The Best of Friends Shrimp Margaritas

This week, I wanted to create a recipe in honor of the release of THE BEST OF FRIENDS, which will be in stores on September 28. THE BEST OF FRIENDS is a fun, poignant story about female friendships, so I thought about what foods mean “friendship” to me. And the first things that came to mind were margaritas.

Okay. Not a food.

But I do have gorgeous, hefty, hand-blown margarita glasses that would look really pretty on my blog. What to do, what to do…

Shrimp Margaritas!

Shrimp Margaritas?! Could that work? It sounded crazy, but some of my best ideas have been crazy. I decided to give it a shot.

The three key ingredients are tequila, lime juice, and salt. Sounds like a good basis for a marinade to me, but I added some honey to sweeten it up, and a couple Mexican spices. The honey was sticky and hard to dissolve, which brought another crazy idea to mind. I could use the honey on the rim of the glasses and then press them into crushed tortilla chips.

The Best of Friends Shrimp Margaritas were adorable and delicious. I think they would taste just as delicious with chicken in place of the shrimp. Make a batch, then call your girlfriends over to enjoy them together! Oh, and if one of your friends will bring extra glasses, you can even serve them with margaritas!

 

 

The Best of Friends Shrimp Margaritas

1 lb shrimp
Tequila-lime marinade (recipe below)
2 T honey
¼ C crushed tortilla chips
4 C shredded lettuce
2 T fresh cilantro, minced
1 carrot, shredded
2 green onions, sliced
2 oz pepper jack cheese, cut into ¼-inch chunks
1 avocado, chopped
Salsa, store bought or homemade

Marinate the shrimp in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. Drizzle the honey into a circle the size of the rim of four large margarita glasses. Swoosh the glass around in the honey, then swoosh it around in the crushed tortilla chips. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to broiling (500 degrees). Toss the lettuce, cilantro, and carrots and divide equally into the four glasses. Top with onions, cheese, and avocado.

Drain the shrimp and place on the rack of a broiling pan. Broil for 2 minutes on each side. Divide the shrimp equally into the four margarita glasses. Top with salsa and serve.

Tequila-Lime Marinade

½ C tequila
Juice of one lime
1 T honey
1 T water
2 T fresh cilantro, minced
1 t Kosher salt
½ t chili powder

Mix all ingredients until salt and honey have dissolved.