Tacos Gobernador or Governor’s Tacos are a brilliant cross between a taco & a quesadilla. This dish came to be in the early 1990’s when Sinaloan Governor, Francisco Labastida Ochoa, visited Mazatlan‘s Los Arcos restaurant. The restaurant chef found out that the governor adored his wife’s home-cooked shrimp tacos & set out to impress by creating this super delicious, ultra-crispy, extra-cheesy recipe. Give a try & I bet you’ll love Tacos Governador as much as Gov. Labastida did!
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 T unsalted butter, divided
- 1 lb shrimp, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 lg poblano chile, cut into 2″-long matchsticks
- 1 onion, sliced thin
- 1 serrano chile (jalapeno also works), seeded (for spicier dish, leave seeds in), minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 t dried oregano
- 1/2 t ground coriander
- 1/2 t ground cumin
- 1/2 t salt
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded, cored & chopped fine
- 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
- 8 6″ corn torillas (could also sub in small flour tortillas)
- 2 c Oaxaca cheese (could also use Monterey Jack), shredded
- Lime wedges
- Avocado, sliced
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Hot sauce
Place colander inside med bowl, set aside.
Melt 1 T butter in 12″ skillet over med heat. Add shrimp & cook, stirring frequently, until just opaque, about 2 min. Transfer shrimp to prepared colander to drain.
Return skillet to heat & melt remaining 2 T butter. Add poblano, onion & serrano & cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened & starting to brown, 6-8 min. Stir in garlic, oregano, coriander, cumin & salt, & cook for 1 min. Add tomatoes & cook until vegetable mixture is dry, 4-5 min. Off heat, stir in cilantro.
Discard any shrimp juices that have collected in bowl. Transfer shrimp & veggie mixture to now-empty bowl & stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Wipe out skillet.
Stack tortillas, wrap in damp towel & place on plate; microwave until warm & pliable, about 30 sec. Place 1 tortilla on cutting board (keep others covered) & brush top lightly with oil. Flip tortilla over & sprinkle evenly with 1/4 c cheese. Spread 1/4 c shrimp mixture over half of tortilla, leaving 1/4″ border at edge. Fold & press to close tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas, oil, & filling.
Arrange 4 tacos in no-empty skillet with open sides facing toward center of pan. Place skillet over med-high heat & cook until cheese has melted & tacos are spotty golden brown on 1 side, 2-3 min. Carefully flip tacos. Cook until spotty golden brown on 2nd side, 2-3 min. Remove tacos from skillet & keep warm.
Repeat procedure with remaining 4 tacos. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges, avocado, crema & hot sauce separately. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated. Photo Cred: Tacos Gobernador (eatingwell.com)
Here are a few more taco recipes to try: