Name: XO Shrimp and Cheese Toasty Tacos
Yield: Serves 4 (makes 8 tacos)
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 8 (6-inch) homemade flour tortillas, or half and half tortillas (pages 5), or store-bought flour tortillas; 2 tablespoons sour cream; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; Salt and pepper to taste; ½ teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano); 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped; 3 tablespoons XO sauce (see Taco Tips); 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about ½ cup); 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped; 8 ounces (2½ cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo; 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp, roughly chopped; 1½ tablespoons olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
4
(makes 8 tacos)

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Tacos A-Z

By Ivy Manning

Published 2023

About

The combo of shrimp, peppers, onions, and melted cheese in these tacos is inspired by tacos al gobernadora, a specialty of the western Mexican state of Sinaloa. To ramp up the sweet shrimp flavor, I add a thick condiment called XO sauce.

XO is an umami-packed ingredient invented in Hong Kong in the ’80s and includes ingredients like dried shrimp, scallops, and ham blended into a thick paste with aromatic shallots and chilies. XO adds heaps of flavor to everything it touches (