This shrimp taco recipe tastes like it came from a Baja resort menu!
Plump and tender shrimp are sauteed in southwest seasonings and served in corn or flour tortillas with a tangy cilantro slaw.
You’ll Be Hooked on These Shrimp Tacos Because…
- Shrimp tacos are perfect for a light lunch or dinner.
- Prepare ahead and reheat the shrimp when ready. Easy peasy!
- Shrimp thaws and cooks really fast making a great weeknight meal.
- Double up on the shrimp and slaw and enjoy shrimp tacos all week for a tasty workday lunch.
Ingredients in Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp: Choose for bite-sized shrimp (50/60 count) that are deveined, peeled, and without the tail for faster prep. Frozen shrimp should be thawed first.
Seasonings: Buy a package of taco seasoning or make homemade seasoning with ingredients you likely already have in the pantry, like chili powder and cumin.
Slaw: Shredded cabbage in a simple dressing makes these tacos extra delicious. Save time by using a premade coleslaw mix.
Tortillas: I love corn tortillas but you can also use flour tortillas. Heat them on the grill or directly over the flame of a gas stove for a little color and extra flavor.
Variations
- Diced bell peppers, grilled corn kernels, or pico de gallo can be added.
- To make spicy shrimp tacos, add a few red pepper flakes or a little bit of chipotle powder to the mix in Step 2.
- Swap out the slaw for your favorite Cilantro Lime Coleslaw or even traditional coleslaw if you have it on hand.
How to Make Shrimp Tacos
- Mix cilantro slaw ingredients (recipe below) in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
- Toss shrimp with taco seasoning, lime juice, and garlic powder.
- Cook shrimp in oil until cooked through.
- Fill warmed tortillas with shrimp and top with cilantro slaw. Serve with lime wedges.
Shrimp Taco Toppings
- Sauces: Add guacamole or drizzle with hot sauce, sour cream. Fish taco sauce doubles as a shrimp taco sauce too!
- Salsa: Mango, peach, or pineapple salsa will add a tangy twist of sweetness and contrast to the savory and spicy flavors.
- Other: Try avocado, cotija cheese, red onion, jalapenos, lime wedges, or fresh cilantro.
Storing Leftover Shrimp Tacos
Keep leftover shrimp in a covered container in the refrigerator, separate from the toppings, for up to 3 days.
Enjoy shrimp cold or reheat them in the microwave in a bowl with a little water so they stay tender. Add leftover shrimp and toppings to a hearty protein salad or in a wrap for an energizing desktop lunch.
More Taco Night Favorites
Did you make this Shrimp Tacos recipe? Leave a rating and a comment below.
Shrimp Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp shelled & deveined, tails removed
- 1 ounce taco seasoning 1 packet, or 2 tablespoons homemade
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice about ½ lime
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 small corn tortillas or flour tortillas, 6-inch
Cilantro Slaw
- 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
- ¼ cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice optional
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- For the slaw, in a medium bowl mix green and purple cabbage, mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate.
- In a separate bowl, combine shrimp with taco seasoning, lime juice, and garlic powder.
- In a pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer. Using tongs, cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes on each side until they're pink and cooked through.
- Warm the corn tortillas over an open flame or follow package instructions.
- Fill each warm tortilla with slaw and cooked shrimp, adding any other desired toppings.
Notes
- Cook the shrimp just until they turn pink. Once cooked, remove them from the pan promptly to avoid overcooking.
- Spice things up by adding some chopped jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce to the slaw for an extra kick.
- The cilantro slaw can be made 24 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The flavors blend beautifully overnight.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store shrimp separately from tortillas and toppings to keep things fresh.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine American, Mexican© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Can I use shrimp that’s breaded for these tacos?
Hi Debbie, I have never tried it with breaded shrimp, but I think it would be delicious. Let me know how it turns out.
Made and Loved! My youngest almost ate all the shrimp before we even got to make tacos it was so good! SWP Employee
Hi! First of all, apologies because I read it in a rush and made it quite different. But it’s SO good!
So my slaw was tomatoes+parsley+onions+salt+peper and instead of the mayonnaise, cream cheese. It’s great for a lighter version but can’t wait to test out the version with cabbage and mayo!
I’ve made the taco mix as per your recipe, as we don’t have that here and it’s wonderful!
So happy you are enjoying it, Tina!
Just a question: your photos show a doubled taco wrap enveloping the filling. But there is no note to do so …………. and your serving size states 4 ……… but your list of ingredients lists 8 wraps.
Assuming this means there is a total of 4 double walled tacos ?
Reviews all make these sound pretty tempting !
Hope to try soon.
Hi Toni, each serving is for 2 tacos for a total of 8 tacos. Enjoy!
These are delicious! Thank you! Loved the house made taco seasoning – so much better than the packaged variety. The only thing that confused me a bit was in the narrative, you mention lime juice for the slaw but its not listed in the ingredients (or did I miss it)? We added the juice of the smaller half of a lime. We so enjoy your recipes and look forward to being on your mailing list (saw the link in previous post). Thank you! A taco Tuesday wind!
I think adding the lime juice is key. I was trying to figure somehow to cook or marinate the shrimp the same as beef , adding water , etc. I just used low sodium taco seasoning with extra garlic powder and added lime juice and grilled on a panini grill. I heated the 6” corn tacos, added avocado,cheese and green chili sauce. Scrumptious!
That sounds delicious, Linda! Thanks for sharing.
I look forward to receiving recipes on a regular basis. Your shrimp tacos were amazing!!
Thank you Lorraine! To receive emails with new recipes, you can click here to sign up to receive emails. Look forward to sending you recipes!
If you are looking for fast weekday dinner idea – this is it! I added jalapenos to the slaw, we like it hot! And cayenne to the seasoning. Yuuum!
this is a great website for moms feeding large crowds
It was really good!
So easy to make & lots of flavor!
Hi! Looks delish. Which slaw are you using, the apple one you mention in the notes or the cilantro one? Thank you!
Hi Ruth, we used the cilantro slaw in this recipe :)
Made these shrimp tacos for dinner making only one minor adjustment by also adding fresh squeezed lime juice and zest to the slaw. The flavors were amazing!! My husband loved them. Amazing taco recipe
Has anyone tried this with pre cooked shrimp? I need to do about 8 lbs of shrimp for a party and I really don’t have time or patience to prep that much shrimp.
Hi Janis, we have only made this recipe with raw shrimp seasoning it before cooking but we would love to hear how it turns out for you with pre-cooked shrimp!
Nothing like crunching down on one of those shrimp tails! I get that they look good for a photo, but it’s disingenuous to take a photo of someone about to eat a taco with shrimp tails left on!
You can remove them before cooking if you’d prefer. Enjoy the recipe!
This was quick and simple with amazing flavor!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the tacos Mollie!
Simple and yet delish! Used it just today for a quick dinner to whip out of nowhere. My husband was very happy!
We love those quick and easy recipes too Lyndsay. So happy your husband loved it!
Making them tonight and I wish the ingredients for different toppings were in the list of ingredients or at least printed along with the recipe.
Thank you for the suggestion Nate!
The best shrimp taco I’ve ever had. I used all organic & used a NON GMO tortilla, avocados, salsa, my own taco seasoning. Oh man is this ever good.
I enjoy quite a few of your recipes & so glad to have found you, thanks!
Thank you so much Sharon! Happy cooking!
COuld you substitute the mayonnaise for something else (mayonnaise is basically the bane of my existence as far as food items go, I can’t even have it in my refrigerator at home, the look of it alone isn’t just too disgusting)????
Do you have any recommendations?
Sure you can, you could use a little bit of sour cream (although it’ll be more tart) or even create a vinaigrette with olive oil, seasonings and a little bit of cider vinegar or just lime juice. Let us know how it goes!
I always substitute plain greek yogurt for mayo, and sometimes for sour cream. It’s less calories and more healthy. No one in my family has caught on yet. I’ll try the taco recipe tonight!