Shrimp tacos get a weeknight upgrade in just 30 minutes. Juicy, seasoned shrimp and a crunchy cilantro slaw are tucked into warm tortillas for a meal that’s fresh, zesty, and fast.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: These are bursting with bright, tangy lime, a hint of smoky cumin, and the perfect balance of savory shrimp with crisp, creamy slaw.
- Time-Saving Tip: A real-life shortcut I love is bagged coleslaw mix and a taco seasoning packet for busy nights.
- Serving Suggestions: These shrimp tacos are delicious with avocado, pico de gallo, and an extra squeeze of lime, to make them feel restaurant-style.
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: For speed, choose peeled and deveined shrimp. Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the fridge or under cold water in a pinch, then pat very dry for the best sear.
- Seasonings: Buy a package of taco seasoning or make homemade seasoning with ingredients you likely already have in the pantry.
- Slaw: The slaw starts with a crunchy base that softens slightly as it chills, with red cabbage for color and extra crunch (or more green cabbage if preferred). Creamy mayonnaise binds it, fresh cilantro and lime juice brighten the flavor, and a touch of cumin brings warm, earthy notes.
- 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 to prevent them from breaking when folded.
Toppings and Add-Ons
- Veggies: Top with diced bell pepper and grilled corn kernels.
- Sauces: Add guacamole, drizzle with hot sauce, or sour cream. Fish taco sauce doubles as a shrimp taco sauce, too!
- Salsa: Serve pico de gallo, mango, peach, or pineapple salsa contrast to the savory and spicy flavors.
- Other: Try avocado, cotija cheese, red onion, pickled jalapenos, lime wedges, or fresh cilantro.
How to Make Shrimp Tacos
- Mix the cilantro slaw ingredients (full recipe below). 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.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Keep leftover shrimp and slaw in separate containers in the refrigerator. Leftover shrimp will keep for up to 4 days, and the leftover slaw will keep for up to 3 days.
- Store cooked shrimp in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat the shrimp in a skillet over medium heat until heated through or microwave in short bursts. If the slaw separates, give it a quick stir and drain any extra liquid before serving.
Shrimp for Dinner Favorites
Did you make this Shrimp Tacos recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp shelled & deveined, tails removed
- 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning 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 shredded green cabbage
- ¼ cup shredded red 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 red cabbage, mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice, 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. Stir well before serving.
- Keep leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The slaw will keep for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 381 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2mg
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!