It may be both Cinco de Mayo & Taco Tuesday, but since I prefer fajitas to tacos, that’s what we are serving tonight! While tacos & fajitas have a lot in common, these two dishes are not the same. Both have meat inside a tortilla and toppings, but that’s where the similarities end.

Here’s a quick rundown of the differences. Tacos come to the table with the meat already in the tortilla and lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese as toppings to be added. Sour cream, salsa, jalapeno, and beans also make great taco toppings. In tacos, the vegetables are often raw, and chopped or sliced and used as a topping. The tortillas can be corn or flour, soft or hard. Tacos are easy & portable, like an appetizer.

Contrarily, fajitas are more of an event. Brought to the US from northern Mexico, the word fajita refers to the filling. When dining out at a restaurant, (which none of us can do right now!) the sizzling meat, cooked together with onions and peppers are brought to the table in a cast iron skillet and assembled in corn or flour tortillas. Many of the same toppings that are great on tacos work with fajitas, too.

Today’s post is a shrimp fajita with peppers and onions. Along with some sour cream and jalapeño slices, there is a mango coleslaw to accompany the dish. It is a wonderful addition to the fajitas, but not required to make this a great meal!

Shrimp Fajitas with Mango Slaw

Shrimp Fajitas with Mango Coleslaw (adapted from coastalliving.com) Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Mango Coleslaw

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups (12 ounces) shredded coleslaw mix
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (8-12 ounces) ripe mango, peeled and finely chopped

Shrimp Fajitas

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3/4 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 1/2 cups sliced red bell pepper
• 8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
• sour cream, jalapeño slices, and lime wedges for serving

How to Make It:

Make the Slaw: Whisk together the mayo, sugar, oil, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together the slaw dressing ingredients.

Add the coleslaw, cilantro, and mango. Toss well to coat.

Add the slaw ingredients.

Refrigerate the slaw until ready to serve the fajitas.

Refrigerate the slaw until needed

For the Fajitas: Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and red pepper in a medium bowl.

Mix together the seasonings for the shrimp.

Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

Add the shrimp to the seasonings.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Remove the shrimp from the skillet.

Cook the shrimp.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

Cook the onions.

Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until softened.

Add the peppers.

The onions & peppers cook quickly.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the shrimp, tossing to combine.

Add the shrimp to the veggies.

It’s ready!

Warm the tortillas by heating them in a hot skillet for 30 seconds a side, if desired.

Warm the tortillas.

Top the tortillas with the shrimp mixture, adding sour cream, and jalapeño slices, if desired.

Layer some sour cream on the tortilla then add the shrimp & veggies.

Serve the fajitas with lime wedges and Mango Coleslaw.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!  ~Linda

Shrimp Fajitas with Mango Coleslaw (adapted from coastalliving.com) Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Mango Coleslaw

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups (12 ounces) shredded coleslaw mix
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (8-12 ounces) ripe mango, peeled and finely chopped

Shrimp Fajitas

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3/4 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 1/2 cups sliced red bell pepper
• 8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
• sour cream, jalapeño slices, and lime wedges for serving

How to Make It:

Make the Slaw: Whisk together the mayo, sugar, oil, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl. Add the coleslaw, cilantro, and mango. Toss well to coat. Refrigerate the slaw until ready to serve the fajitas.

For the Fajitas: Combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and red pepper in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Remove the shrimp from the skillet.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until softened. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the shrimp, tossing to combine.

Warm the tortillas by heating them in a hot skillet for 30 seconds a side, if desired. Top the tortillas with the shrimp mixture, adding sour cream, and jalapeño slices, if desired. Serve the fajitas with lime wedges and Mango Coleslaw.