I do love football season and all the delicious home-gating dishes I create. This season I decided to up my game with a Restaurant-Style Blackened Shrimp Nachos.
And since my wife’s not a big fan of tortilla chips I also made a Blackened Shrimp Salad with a side a chips, hoping I could tempt her to try them.
As a chef, I’ve always loved shrimp and loved working with shrimp in my dishes like my shrimp cocktail recipe. I almost feel like Bubba from Forrest Gump when I start talking about all the different ways I can serve shrimp.
And blackening my favorite gulf shrimp adds another level of deliciousness to those sweet treats from the gulf.
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Blackened Shimp Nachos. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
In my quest to use better ingredients, I opted for Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips. Feel free to use the chips of your choice.
Do I have to use peppers in my nachos?
No, you don’t. These are your nachos and you can make them how you want them.
I’m not as big a fan of heat, so plain jalapenos don’t always thrill me. But pickled jalapenos can be a nice addition.
What else can I add to my Blackened Shrimp Nachos?
One of my friends likes to add a cheese sauce to the nachos, making them even more ooey, gooey and delicious.
If you really want to up your game add some crumbled cooked chorizo sausage before you melt the cheese. Giving us a surf and turf version of my nachos.
And if you a fan of sour cream, don’t hold back. It’s all good!
My Blackened Shrimp Nachos came out of the oven looking OMG delicious and it was all I could do to restrain myself long enough to take the pictures.
Do I have to make the shrimp blackened?
No, you don’t. You can saute them in whatever seasoning you like. Perhaps a little old bay, or cook them in a light garlic aioli.
How do I make Blackened Seasonings?
It’s easy to make you own cajun seasoning for blackening meats and seafood. These simple eight spices are what I use to make my cajun seasoning blend.
- Sweet Hungarian paprika
- Table salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
When you want to change up the flavors try using Smoked Paprika instead of regular paprika. Cumin also makes a nice addition to the flavor.
For more heat increase the chili powder to perk up the dish.
If you like a little sweetness add a teaspoon of brown sugar to the mix.
There are lots of different flavor combinations you can come up with using the spices you have on hand.
Can I use the blackened seasoning with other seafood?
Yes, you can. It would be good on just about any type of fish, scallops or even lobster. You can even use the seasoning with chicken or tofu.
Another way to enjoy this deliciousness is in a Blackened Shrimp Taco Salad. You’re using the same basic ingredients, just not melting the cheese.
My wife wanted a salad instead of the nachos. I did sneak some chips on her plate, but they were still there when she was done eating.
It’s easy to customize the salad with the ingredients you enjoy. It would also make a nice DIY salad bar for game day.
And if you’re just looking for a lighter snack, make up a batch of guacamole and salsa fresca, and enjoy your chips in style!
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Blackened Shrimp Nachos
Ingredients
Blackened Seasoning
- 11/2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Blackened Shrimp Nachos
- ½ lb shrimp peeled and deveined with the tails removed
- 3-4 mini sweet peppers
- 1 tablespoon blackened seasoning (see recipe above)
- 1 cup cheddar or Monterrey Jack shredded
- 1 jalapeño pepper thinly sliced (or you can substitute jarred jalapenos if you can’t find fresh ones)
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 cups Mission Organics® Tortilla Chips (about half a bag)
Salsa Fresca
- 1 medium tomato diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 1 teaspoon cilantro finely minced
- juice from one lime (more or less to your tastes)
- sea salt to taste
Guacamole
- 2 Hass Avocado ripe
- ¼ cup tomato diced
- 1 teaspoon cilantro finely chopped
- juice from one lime (more or less to your tastes)
- jalapeno or hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 while you gather your ingredients
- Season shrimp with blackening spices using as much or as little as you prefer.
- Heat up a cooking pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and quickly sear them on both sides until just done. Take shrimp out of the pan and set aside. *You can also bake the shrimp in the oven or grill them.
- Place the tortilla chips onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The paper will help you transfer the completed nachos to a serving dish.
- Place the shrimp onto the chips, then add the sweet peppers.
- Add the shredded cheddar to the nachos, evenly distributing the cheese. *use more cheese than you think you need. As it melts it won’t look to be as much as you imagined.
- Sprinkle cilantro over the cheese, then add sliced jalapenos if you want a little extra heat.
- place sheet into preheated oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted.
Salsa
- In a mixing bowl add diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season with sea salt to taste. * If you like heat feel free to add some diced jalapeno or hot sauce.
Guacamole
- Mash avocado with a potato masher or fork until you have the desired texture.
- Add the diced tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with sea salt to taste. *If you like heat feel free to add some diced jalapeno
Nutrition
Rachael
These are so flavorful! I love anything nachos and these are perfect for a simple, flavorful dinner or appetizer!
Lesli Schwartz
Blackened shrimp nachos just raised the nacho level up several notches! Love this recipe! I also am a huge fan of blue corn tortillas. Yay, and YUM!
Nyxie
SOunds amazing! I’ve never had anything like this before! I’d definitly love to try it.
Beth
We were just talking about having shrimp next weekend, now I know which recipe to use. They look delicious!
sara lafountain
These nachos look so delicious. You are using my absolute favorite tortilla chips too!
Lois
These nachos and salad should be called heavenly. All of these ingredients are very nutritious.
Stine Mari
I wold definitely eat your wife’s nacho chips as well. The more the merrier in my book! This looks fantastic, I love the blackened seasoning blend.
Kathy
Wow, these look amazing. I love how colorful it is too. I can’t wait to make it. I bet they’re going to be so good.
Farrah Less
I live in SoCal and we have plenty of authentic Mexican cuisine. Looking at your photos for this recipe makes me think it was one of those dishes serve in our local restaurant 🙂
Lynndee
I have never tried using a blackened seasoning before. But I do love shrimp. Going to save your recipe.
Tasheena
I wish I had everything to make this recipe right now. I know my family would love this recipe.
Sarah James
How delicious, I love the spices you’ve used. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer Van Haitsma
I never would have thought to try this! But I am a huge shrimp fan, so this looks amazing.
Catalina
This sounds like a perfect snack or appetizer! It’s easy to make and so delicious! Yummy!
Leslie
You used my favorite chips for this nacho recipe! YUM!!!