Scott Beattie, or “Scotty B,” is well known in the Mercury Marine family, having spent over 15 years in various roles, most recently as manager of competitive angling tournament service support. Beattie often cooked for the anglers and fellow service crew members during his tenure with Mercury. He retired in August of 2021 with plans to fish, cook and spend more time in the Bahamas, saying, “I have a Caribbean soul that I can barely control.”
Beattie’s recipe for blackened shrimp tacos with mango slaw and aioli is a favorite of his as well as those he has cooked for over the years.
“I enjoy cooking and came up with this recipe myself,” said Beattie. “I did a lot of cooking in the Bahama islands traveling and just love the ‘islandy’ flavors. They do a lot with citrus fruits and coconuts, so I started experimenting a little bit, using the coconut in the marinade. This dish will transport you to the islands.”
Scottie’s recipe for blackened shrimp tacos is simple, quick, and a great way to feed hungry friends.
Blackened Shrimp Tacos
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Seasoned Shrimp Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups orange juice
1 can coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 limes, juiced
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon, garlic powder
Blackened seasoning mix (This will be sprinkled on top of the shrimp while they are on the grill.)
Note: You will also need a package of corn or flour tortillas – whichever you prefer.
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix them together. Then, transfer everything to a large ziplock bag, being careful to remove all the air, and refrigerate for two to three hours (or overnight if you prefer). While all the flavors are melding together in your fridge, it’s time to make the slaw and aioli.
Mango Slaw Ingredients:
1 10-ounce bag of veggie slaw or coleslaw (you can also use half of each)
1 mango, diced (or mandarin orange if mango is not available)
1 lime, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)
½ red onion, diced
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix them together well. Cover and refrigerate.
Aioli Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon hot sauce (or add more to taste)
½ lime, juiced
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, thoroughly mixing them together. Cover and refrigerate and then start assembling the tacos.
Taco Assembly
Now that you have your shrimp marinating, and your slaw and aioli prepared, it’s time to preheat your grill to 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once your grill gets up to the proper temperature, place the marinated shrimp on the grill and cook them for two to three minutes, per side. If the shrimp are small enough to fall through the grates, you might want to use some skewers to secure them.
Next, sprinkle some blackened seasoning mix to the shrimp while they’re cooking. The amount of seasoning is up to you. If you like things on the hot side, be generous with your seasoning. Just be mindful of the heat tolerance of others who might be dining with you.
Once your shrimp are nicely cooked, it’s time to cut them into bite-sized pieces. While you’re doing that, place your tortillas on the grill to warm them up a bit. Just make sure to keep an eye on them as they can brown up pretty quickly.
Next, remove your tortillas from the grill and baste them with some of your aioli. Then, place some shrimp on top of each tortilla. Top them with some fresh cilantro, some slaw and a squeeze of lime. You can also add a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce if you like.
And there you have it. Scotty B’s easy-peasy, ever-so-tasty, blackened shrimp tacos. The only thing left to is to gather the troupes and dig in. Bon appétit!