There’s no shortage of ways to fill a tortilla, but these recipes have especially creative combinations. Coffee and cayenne-seasoned fish, Korean-style mushrooms and chili-lime shrimp each bring something different to the table—and all three are worth adding to your dinner rotation.

Blackened Coffee Fish Tacos
Photo: Mark Gibbon

Blackened Coffee Fish Tacos

Forget the Baja-style fish tacos! Instead of a heavy beer batter, this recipe from Lawren Monetta features a flavour-packed rub (made with ground coffee, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and a few other seasonings you likely already have in your cupboard). Paired with a honey lime slaw and a spicy chili coffee salsa, it’ll kick your taco Tuesday up a notch.

Photo: Darren Hull

Bulgogi Mushroom Tacos

Give your tacos a vegetarian (and Korean!) twist with this recipe from Kelowna’s Frankie We Salute You! restaurant. Marinated in a mix of soy sauce, BBQ sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar and sesame oil, the mushrooms are sweet, salty, smoky, spicy and sticky. Balance it out with fresh corn and shredded cabbage or add some extra spice with a drizzle of ssamjang mayo.

Photo: Mark Gibbon

Chili-Lime Skillet Shrimp Tacos

These tacos from Julie Van Rosendaal are zesty, garlicky and unbelievably tasty. Plus, they’re a cinch to make. Warm up some butter in a skillet over medium-high heat then toss in the shellfish, spices and citrus all at once, and cook until the shrimp turn opaque (about 3 to 4 minutes). The whole meal comes together quickly, so keep this recipe in mind for busy weeknights.

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn Funk

Kaitlyn is a design-obsessed writer, editor and content manager based in Vancouver. When she's not busy swooning over gorgeous homes, you can find her reading, hiking and befriending as many dogs as possible.