Shrimp Nachos – A Cooking Couple

These shrimp nachos are bursting with flavor, starring juicy seafood and a confetti of toppings! They are a fun appetizer or a simple dinner.

It’s hard to find someone who would turn down nachos, and here’s a fun variation featuring our favorite seafood: Shrimp Nachos! We’re big fans of this succulent seafood, and it makes the best fun appetizer or simple dinner atop crispy tortilla chips with a confetti of colorful toppings. You don’t even need to cook the shrimp separately on the stovetop – just toss them on top of the fries and bake! We love these for dinner with a nice margarita, and our son gobbles them down, too.

Table of Contents

Ingredients in shrimp nachos

Nachos are always a hit, so if you’re a fan of shrimp, they’re even better with seasoned juicy shrimp! Just like nachos in a skillet, you can toss everything on a baking sheet, then add toppings once the shrimp is cooked through. The best part of all is the ingredients of course! But this is what you will need for the base recipe:

medium shrimp
Olive oil
Cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt
Refried beans
pico de gallo
Corn fritters
Mexican blend or Colby Jack cheese

The best fries to use in nachos

You can of course use any type of fries you like for these shrimp nachos! But we have found that there are a few things to keep in mind to have the best experience:

Avoid very fine chips. These get soft and tend to break when loaded with nacho toppings.
Look for organic chips with a short list of ingredients. Get organic corn chips that have only 3 ingredients: corn, oil, and salt! Check the back of the package.

Tips for Buying Shrimp

There is also a lot of variation when it comes to buying shrimp for this recipe! There are many different sizes and types of shrimp that you can buy at the store. This is what we recommend here:

medium shrimp: Medium shrimp are our favorite size for a dish like this, although you can also use small shrimp if you prefer. The medium is labeled 41 to 50 counts (the number of shrimp per pound).
Caught in the wild: Wild-caught fish in your country is often a sustainable option. There are also quality options on well-regulated farms; see the Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
Peeled and deveined: The shrimp tail looks good, but it’s too tough to eat for nachos. Use fully peeled shrimp for the best experience.
Fresh or frozen: Frozen shrimp can have the same quality as fresh ones if they are frozen as soon as they are caught. Be sure to defrost the shrimp before you start!

Shrimp nachos toppings

The best part about shrimp nachos? The tasty toppings! You can make or break your nachos with the ingredients of your choice. They have to add great flavor but also have a variety of colors and textures! This is what we think they are absolutely

Rooster’s Peak: use store-bought sauce or substitute.
Corn: canned corn adds sweet hints of flavor.
Red onion: we like the purple color it gives the mix.
Green onions: onion flavor and bright green color are essential.
Black olives: They’re optional, but give off a fun Tex Mex vibe.
Sour cream: Sour cream is an absolute must! Serve on the side if you are serving a crowd. For vegans and dairy free, use cashew cream.
cilantro: You can go either way, but we’re cilantro people here.
Chili Peppers: Add pickled jalapenos if you prefer a spicy heat!
Guacamole: Serve on the side for dipping, or spread it all over the pan.

Ways to serve them

We like to serve these shrimp nachos as a simple dinner recipe, alongside a tasty margarita recipe or a Mexican-style green salad. But they also work as a fun snack! The tricky part about serving nachos as part of an appetizer spread is that they soften over time. We suggest serving them as fresh from the oven as possible. They are ideal as a starter for a dinner for 4 to 6 people, but may not be suitable for an appetizer table where they will sit for hours.

More shrimp recipes

These shrimp nachos are a fun way to eat this succulent seafood! Here are some great shrimp recipes that we love:

This shrimp nachos recipe is…

Gluten free and pescatarian.

Description

These shrimp nachos are bursting with flavor, starring juicy seafood and a confetti of toppings! They are a fun appetizer or a simple dinner.

for the shrimp

1 pound medium shrimp, deveined (tail on or peeled, wild caught if possible)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp each cumin and smoked paprika
½ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt

for the nachos

fifteen-a can of refried beans
1 cup salsa or pico de gallo, divided
6 ounces organic corn chips (approximately 1 frying pan)
2 cups Shredded Colby Jack or Mexican cheese blend (or vegan cheese for dairy-free nachos)
¼ cup canned corn, drained
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 a handful of sliced black olives (optional)
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced or ¼ cup pickled jalapenos
Sour cream, to decorate (optional)
Guacamole, to decorate (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil and seasonings.
Mix the refried beans with ½ cup of the pico de gallo. Taste and add a few pinches of kosher salt if you like.
Line a standard size baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the fries in a single layer on top (to avoid soggy fries, you can also pre-bake them for about 3 minutes until toasty and fragrant). Add a sprinkle of cheese (this also helps keep them less soggy). Then add a layer of beans, then the remaining cheese. Top with the seasoned raw shrimp, spread evenly over the fries. Bake 5 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and shrimp are opaque and cooked through, then remove from oven (or until internal temperature of shrimp is 120°F as measured with a food thermometer).
Top the nachos with the remaining ½ cup of the pico de gallo, then add the corn, red onion, green onion, cilantro, black olives, and jalapeños. Top with sour cream and guacamole and serve.

Category: Appetizer or Main Course
Method: Baked
Kitchen: from Texas and Mexico
Diet: Without gluten