With crisp, wasabi battered shrimp, spicy mango, avocado and cucumber salsa, and tangy sriracha mayo this Crispy Wasabi Fried Shrimp Tacos recipe is a sushi-inspired treat wrapped up in a fun little taco!
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Easy, sushi-inspired Crispy Wasabi Fried Shrimp Tacos!
If you love sushi and tacos as much as me, you're going to love this Crispy Wasabi Fried Shrimp Tacos recipe! They've got all the great flavor of your favorite tempura shrimp sushi roll, all nestled into a quick and delicious taco.
These crispy shrimp tacos have it all! The combo of the wasabi-battered shrimp, citrusy avocado and cucumber salsa and the sweet and spicy sauces make these delectable tacos hard to resist. And with a quick and easy batter and fry, you'll be in taco heaven in no time.
The batter uses ground wasabi peas as well as wasabi paste for a tempura batter with a little kick!
Ingredients
For the Crispy Shrimp Tacos
- Medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined.
- 1 cup lettuce or mixed greens. You can use any lettuce you like, and layer it on the taco for a little crunch and freshness.
- Small tortillas (corn or flour). I like to quickly char mine on the stove top right on the burner just before serving!
- Canola oil, (or another neutral oil such as vegetable oil) for frying.
- Lime wedges, for serving.
Wasabi Batter for Shrimp
- Cornstarch.
- Wasabi peas, finely ground. You can grind them in a spice grinder, or in a food processor. The spice grinder gets them pulverized into a fine dust, and is my preferred method. This is the spice grinder I use.
- Prepared wasabi paste, for a little extra kick! (If you would prefer less spicy batter, you can just use the wasabi peas.
- 1 cup plain sparkling water/club soda. For best results and crisp, light batter, make sure it's COLD.
Sriracha Mayo
- Mayonnaise.
- Sriracha sauce.
- Rice vinegar.
Avocado Cucumber Salsa
- A medium ripe avocado, cut into cubes.
- Finely chopped cucumber.
- Lime zest and juice.
- A ripe mango.
- Finely diced jalapeno, seeds removed.
- A pinch of salt.
How to make Crispy Shrimp Tacos
This fun twist on a classic shrimp taco recipe combines wasabi tempura fried shrimp with a spicy mango and avocado salsa and spicy mayo sauce. Here's how to make 'em:
1. Make the salsa by combing the avocado, mango, cucumber, jalapeño, salt and lime zest and juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Make the Sriracha Mayo by whisking together the mayonnaise, sriracha and rice vinegar in a small bowl until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. Fry the shrimp. Set a cooling rack over a sheet pan near your work station. Heat about 1” of oil in a large, deep frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until shimmering and hot. To check if oil is ready, drop a small about of batter into the hot oil. If it floats right to to the top, the oil is ready.
4. Once your oil is ready, dip each of the shrimp into the batter, then immediately drop into the hot oil. Fry shrimp (in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan) over medium-high heat, flipping once, about 1-2 minute per side, until just crisp and lightly browned. Remove shrimp and drain on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan (alternatively, you could drain on paper towels).
Making the wasabi batter for the shrimp
The batter for the Wasabi Shrimp Sushi Tacos is super simple, and utilizes finely ground wasabi peas for added texture and flavor. Simply grind up some wasabi peas, mix them with a bit of cornstarch and sparkling water and voila, your batter is ready to go.
You can use a spice grinder or a food processor. The spice/coffee grinder is super easy and I highly recommend getting yourself one if you don't already have one. You can use it to grind up fresh coffee beans and spice blends on the fly, and it's compact and easy to clean. This is the one I use all the time and I love it!
Serving the tacos
I like to use white corn tortillas, and char them over an open flame on the stove top on both sides, but you can use warmed tortillas or flour tortillas as well. Layer the tacos with lettuce or greens, shrimp, sriracha mayo, and salsa.
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Crispy Wasabi Fried Shrimp Tacos with Sriracha Mayo Sauce
Equipment
- spice grinder or food processor
- cooling rack and sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup lettuce or mixed greens
- small tortillas (corn or flour)
- canola oil, for frying*
- lime wedges, for serving
Wasabi Batter for Shrimp
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup wasabi peas, finely ground*
- 2 teaspoon prepared wasabi paste
- 1 cup plain sparkling water /club soda (cold)
Sriracha Mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoon sriracha
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
Avocado Cucumber Salsa
- 1 medium avocado, cut into small cubes
- ⅓ cup finely chopped cucumber
- the juice and zest of one small lime
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 1 teaspoon finely diced jalapeno, seeds removed
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the salsa by combing the avocado, mango, cucumber, jalapeño, salt and lime zest and juice in a small bowl. Set aside. 2. Make the Sriracha Mayo by whisking together the mayonnaise, sriracha and rice vinegar in a small bowl until smooth. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. 3. Make the batter for the shrimp. In a spice grinder or food processor, grind the wasabi peas until finely ground into a powder, and no large pieces remain. 4. Add to ground wasabi peas to a bowl with the cornstarch. Whisk to combine. Add cold sparkling water and wasabi paste and whisk until a cohesive batter forms. Keep cold and use immediately. 5. Fry the shrimp. Set a cooling rack over a sheet pan near your work station. Heat about 1” of oil in a large, deep frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes, until shimmering and hot. To check if oil is ready, drop a small about of batter into the hot oil. If it floats right to to the top, the oil is ready. 6. Once your oil is ready, dip each of the shrimp into the batter, then immediately drop into the hot oil. Fry shrimp (in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan) over medium-high heat, flipping once, about 1-2 minute per side, until just crisp and lightly browned. Remove shrimp and drain on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. 7. Serve the tacos. I like to use white corn tortillas, and char them over an open flame on the stove top on both sides, but you can use warmed tortillas or flour tortillas as well. Layer the tacos with lettuce or greens, shrimp, sriracha mayo, and salsa. -----*Notes/Substitutions: I fry my shrimp in canola oil, but any neutral oil with a high smoke point is fine for this recipe. White corn or flour tortillas in a small/street taco size are recommended for this recipe. I like to add a little dollop of sweet chili sauce to my tacos. Maggi is my favorite. I feel it is easiest to grind the wasabi peas in a spice grinder, like this one that I own and love. BUT- you can also use a food processor, it just may take a bit longer to get them finely ground. You want them pulverized so they blend seamlessly into the batter with the cornstarch.
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