Satisfy your taco cravings with these incredible Low FODMAP Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Bowls with pineapple salsa fresca and chipotle mayo! One taste of these crispy, spicy, low FODMAP air fried, taco-spiced shrimp paired with refreshing low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca and dressed with tangy, satisfying homemade low FODMAP chipotle mayo will make you completely forget about the tortilla! An awesome dish to serve at a Cinco de Mayo fiesta or for everyday lunch or dinner, these low FODMAP air fryer shrimp taco bowls are also Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, grain-free, and gluten-free.
Spicy food warning: although low in FODMAPs, this recipe contains ingredients with capsaicin, which may still trigger symptoms in some people with IBS.
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My Favorite Low FODMAP Shrimp Tacos
I didn't grow up eating anything but tacos made with ground beef. It wasn't until adulthood that I ever tried a fish or shrimp taco. A friend of mine is an avid fish taco eater and ordered them often on our dinners out. Her fish tacos always looked amazing, so eventually I started ordering them, too. I really liked ordering them at restaurants as they are tasty, not too heavy, and usually pretty nutritious.
Out of all the fish tacos I've ever had, my favorite come from the BC-based restaurant chain, White Spot. They call them "Mexicali Tacos" and give you the option of tempura-battered cod or Nobashi prawns, which are large prawns that have been stretched out long, making them good for dipping. I actually prefer the cod version over the prawn version but thought I could enhance the latter using air fried, battered shrimp.
In addition to cod or prawns, White Spot's Mexicali Tacos are topped with coleslaw, pickled onions, chipotle mayo, and strawberry pico de gallo (a.k.a. salsa fresca). I have kept the chipotle mayo as a topping with my recipe as well as a fruit salsa fresca. The salsa started with strawberries as the star component, but due to a "happy accident" during testing, changed to pineapple (read more about that in my low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca recipe post).
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make my Low FODMAP Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Bowls includes:
- Air fryer (I use an Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-quart Air Fryer)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two large bowls
- Whisk
- Two large plates
- Tongs
- Fork
- Chopping knife
- Cutting board
This list only includes the equipment required to make the air fried shrimp; view the low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca and low FODMAP chipotle mayo posts to view the equipment needed to make those recipes.
Low FODMAP Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Bowls: Ingredients & Success Tips
I posted this dish as three separate recipes on the blog as each component can be served with many different things. To be perfectly honest, this recipe, when prepared in its entirety (shrimp, salsa and mayo), is more labor intensive than most of my other recipes. So, if you were to prepare the shrimp but use a canned salsa to go with it or throw it in a gluten-free tortilla and top it with some lettuce and lactose-free sour cream, I would completely understand. I don't recommend preparing this dish in its entirety as it is written for a quick weekday lunch or a weeknight dinner. It's just too much work.
To make it easier to prepare this recipe as it is written, I highly recommend peeling and deveining the shrimp and preparing the Low FODMAP chipotle mayo the night before you plan to serve the bowls. You could also prepare the Low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca the night before; however, the longer it sits, the juicier it becomes. Extra salsa juice doesn't go well with the rest of the dish. The salsa is best when it is fresh.
Low FODMAP Breaded, Air Fried Shrimp
I use large shrimp when making this recipe, but small shrimp also go really well with this. I originally wrote this recipe using small shrimp, but I can no longer find them locally. If you prefer to use small shrimp, it is more work to bread them all. Prepare to increase the almond flour by ⅓ cup as 1 pound of small shrimp will require more breading. Also, decrease the cooking time of small shrimp to 4 minutes per side instead of 5 minutes per side.
To bread the shrimp, add blanched almond flour, chili powder, ground cumin, sea salt and black pepper to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Put the peeled/deveined shrimp in another large bowl, pour tapioca flour (a.k.a tapioca starch) over the shrimp and toss with your hands to coat. Pour garlic-infused olive oil over the shrimp and toss them again until evenly coated. Dredge each shrimp in the almond flour mixture, shaking off the excess, and place on a large plate. I typically dredge 3-4 at a time to make things go faster.
If you're not concerned with FODMAPs, you can use regular olive oil to coat the shrimp and add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the almond flour mixture instead of using garlic-infused olive oil. I originally wrote and tested this recipe for Paleo/Whole30 only and later rewrote it for low FODMAP, so I have tested this option, and it tastes just as amazing!
Once the shrimp are breaded, if food tends to stick to your air fryer pan, spray the pan of your preheated air fryer with avocado oil cooking spray (or your cooking spray of choice, although I prefer the neutral flavor of avocado oil the best). Using tongs, add as many shrimp as can fit in your air fryer in one layer. Leave a little space between each shrimp as best you can. Spray the shrimp with cooking spray and air fry for 5 minutes. Flip the shrimp using a fork (and rotate the pans if using an Instant Vortex Plus or similar air fryer), spray with cooking spray, and air fry for another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat these steps for the remaining shrimp. You may have to cook the shrimp in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
Low FODMAP Pineapple Salsa Fresca and Chipotle Mayo
I recommend preparing the low FODMAP salsa just prior to cooking the shrimp and preparing the Low FODMAP chipotle mayo (if not the night before) while the shrimp are cooking. View the recipes for Low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca and Low FODMAP chipotle mayo for tips and more information on their ingredients.
Assembling the Bowls
To assemble the low FODMAP shrimp taco bowls, place chopped romaine in the bottom of each serving bowl. Top the romaine with the cooked shrimp and the pineapple salsa fresca. Drizzle everything with the chipotle mayo, garnish with fresh lime slices or wedges (optional) and serve.
Low FODMAP Air Fryer Shrimp Taco Bowls (Paleo, Whole30)
Equipment
- Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-quart Air Fryer or a comparable air fryer
Ingredients
Low FODMAP Air Fried Shrimp:
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed (ideally the night before)
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder*
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil*
- Avocado oil cooking spray, or another Paleo-compliant spray
Low FODMAP Pineapple Salsa:
- One Full Batch of my Low FODMAP Pineapple Salsa Recipe
Low FODMAP Chipotle Mayo (ideally prepared the night before):*
- One Full Batch of my Low FODMAP Chipotle Mayo Recipe
Other Ingredients:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- Fresh lime wedges and slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- The night before: If you can, make the Low FODMAP Chipotle Mayo per the recipe and peel and devein the shrimp to cut down on the prep time for the day you make the taco bowls.
- On the day you plan to serve the bowls: Prepare the low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca per the recipe. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the bowls.
- If your air fryer doesn't have an internal preheat, preheat your air fryer to 400° F for 10 minutes (I use an Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-quart Air Fryer with an internal preheat function). In a large bowl, add the almond flour, chili powder, ground cumin, sea salt and black pepper and whisk to combine. In another large bowl, add the peeled/deveined shrimp. Pour tapioca flour over the shrimp and toss with your hands to coat. Pour the garlic-infused olive oil over the shrimp and toss again until evenly coated. Dredge each shrimp in the almond flour mixture, shaking off the excess, and place on a large plate. Dredge multiple shrimp at a time to make things go faster.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, if food tends to stick to your air fryer pan, spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. Using tongs, add as much shrimp that will fit in one layer, leaving a little space between them as best you can (you may need to cook in multiple batches depending on the size of your air fryer). Once in the air fryer, spray the tops of the shrimp with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes. Using a fork, flip the shrimp, spray with cooking spray, rotate the pans if using an Instant Vortex Plus, and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove cooked shrimp to a fresh plate. Repeat these steps until all the shrimp are cooked.
- While the shrimp are cooking, if you haven’t already done so the night before, prepare the Low FODMAP chipotle mayo. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To assemble the bowls, add the chopped romaine to the bottom of your serving bowls. Then, place shrimp and pineapple salsa on top of the romaine. Drizzle the chipotle mayo on top of everything, garnish with fresh lime slices or wedges (optional), and serve.
Notes
- Spicy food warning: Some people react poorly to food that's spicy even if it is low FODMAP. Be mindful of how your body reacts to spicy food and consult your doctor or dietitian before making this recipe if you have concerns about how your body might react.
- Chili powder: I use a chili powder blend that does not contain high FODMAP ingredients like garlic and onion powder.
- Garlic-infused olive oil: If you don't have an issue with FODMAPs, you can use regular olive oil to coat the shrimp and add 1 teaspoon garlic powder to the almond flour mixture instead of using garlic-infused olive oil.
- Prep time reflects the time it takes to prepare all components of the bowl (shrimp, salsa fresca, and chipotle mayo).
- Multiple batches: If the cooked shrimp have cooled significantly while cooking subsequent batches, stick them in the air fryer for another 30 seconds just before serving.
- Meal prep tip: You could prepare the pineapple salsa the night before as well, but I typically don’t as the longer it sits, the juicier it becomes. It is best to prepare it the day of.
- Nutrition card below does not include low FODMAP pineapple salsa fresca or low FODMAP chipotle mayo - view those recipes for their nutritional information.
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