Chorizo and Shrimp Quesadillas with Margarita Guacamole

These chorizo and shrimp quesadillas are pan-fried for an extra crispy crunch and go perfectly with the tequila-infused margarita guacamole!

Quesadillas de chorizo

There’s a new Mexican grocery store that has just popped up in town and something told me they’d have a phenomenal chorizo in stock. Boy, was I right! My whole car smelt like smoky chorizo sausage and I couldn’t wait to get home to cook somethin’ up!

On the way home, I stopped at a local seafood spot and picked up some Gulf coast Royal Red shrimp. They are huge, comparable in flavor with lobster tail, and taste sooo fresh! Chorizo and shrimp quesadills with the freshest ingredients was in the works!

First, the chorizo is cooked in the pan, then shrimp is seasoned with paprika and garlic and cooked in the chorizo grease. The flavor is unreal!

The quesadillas are made using my favorite method of cooking quesadillas. Warm a cast iron on medium heat so it is nice and hot, then melt butter and toss a flour tortilla in the pan. Throw the fixings on half the tortilla, fold it, and pan-fry it until the tortilla is nice and crispy. So easy, so perfect.

These chorizo and shrimp quesadillas are already super delicious on their own, but Mexican cuisine includes lots and lots of sauces and dipping, so make way for the margarita guacamole!

The margarita guacamole is made with a splash of tequila which helps bring in all the fresh flavors and adds a little tang. Intricate, fresh flavors!

So now you have the best of both worlds- a greasy, cheesy, loaded chorizo and shrimp quesadilla and it paired with a fresh, light, playful guacamole. Balance, baby!

Chorizo and shrimp quesadilla ingredients

• Flour tortillas– Twelve-inch flour tortillas fill the pan perfectly!
• Dairy- Look shredded cheese blends like Monterey Jack and Colby cheese. Having two kinds of cheese adds extra flavors. Salted butter (or unsalted, whatever you prefer) is used to pan fry the tortillas.
• Jumbo shrimp– Look for fresh wild-caught shrimp in your local seafood department of the grocery store. If you cannot find wild-caught shrimp, opt for frozen wild-caught shrimp instead.
• Chorizo sausage– Look for link chorizo sausage in your local grocery store.

Margarita guacamole ingredients

• Ripe avocados– Using ripe avocados is key! Ripe avocados are easy to mash so the guacamole has a silky texture.
• Roma tomatoes– Deseeded Roma tomatoes add a freshness to the guacamole without the extra liquid.
• Red onion– Finely chop half (or even a quarter if the onion is huge) of the onion, making sure there are no large chunks.
• Garlic– Finely chop the garlic so there are no large chunks to disrupt the smooth, silky texture of the guacamole.
• Jalapeño– If you do not want spicy guacamole, you can remove and discard the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño.
• Citrus– Orange juice and lime juice add the perfect tropical twist to the guacamole.
• Tequila– Use your favorite tequila for this recipe, but if you want to kick it up a notch for an extra bold, smoky flavor, use Mezcal tequila.

Chef’s tips

Make it ahead of time

I’m all about ease and saving time in the kitchen. The chorizo and shrimp take about 15-20 minutes of cooking time, but here’s how you can make this dinner faster.

Cook the chorizo and shrimp beforehand, then store them in separate containers in the fridge until you are ready to make the quesadillas.

Use the chorizo sausage grease

These quesadillas can easily be made in one pan if you cook one things at a time. I like to do this in my cast iron because I use the chorizo grease to cook the shrimp in. After, I add butter to the pan if I need more grease, then fry the quesadillas in the pan.

The grease and butter crisp the flour tortilla up and make these quesadillas crunchy and super delicious.

Buy the right shrimp

I am so lucky to live on the Gulf Coast and have access to some of the best shrimp (looking at you, Royal Red shrimp!). Look for wild-caught jumbo shrimp at your local seafood department in the grocery store.

Generally, you have the option of buying peeled and deveined shrimp, which I highly recommend because it’s a huge time saver in the kitchen!

If you cannot find wild-caught peeled and deveined shrimp, check the freezer section for a frozen option. Follow the package instructions to dethaw the shrimp before cooking them.

Store and reheat

You can store the leftover chorizo quesadillas in the fridge for up to 3 days. Place the quesadillas on a plate and wrap with plastic wrap, or place them in an airtight container.

You can reheat these quesadillas in the microwave, oven, or in a pan. The microwave method will make them less crispy, but it is the fastest way.

To warm the quesadillas up in the oven, preheat the pven to 350 degrees, then place them on a baking sheet and cook them for 10-15 minutes until they are heated through.

To warm the quesadillas up in a pan, place the pan over medium low heat and cook the quesadilla on each side for 5 minutes.

How to make chorizo and shrimp quesadillas with margarita guacamole

1. Make the margarita guacamole first. The guacamole tastes better when it has had time to sit in the fridge because the flavors become more intense. Halve the avocados, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocado until there are no chunks, you want a more smooth consistency. Add the finely chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the avocados. Have the Roma tomatoes, deseed them, dice them, then add them to the avocado mixture. Pour the tequila, orange juice, and lime juice into the bowl, then stir to combine. Place the bowl in the fridge to chill.
2. Cook the chorizo sausage and shrimp. If you are using link chorizo, slice the sausage casing, and scoop out the meat. Cook the chorizo sausage in a large pan over medium heat until it is cooked through. Remove the chorizo (keeping the grease in the pan) and place it to the side. Season the shrimp with paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan, dice them, then place to the side.
3. Make the quesadillas. Place more butter in the pan if there is not enough chorizo grease leftover (there needs to be about 1 tbsp). Lay the flour tortilla flat in the pan, then sprinkle cheese over half of the tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese-covered side with chorizo and shrimp, then fold the flour tortilla in half. Cook the quesadilla for about 2-4 minutes on each side until they are crispy. When you lift the quesadilla to flip it, the cooked side should hold its form, not flop, that’s how you know it’s crispy and done.
4. Serve the quesadillas. Cut the chorizo and shrimp quesadillas into wedges, then serve with the margarita guacamole. Mangia!

What to serve with shrimp and chorizo quesadillas

• Authentic Pico De Gallo is a fresh mix of diced Roma tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion and squeezed lime juice. This Mexican classic can spice up any dish!
• Take a trip to Mexico with this delicious pineapple peach agua fresca. This lightly sweetened and fruity drink is so refreshing and non alcoholic!
• Grilled pineapple jalapeño margaritas are made with fresh ingredients that are bursting with smoky, sweet flavors! Sweet and tangy pineapple, spicy jalapeño, and fresh lime make it delicious!
• Mango and Tajin paletas are a perfect combination of Mexico’s classic sweet and spicy flavor mixture. Juicy, fresh mango are pureed, then combined with spicy tajin and frozen into Mexican paletas, or popsicles.
• Frozen hibiscus lemonade is made with fresh squeezed lemons, hibiscus tea, and lots of ice! This icy and delicious drink takes lemonade up a notch and tastes just like summer!

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