WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: We wanted a fresh-tasting, easy-to-make taco featuring grilled Mexican-spiced shrimp. But delicate shrimp can turn from tender to rubbery in the blink of an eye—especially when grilled. Although their shells can shield them from the heat, any seasonings are stripped off along with the shells when it’s time to eat. We decided to go with peeled shrimp, and coated them with an ultraflavorful spice rub. We crammed several extra-large shrimp together on each skewer, which protected them from overcooking. For a lively slaw to accompany our spicy shrimp, we started by thinly slicing delicately flavored and crunchy jícama, and tossed it with tangy orange juice, bold red onion, and bright cilantro leaves. You will need four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. To cut the jícama, use the shredding disk of a food processor, a V-slicer, or a sharp chef’s knife. Serve with chopped onion, diced avocado, and thinly sliced radishes.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt
• 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup Mexican crema
• Lime wedges
• 1 pound jícama, peeled and cut into 3-inch-long matchsticks
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus ⅓ cup juice
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine jícama, orange zest and juice, onion, cilantro, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Whisk oil, oregano, chile powder, garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt together in a large bowl.
3. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, add to spice mixture, and toss to coat.
4. Thread shrimp onto four 12-inch metal skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails.
5. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
6. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
7. Clean and oil cooking grate.
8. Place shrimp on grill and cook (covered if using gas) until lightly charred on the first side, about 4 minutes.
9. Flip shrimp, pushing them together on skewer if they separate, and cook until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes.
10. Transfer shrimp to a platter and cover with aluminum foil.
11. Working in batches, grill tortillas, turning as needed, until warm and soft, about 30 seconds; wrap tightly in foil to keep soft.
12. Slide shrimp off skewers onto a cutting board and cut into ½-inch pieces.
13. Serve with tortillas, jícama slaw, crema, and lime wedges.