Gordon Ramsay’s shrimp tacos are prawns seared with shallot, garlic and chilli, hit with orange zest and tequila flambé, then rolled in soft flour tortillas with crème fraîche, diced tomato and parsley. Three prawns per taco, done in under 10 minutes.
The prawn technique comes from Fast Food, where Ramsay pairs tequila-flambéed shrimp with orange as a standalone dish. On Conan he builds the same prawns into tacos, adding a shallot and chilli base, crème fraîche and fresh tomato for the filling. He calls it “the most amazing taco, done with shrimp, flayed with some tequila.” You can watch the full cook in his Shrimp Tacos with Conan video.
The tequila is not a gimmick. Two tablespoons go in, the pan flames for about ten seconds, and what is left behind is a smoky sweetness that olive oil and lemon cannot replicate. Ramsay uses this same technique in Fast Food for standalone prawns, so the combination is tested across two sources rather than something he improvised on TV.
Gordon Ramsay Shrimp Tacos
Course: DinnerCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy2
servings5
minutes5
minutes645
kcal10
minutesTequila-flambéed shrimp tacos with crème fraîche, tomato and parsley. The prawn technique comes from Fast Food, the taco build from Ramsay’s appearance on Conan. Orange zest and a quick tequila flambé give these tacos a smoky citrus edge. Source: Fast Food (Quadrille, 2007) and Conan on TBS.
Ingredients
400g (14 oz) raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp tequila
4-6 small soft flour tortillas
4 tbsp crème fraîche
2 tomatoes, diced
Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Directions
- Prep the aromatics: Finely chop the shallot, garlic and chilli. Have the orange zest, lemon juice and tequila measured and ready before you start cooking.
- Cook the base: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic and chilli all at once and cook for 1 minute until softened.
- Sear the prawns: Add the prawns, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until bright pink and opaque.
- Add the citrus: Grate the orange zest directly over the prawns in the pan, then squeeze in the lemon juice and toss everything together.
- Flambé with tequila: Pour the tequila into the pan and carefully tilt the pan towards the flame to ignite, or use a long match. Let the flame burn out naturally, about 10 seconds. Toss the prawns once more.
- Warm the tortillas: Heat the flour tortillas in a dry pan for 20-30 seconds each side until soft and pliable.
- Assemble: Spread crème fraîche along the centre of each tortilla first, then add diced tomato, parsley, and three prawns per taco. Roll tightly and eat immediately.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay flambé with tequila?
The tequila burns off in about ten seconds, and what stays behind is a smoky, slightly sweet flavour that you cannot get from any other spirit. Ramsay uses the same tequila-and-prawn combination in Fast Food as a standalone dish, so this is a pairing he has tested across multiple recipes rather than something he threw together on TV.
If you do not have tequila, a splash of brandy or vodka will flambé the same way but the flavour is different. Tequila specifically brings an agave sweetness that works with the orange zest and lemon, which is why he chose it for a Mexican taco.
How do you flambé safely at home?
Tilt the pan slightly towards the gas flame and the tequila will catch on its own. If you have an electric hob, use a long match or lighter held at the edge of the pan. Stand back, keep your face away, and do not lean over. The flame is dramatic but it dies in about ten seconds once the alcohol burns off.
Ramsay tells Conan to “blow out the flame carefully” but in reality if you just wait it goes out on its own. The important thing is having nothing flammable near the pan and keeping the extractor fan off while the flame is alive.
Why orange zest and not orange juice?
The Fast Food book uses orange juice squeezed into the pan and reduced. The Conan video uses orange zest grated over the prawns instead. For tacos, the zest is the right call because you do not want extra liquid soaking through the tortilla and making it fall apart.
Zest gives you the fragrant citrus oils without the moisture, and the lemon juice provides just enough acid to cut the richness of the crème fraîche. If you are serving the prawns standalone on a plate without tortillas, the book version with reduced juice works better because the liquid becomes a glaze.
What tortillas should you use?
Ramsay uses soft flour tortillas in the Conan video, which makes sense because flour wraps are pliable and hold the crème fraîche without cracking. Corn tortillas work too, but they are stiffer and more likely to split when you roll them.
If you want the corn tortilla route for a Mexican night, his prawn tostadas from Ultimate Home Cooking use dry-toasted corn tortillas served flat with a fresh avocado and coriander salad on top, which is a better match for corn because you do not need to fold them.
Can you skip the crème fraîche?
You could, but it is doing more work than you think. The crème fraîche goes on the tortilla FIRST, which creates a barrier between the warm prawns and the bread so the tortilla does not go soggy. It also balances the heat from the chilli and the sharpness of the lemon.
If you want prawns without any wrapping at all, the garlic prawns from Fast Food are even simpler: shell-on prawns seared with garlic and dried chillies, finished with lemon, eaten with your hands and bread. Same cookbook, same ten-minute approach, no assembly needed.
Do shrimp tacos store well?
No. The tortillas go soggy, the crème fraîche separates, and the prawns lose their sear within an hour. These are a cook-and-eat-now dish, which is why Ramsay builds them live on camera and eats them immediately.
You can prep the shallot, garlic and chilli in advance and have the crème fraîche and tomato ready in bowls, which means the actual cooking is five minutes of searing and flambéing. If you are feeding more than two, double the prawns and have everyone assemble their own at the table.
