Jerk Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Melon Salsa.
Is there anything more constant in life than Mondays and tacos?
Nope. Not in mine. I can always count on both.
I sort of love it too. Not the Monday part so much – my entire life I’ve had a severe case of Sunday blues that rolls right into Monday, regardless of what my current occupation or life situation is – but Mondays usually result in excellent productivity which I then reward myself for with tacos.
Uh huh. It kinda works like that.
Mondays are by far my longest “work” day. While I always end up working on Fridays or Saturdays or Sundays, it may just be a few hours here or there, even half a day or something, but even if it’s a full day, it’s never REALLY a full day because I tend to start later or end earlier. I figure that Mondays are going to stink no matter what, so I try to cram in as much junk as I can. It also makes the time go fast and then BOOM! it’s Tuesday. And then boom! it’s Thursday and then Sunday and the cycle starts all over again. Busy Mondays just make me feel good.
I’m glad I just wrote a paragraph about that.
So jerk tacos.
The thing about jerk seasoning is that it’s never been my favorite. I’m sure it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that I prefer semi-artificial flavors a little more – things like buffalo and BBQ – made as unartificially homemade as I can manage – and what not. But – when I do have it? I really enjoy it because it is such a welcomed, unexpected chance of pace. As goofy as it sounds, it hits my palette in a completely different way than the majority of foods I eat weekly. And I am so not that sophisticated.
Being that I worship at the altar of fruit salsa, it’s nearly impossible for me to make a taco or eat a tortilla chip without having some sort piled on top. I used my first cantaloupe of the year to make this salsa – after I ate the other half directly from the rind with a spoon. While I sat on the couch and watched Fashion Police.
On a Friday night.
Wild life. I was also wearing extreme neon (my husband said I looked like I walked right out go 1987) and, wellā¦ I can’t even imagine what Joan Rivers would say about my not-so-hot messiness.
Anyway though: the fruit salsa. Since the jerk seasoning has a lot more spice than most flavors I use on my normal everyday tacos (yeah that’s a thing), I wanted something extra cooling. I do not discriminate when it comes to specific fruit in my salsa and while I often choose berries or something, I stared at the remaining cantaloupe wedge in the fridge and thought it would be perfectly cooling.
It totally was.
And it is really amazing that all it took to make me like Mondays… was a big, fat taco.
Jerk Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Melon Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw peeled + deveined shrimp, I like the large grill shrimp
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- corn or flour tortillas
- crumbled queso fresca cheese
salsa
- 1 cup chopped cantaloupe
- 1 jalapeƱo pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup freshly torn cilantro
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- About 1 hour before serving, whisk together all of the spices (the mixed onion through the salt) in a bowl. Add the shrimp to a large ziplock bag or baking dish, then toss with olive oil and lime juice. Coat the shrimp with the jerk seasoning then marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- While the shrimp is marinating, combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl, seasoning with the salt. Toss well and let sit until ready to eat.
- After 30 minutes, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Add the shrimp (I did not add any remaining marinade that was in the bag) and cook until it is pink and opaque on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Warm tortillas if desired, then assemble tacos (or even nachos!) with shrimp, salsa and crumble queso fresco cheese.
Notes
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Oh and a bigger, fatter margarita.
69 Comments on “Jerk Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Melon Salsa.”
Love jerk seasoning, especially on shrimp. Interesting mix with the cantalope salsa mix.
You inspired me to make tacos tonight for Bachelorette with my friends. Excited to make them.
xo Quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
You come up with the best fruit salsa recipes and ideas! I bet it’s such a perfect pairing and complements the jerk seasoning beautifully!
You have made me LOVE fruit salsa and now I am turning everything into fruit salsa! I just made tacos with a fruit salsa that I am sure you would love (almost posted them today, but decided n next week)!
This melon salsa sounds awesome and so does the spicy jerk shrimp!
I love fruit salsa! One of my favorites! Your tacos look delish! Now I think I want to make tacos tonight! Yummy!!
While i love jerk, you gotta have scotch bonnet pepper in this mix! i can so down one of these with some dark rum.
Oh yes, sign me up! Lately I’d have to say I agree with you on the whole Mondays thing. The more I can cram in to make the time fly by, the better! Except today, maybe I’ll just dream away the hours thinking about making these tacos tonight…. ;) #foodbloggerproblems
Mondays are always my favorite because my husband goes back to work and when it’s not summer, my kid goes to school! ahhh, it’s like I can breathe again. ;)
Tacos are always my favorite. Especially if they include shrimp!
Oh my… i have had tacos on my brain A LOT this last week. Mainly, I’ve been craving margaritas and, therefore, tacos. Because they go hand and hand. Right?
duh!
I’m not super big on seafood, but your photos are gorgeous and these tacos look amazing!
thank you!
I know one human and one golden retriever (love this breed) with the name of Taco. Crazy? Noooo, not at all.
I lurve cantaloupe spy his would be perfect. My husband hates cantaloupe, so I say again, this would be perfect because I can have it all to myself. Yesssss
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a fruit salsa and I’ve never aquired a taste for cantaloupe, but I’d bet that a mango would work fabulously with this salsa recipe. YUM!
I only recently started getting super into fruit salsa on tacos. Growing up in San Antonio made me a pico purist when it comes to taco toppings, and could take or leave fruity salsas. BUT I had this fried oyster taco with mango salsa a couple months ago, and it’s turned me into a fruit salsa freak. Yours sounds SO good – must try soon!
Oh! And I made the crockpot chicken cheesesteaks last night… amazinggggg!
There is no way cantaloupe would ever make it into salsa around here. They’re gone waaaay too fast, and obviously eaten by cutting in half and going to town. But if I ever have cantaloupe lingering around I’ll definitely give it a go. ;)
I love fruit salsas, but almost never make them. This needs to change. Also, even though I work from home these days, I still think Mondays are the worst. I always say they are the saddest day of the week.
You’re TOTALLY right about Mondays. That whole paragraph. I’d like them better if these were waiting at home for me!!
That spicy jerk shrimp with that cool, melon salsa sounds like a match made in heaven. Tacos are such a perfect dinner during the summer months, especially. This sounds great!
I secretly love Mondays too – especially when tacos are involved!
These look really yummy. I love the idea of adding cantaloupe to a fruit salsa. It seems kinda mildly sweet – not as overpowering as mango or pineapple. Must try!
ohmagosh i love fruit salsa!! these look so perfect!!
This sounds delicious! I love cooking with shrimp. It’s so versatile!
College was all about taco Tuesdays… but Monday totally works too.
Sometimes you make me sad because your food looks so good and the other night for dinner I had leftover beans and rice from Chevy’s (it’s an awesome TexMex chain only in California, apparently) and some Salsa Verde Doritos. Don’t get me wrong, it was pretty amazing… but it wasn’t these tacos.
*le sigh*
You talk my language on a regular basis. Can you just come to my house and cook for me all the time?!
I’m a huge fan of tacos! Love the sound of these!
I’ve found myself recently unemployed and find that Monday’s are my busiest days of the week too!! My to do list is huge and I get so much done! Now I want tacos, but I’m without tortillas… Nuts.
I have been dying for a margarita lately. So to make it a little less housewife drunk before dinner again — I think I should make these tacos to go with it. ;)
Jerk Seasoning is one of my husband’s favorites. I’ll have to give this blend a try! I love fruit salsas too. My current obsession is strawberry salsa – perfect for right now when they’re flooding the markets. Thanks for the inspiration!
I like it when you jerk me around.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Oh.
loooove taco’s, almost as much as I love pizza. You can put so much stuff in them
loooove tacos, almost as much as I love pizza. You can put so much stuff in them
Mmm :) this salsa sounds fantastic and these tacos look amazing!
melon salsa! oh heavens that sounds amazing.
Looks like I found the prefect entree for Margarita Monday’s in New Haven. This looks divine!
I love jerk seasoning!! This sounds sooo great!
I’m loving these tacos! I need them in my life on Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and basically every day of the week!
I love shrimp tacos. They’re food I could eat every day. But I’ve never tried melon salsa before, and now it’s something I’m excited to try at home. Thanks for this.
wow I need to do that cantaloupe salsa ASAP!! Looks irresistible!
I love this…my boyfriend and I just made shrimp tacos last night. The best part is having an excuse to have a margarita on a Monday.
Need these in my life :)
Hey mon. These look killer. Or at least that’s what my son would say!
cantaloupe gosh what a great idea…so happy you thought of it….i would love the fruit combo with the jerk…as jerk isn’t my favorite seasoning either but it sure is my hubby.
How funny! We had Monday Taco Night as well but this is a new one. It’s a must try. Thanks for sharing from 3girls1apple.com
they’re using your pics!
congratulations for your recipes!
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These were AMAZING! Normally I save cooking meals like this for the weekend, but as soon as I read this yesterday morning I knew what we were having for dinner! Changed the melon for mango as we had one in the house and we both stuffed ourselves silly! Love reading your blog and your ideas – keep all the yumminess coming!
These look so good. Luckily I have some shrimp in the freezer waiting for a recipe!
What did you shoot these on? I love it!
just a random piece of tile from lowe’s. :)
These were so good, such a nice change up from the normal flavor profiles I am cooking. The shrimp were amazing, and I couldn’t rave enough about how good the fruit salsa is.. i love it!!! Thanks!
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