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Rubio’s Grilled Gourmet Shrimp Tacos Recipe (Copycat)

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Well hello my taco fans! If you’ve never had the opportunity to try a Rubio’s Gourmet shrimp taco, you can thank me later for this amazing copycat recipe.


These tacos are loaded with marinated shrimp, crumbled bacon, avocado, chopped onion, cilantro, and a creamy chipotle sauce, folded into a toasted cheese corn tortilla. Super yummy!

Rubio’s Grilled Gourmet Shrimp Tacos

There are 2 soft tortilla shells sitting in a stainless steel taco stand. The tortilla shells are filled with grilled shrimp, chunks of avocado, pieces of cooked bacon, chopped white onion, green chopped cilantro and a light orange sauce in them. Taco tray is sitting on a white and black terrazzo surface.

Fun Facts:

  • Rubio’s restaurants opened their first walk-up taco stand in Mission Bay, SanDiego in 1983. Rubio’s food is craft made with Baja California inspired flavors, innovative recipes, and sustainably sourced seafood.
  • Rubio’s is home of the Original Fish Taco and has grown to having 160 locations in three states, California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Ingredients

There is a white bowl with raw shrimp, a white bowl with shredded yellow cheese in it. a white bowl with cooked crumbled bacon in it. There is an avocado, onion, lime and a bundle of fresh cilantro. There is a white plate with corn tortillas on it. there is a wooden scoop with ground pepper and garlic powder in it. There is a wood vessel with three cups in it with red ground powder in the cups. There is a wood bowl with salt in it. All items are on a white and black terrazzo surface.

What You Will Need

  • Vegetable oil
  • Cooked crumbled bacon
  • Ground black pepper
  • Garlic powder or minced garlic cloves
  • Chili powder
  • Sweet paprika
  • Pinch of salt
  • Lime juice
  • Small onion
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Finely shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • Corn tortillas
  • Buttery Hass avocado slices
  • Lime slices or wedges

Optional Toppings

  • Creamy chipotle sauce (see recipe below)
  • Red bell pepper
  • A variety of salsas: mango salsa, pineapple salsa, red tomatillo salsa
  • Cotija cheese
  • Hot sauce
  • Salsa verde sauce

Helpful Tools

  • Heavy skillet
  • Cast iron skillet
  • Large bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Paper towels
  • Baking sheet
  • Aluminum foil
  • Spatula
  • Tongs
  • Large sharp knife
  • Cutting board

How To Make Grilled Gourmet Shrimp Tacos

Large white bowl with raw shrimp in a red sauce. Bowl is on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • Cook bacon and crumble.
  • Prep the raw shrimp: peel, devein, remove the tails, rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Combine spices, lime juice, vegetable oil, and deveined shrimp in a large bowl.
  • Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Chopped Onions, Cilantro, Sliced Avocado, and Lime Wedges on a wood cutting board. Cutting board is on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • While the shrimp are marinating, prep onion, cilantro, avocado, and lime.
  • After marinating time is finished, bring out the shrimp mixture from fridge and set it aside.
There is a square black fry pan with two round piles of yellow shredded cheese on the fry pan. The fry pan is on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • Heat oven to 200 degrees (warm).
  • Heat a large nonstick round or square skillet over medium heat.
  • Sprinkle cheese directly onto the skillet.
There is a square black fry pan with two round corn tortillas on it, there is shredded cheese coming out from under the tortillas. The fry pan is on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • Press a tortilla on top of cheese and cook for about a minute.
There are 5 white round corn tortillas with melted yellow cheese on them. Tortillas are on a stainless steel cooking sheet.
  • Flip with a spatula then transfer to baking sheet.
  • Cover the cheesy tortillas with foil and store in warm oven.
  • Repeat step with remaining tortillas.
Large black cast iron pan with shrimp cooking in it. Pan is sitting on a white and black terrazzo surface.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat.

Add shrimp to pan.


Cook about 2 minutes per side until done.

There are 2 soft tortillas folded over. In the middle of the tortillas there is grilled shrimp, chunks of avocado, pieces of bacon, chopped white onion, chopped green cilantro with a light orange sauce. The tortillas are on a white rectangular plate. Plate is sitting on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • Build the gourmet taco by adding shrimp, bacon, avocado, diced onion, chipotle sauce, and cilantro.
  • Squeeze lime over taco and serve immediately.

Substitutions

  • Mexican blended cheese – cheddar cheese or Colby jack
  • White onion – red onion
  • Stone-ground corn tortilla – warm flour tortilla
  • Juice of a lime – bottled real lime juice

What To Serve With Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Some great sides to serve with tacos are: black beans, pinto beans, Mexican rice, citrus rice, refried beans, fire-roasted corn, street corn, or even tortilla chips with mild salsa and queso dip.

Creamy Chipotle Sauce – Ingredients

There are 3 white small bowls, one with mayonnaise in it, on with sour cream in it and one with 2 chipotles in it. There is a small clear ramekin with brown powder in it and there is a whole lime. All the items are on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • 1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (I use regular but you can use light or fat free)
  • 1-2 canned chipotles in sauce (if you are a fan of spicy foods, use 2 to 3 chipotles)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (if you want to use fresh garlic – 1 clove minced)
  • Juice of 1 lime (approximately 2 tablespoons)

How To Make Chipotle Sauce – It’s super easy and delicious!

Light orange cream sauce in a small food processor. Food processor is on a white and black terrazzo surface.
  • Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
  • Blend ingredients until smooth – That’s it!
  • Drizzle it over the tacos or place in a small bowl and serve.

Looking for some sweet treats for dessert? Check these out from Join Me In The Kitchen:

Yield: 8 tacos

Rubio's Grilled Gourmet Shrimp Tacos Recipe (Copycat)

There are 2 soft tortilla shells sitting in a stainless steel taco stand. The tortilla shells are filled with grilled shrimp, chunks of avocado, pieces of cooked bacon, chopped white onion, green chopped cilantro and a light orange sauce in them. Taco tray is sitting on a white and black terrazzo surface.

These tasty tacos are loaded with marinated shrimp, crumbled bacon, avocado, chopped onion, cilantro, and a creamy chipotle sauce, folded into a toasted cheese corn tortilla.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, raw, peeled, and deveined (approximately 24 - 32 pieces)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder or minced garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 small white onion, diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 cups finely shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 8 stone-ground corn tortillas
  • 1 Hass avocado, sliced
  • Lime slices or wedges

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon, crumble, place in small bowl and set aside.
  2. Prep the raw shrimp: peel, devein, remove the tails, rinse, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Combine spices, lime juice, vegetable oil, and deveined shrimp in a large bowl.
  4. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  5. While the shrimp are marinating, dice the onion, chop the cilantro, slice the avocado, and cut the lime.
  6. Make the creamy chipotle sauce if you are using it on the gourmet taco.
  7. After marinating time is finished, bring out the shrimp mixture from fridge and set it aside.
  8. Make the tortillas. Preheat oven to 200 degrees (warm).
  9. Heat a large nonstick round or square skillet over medium heat.
  10. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese into a circle slightly smaller than the tortilla directly onto the hot skillet. (I can fit two circles of cheese in the pan at one time).
  11. Press a tortilla on top of the slightly melted three-cheese blend and cook for about a minute. Flip with a spatula and transfer to baking sheet.
  12. Cover the cheesy tortillas with foil and store in warm oven. Repeat step with remaining tortillas until all have a melted cheesy layer on them.
  13. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Use tongs and remove shrimp from marinade and add to pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side until done.
  14. Now it's time to build the gourmet shrimp taco - add shrimp (3 to 4 depending on the size), crumbled bacon, avocado slices, diced onion, chipotle sauce and, minced cilantro.
  15. Squeeze a small wedge of lime over the taco or serve a slice of lime on the side.
  16. Serve immediately.

Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Duke's)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (I use regular but you can use light or fat free)
  • 1-2 canned chipotles in sauce (if you are a fan of spicy foods, use 2 to 3 chipotles)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (if you want to use fresh garlic - 1 clove minced)
  • Juice of 1 lime (approximately 2 tablespoons)

How To Make Chipotle Sauce - It's super easy and delicious!

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place in a small bowl and serve.
  2. Store any leftover sauce, covered and in the fridge up to a couple of weeks.

Notes

Helpful Tools

  • Heavy skillet
  • Cast iron skillet
  • Large bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Paper towels
  • Baking sheet
  • Aluminum foil
  • Spatula
  • Tongs
  • Large sharp knife
  • Cutting board

Substitutions

Mexican blended cheese - cheddar cheese or Colby jack

White onion - red onion

Stone-ground corn tortilla - warm flour tortilla

Juice of a lime - bottled real lime juice

Optional Toppings

  • Creamy chipotle sauce (see recipe below)
  • Red bell pepper
  • A variety of salsas: Mango salsa, pineapple salsa, red tomatillo salsa
  • Cotija cheese
  • Hot sauce
  • Salsa verde sauce
  • Cilantro lime mojo sauce

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest


© Laura @ Join me in the Kitchen
Cuisine: Mexican, American / Category: Main Dishes

Miz Helen

Tuesday 16th of May 2023

Just pinned your feature to our Features Board, for Full Plate Thursday. Thanks so much for sharing with us and come back to see us! Miz Helen

Laura @ Join me in the Kitchen

Wednesday 17th of May 2023

Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! I hope everyone enjoys them, they are delicious! I'm a fan and always on your site! Laura

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