Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp and Vegetable Filling
- 450 g shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped
- 150 g poblano chile, seeded and diced
- 100 g white onion, finely diced
- 120 g roma tomato, seeded and diced
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 g dried mexican oregano, crushed
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper
Assembly
- 200 g monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 8 corn tortillas
- 10 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 lime, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 259 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 16 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 474 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 121 mg
- Potassium
- 331 mg
- Calcium
- 261 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 324 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 115 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 30 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 108 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Melt the unsalted butter with the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat (around 175°C/350°F). Add the diced poblano chile and white onion, sauteing until the onion is translucent and the poblano has softened.
Add the minced garlic, diced tomato, and crushed Mexican oregano to the skillet. Cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, forming a thick, flavorful base.
Stir the chopped shrimp into the vegetable mixture. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, tossing frequently. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 63°C/145°F. Remove the filling from the skillet to a bowl and quickly wipe the skillet clean to prepare for assembling.
Return the wiped skillet to medium-low heat. Place a corn tortilla flat in the skillet. Spread an even layer of shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the entire surface of the tortilla and let it melt slightly.
Spoon a generous amount of the shrimp filling onto one half of the tortilla. Once the cheese is melted and the bottom of the tortilla starts to turn golden brown, fold the tortilla in half over the filling, pressing down gently with a spatula to seal.
Transfer the crispy taco to a serving plate. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and filling. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately with fresh lime wedges.
Chef's Notes
- For extra crispy tacos, add a tiny splash of the residual shrimp cooking juices or a light brush of butter to the skillet just before crisping the tortillas.
- Cutting the shrimp into smaller, bite-sized pieces ensures that they distribute evenly inside the taco and prevents them from falling out when you take a bite.
- Monterey Jack provides excellent melting qualities, but for a truly authentic cheese pull, Oaxaca cheese is the premier choice. Chihuahua cheese is also an excellent substitute.
- To speed up the crisping process for a crowd, you can assemble multiple tacos on a large griddle or comal simultaneously.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store filling separately from tortillas to prevent sogginess.
Freezer: 1 month — Shrimp filling can be frozen; assemble tacos fresh upon reheating.
Reheating: Reheat filling gently in a skillet over medium heat, then assemble in fresh tortillas with cheese to maintain crispness.
Troubleshooting
Corn tortillas break or crack when folded
Cause: Tortillas were too dry or were folded before they were sufficiently warmed through
Fix: If cracked, allow the melting cheese to act as a binder to hold the taco together, or double up with a second lightly warmed tortilla
Prevention: Ensure the skillet is adequately warm, and let the cheese melt to hydrate and soften the tortilla before attempting the fold
Shrimp filling is watery, making the tacos soggy
Cause: Tomatoes released too much liquid and it was not cooked off before the shrimp was added
Fix: Strain the filling through a slotted spoon before adding it to the tortillas
Prevention: Ensure you cook the vegetable base until the tomato liquid reduces completely before adding the raw shrimp
Cultural Context
Tacos Gobernador originated in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, reportedly created to impress a visiting state governor. The dish famously marries the oceanic bounty of the coastal region with a quesadilla-like preparation, representing a perfect union of surf and turf sensibilities in Mexican regional cuisine.
