Beer Battered Shrimp

Beer battered shrimp! Can’t visit Baja? Bring a little bit of Baja to your kitchen with this recipe for beer battered shrimp tacos! I am no authority on Baja style food, that’s for sure. But, I do know what I like! In the past, I have struggled with getting the beer batter just right. After some trial and error and lots of testing, I am happy with this recipe.

Trouble Shooting and Testing Recipes!

I have lost count on how many times I have prepared recipes using some form of batter for frying. Not always successful, this is why it’s called testing, lol! It sometimes feels like the story of Goldilocks. This porridge is too cold, this one is too hot! Oh, but this one is just right! That’s how it feels when you finally get the recipe just the way you like it. I’m a curious cook and constantly thinking of variations of recipes in my head. Always trying to improve upon techniques and cooking methods so the recipes flow and are not too intimidating.

The Biggest Hurdle Was Achieving A Crunchy Batter!

Two very important things I learned along the way were key! The first was not to over mix the batter. The more you mix, the more gluten is developing! You don’t want that! It will yield a gummy batter that will absorb more oil and not be crispy. The second thing was that the beer should be very cold when you prepare the batter. I would suggest having everything ready to go before you prepare your batter. The oil should be hot, shrimp should be seasoned and ready. The secret is to go from very cold to very hot to achieve the crunch! It’s a reaction!

Red Argentine Shrimp!

I really enjoy preparing recipes with this shrimp! Even when it’s uncooked, it’s red! Looks cooked, but it’s not. Of course covering it with batter doesn’t allow you to see the beautiful red color once it’s cooked. I have another recipe I am currently working on that will be colorful and tasty as well! The red Argentine shrimp is readily available in most large markets. Regular shrimp will be fine too, of course.

Is Frozen Shrimp Good For Your Recipes?

I get this type of question all of the time. I use frozen shrimp in all of my recipes. If I lived in a city that had fresh, fresh shrimp, I would opt for fresh not frozen. But that’s not the case. When I go to my local grocery store, I really have no idea how long the shrimp at the seafood counter has been sitting in there. If you can’t wait for the shrimp to defrost and need it in a hurry, then buy it at the seafood counter. I typically am not in a hurry or plan a day ahead and let it defrost in the refrigerator. I confess that fresh shrimp makes the best ceviche and aguachile, but I do use frozen shrimp as well. It’s really up to you and what you like.

Get creative with your favorite spices!

If you are not in a hurry, you can cover and refrigerate the batter for a few hours until you are ready to use it.

I enjoy this quick and simple cabbage slaw for seafood tacos!

I typically will use chipotles in adobo in the crema, but I had my Salsa Ranchera leftover and decided to use that! It was delicious!

Drop It Like It’s Hot! Lol!

I cannot stress enough that the oil has to be at the perfect temperature for frying or else that batter is going to absorb oil. That would not be good at all! Drop in a small spoonful of batter to test the oil’s temperature. It should sizzle loud and fast!

Taqueria Style Corn Tortillas!

I purposely use small 3 inch tortillas so I can enjoy 3 tacos instead of two! Lol! Even though it’s the same quantity if I were eating two larger tortillas. I am kind of crazy like that!