fool you. They may look like average old red pepper flakes, but they’ll have you feeling like you just French kissed a fire breathing dragon (if that makes any sense at all).  The main reason why I love using them is that you get all the habanero flavor, without having to worry about the hassle of mincing up fresh habaneros; because why is it that every single time I touch fresh habaneros, I rub my eyes?! Not once. Not twice. More like THREE times until I literally lose all feeling on the upper portion of my face.

The Tortillas

I think the most important element to a good taco, is the tortilla, which is oftentimes neglected. I actually use raw corn tortillas that I find in the refrigerated section of my grocery store. I can usually find them near the cheese or next to the pie crust and cookie doughs.

Life-changing.

It really does make all the difference! They are super pliable, which is important. Nothing worse than picking up a taco and having the whole thing fall apart!

Depressing.

Next, you need to get a little char on the outside of those bad boys. THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL to making the best tacos! Ok, I have a confession, sometimes I even tell people that I made the tortillas myself… which isn’t 100% untrue! Only halfway a lie… which makes it halfway ok… because in my defense, I DID have to cook them myself. right?

The Toppings

Let’s talk about the toppings– when there’s seafood in a taco, there needs to be cabbage. I finely sliced mine using a mandolin which helps get it paper-thin. I also made a super easy pico de gallo, then finished the tacos off with lots of fresh lime, sliced avocados, and crema to help cool off your little taste buds. If you can’t find crema, you can just thin out some sour cream with a little milk or lime juice.

The Little Guys – Shrimp

Now for the shrimp–The first time I made these, I couldn’t really see the pepper flakes on the shrimp, so I doubled the amount.

Good lord.

I LIKE spicy food, but even these were a little too spicy! Even with that being said, out of the four tacos I made, I still ate all four. #NoRegrets

Putting it All Together

Now for the fun part! The assembly process…

Actually, I take back what I just said. NOW for the fun part. Devouring these incredibly delicious Habanero Shrimp Buttery Tacos!

Oh, and DO NOT forget to spoon over some of that extra melted butter that’s hanging out in the pan. That’s the best part!

It’s now 11:30 pm and I’m thinking I need to remake these right NOW.

Great Leftover Idea!

Habanero Butter Shrimp Tacos Leftovers?
This photo won’t win a beauty contest since I just threw everything together, not expecting to be photographing it, but since it’s just me and my son, I only assembled four tacos and used the rest of the filling ingredients to make a few salads for the week. That’s one of the reasons why I love making tacos because I can prep a whole lot of filling and use it for tons of different meals throughout the week; burrito bowls, quesadillas, salads, even pasta!

Learn More About Habanero Peppers

Want to learn more about habanero peppers including where they come from, their appearance, Scoville Heat Units, how to grow habaneros, and their health benefits? Then check out our new guide Habanero Pepper | Breaking Down the Popular Pepper with Extreme Heat. It is the ultimate guide to all things habanero.