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Easy, kickin’, and topped with a fresh, crunchy slaw, these are the best Shrimp Tacos you’ll ever eat, promise! The shrimp are plump and juicy, the taco sauce is cool and creamy, and the combo inside of a tortilla is something you’ll TACO-’bout, long after the meal is cooked.

Five shrimp tacos with creamy taco slaw

Why You’ll Love These Shrimp Tacos with Sauce

  • The shrimp is juicy and splendidly spiced.
  • The prep is EASY (these tacos have restaurant taste but are appropriate for beginner cooks).
  • The entire package is complete with a dreamy shrimp taco sauce.

Not only is this Mexican shrimp tacos recipe worth making for dinner tonight, but it’s also worth putting up with my bad jokes!

shrimp tacos with creamy slaw and lime

5 Star Review

“This is the first time I have ever commented on a recipe – that’s how good these are!!!! These were amazing!!”

— Allison —

Shrimp Tacos: A Quick and Easy Dinner

Every time I make a recipe with shrimp, I ask myself why I don’t cook with shrimp at least once a week.

  • Shrimp cooks in a matter of minutes, making it ideal for fast weeknight dinners (Shrimp Fajitas are another speedy winner).
  • The sautéed shrimp in these tacos cooks in fewer than five minutes, which by my calculation is just enough time to pour yourself a Skinny Margarita if you move very very quickly.
  • They’re a refreshing alternative protein. I love Shredded Chicken Tacos and Steak Tacos as much as the next person, but it’s nice to throw shrimp into the mix to keep things exciting.
easy Mexican seasoned shrimp in a skillet

How to Make the Best Shrimp Tacos

The Ingredients

  • Shrimp. While fresh shrimp are delicious, the majority of the time, I purchase raw, frozen shrimp, which are usually less expensive. Unless you live near the ocean, often the “fresh” shrimp in the grocery store case arrived frozen in the first place. Plus, you can purchase frozen shrimp already peeled, saving valuable time!

More about Using Frozen Shrimp

  • For easy shrimp taco recipes using frozen shrimp, you can thaw the shrimp in your refrigerator overnight, or if you forget (guilty!), you can quickly thaw them by running them under cool water.
  • While frozen shrimp are not the best choice if you’ll be eating shrimp cocktail, it’s perfect for recipes where the shrimp are being jazzed up with spices (hi, Shrimp Pad Thai) or fresh ingredients like garlic (check out Garlic Shrimp with Quinoa and Garlic Shrimp Pasta).
  • Spices. Chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, and salt make the shrimp pop! These shrimp seasonings make the tacos smoky, earthy, and a little spicy.
  • Taco Sauce. With olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, and fresh lime juice, this Greek yogurt sauce is cool, creamy, and zippy. The jalapeño adds a hint of spice too.
  • Slaw. Crunchy, fresh slaw mix pairs perfectly with the creamy taco sauce and smoky shrimp. No mayo here! Instead, this recipe swaps Greek yogurt.
  • Tortillas. The shell for our tacos. You can use flour or corn tortillas, so pick your favorite. Use corn tortillas if you’d like the tacos gluten free.
  • Toppings. Jazz up your tacos with avocado, chopped cilatro, chopped white onion, or other toppings of your choice.

Substitution Tip

For the slaw, I used a “super” blend of prebagged shredded cabbage, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. If you prefer your shrimp tacos with cabbage only, that is a perfectly tasty swap. For cabbage slicing tips, see Sautéed Cabbage.

The Directions

seasoning shrimp to make shrimp tacos
  1. Season the Shrimp. Place shrimp in a large bowl with the oil and spices, tossing to coat.
creamy taco sauce for shrimp tacos
  1. Make the Taco Sauce. Use a food processor or a blender. This will double as the dressing for the slaw.
cole slaw for shrimp tacos
  1. Make the Slaw. Place the cabbage in a bowl, then toss it with part of the sauce.
cooked shrimp to make healthy shrimp tacos
  1. Saute the Shrimp. Don’t overcook it!
Shrimp topped with a creamy taco slaw and extra shrimp taco sauce to make a delicious and healthy shrimp taco.
  1. Serve. Pile inside tortillas. Don’t forget your favorite toppings. ENJOY!

Recipe Variations

  • Grilled Shrimp Tacos. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, then cook on an outdoor or indoor grill (see this Grilled Shrimp recipe for cooking tips).
  • Shrimp Taco Bowls. Instead of a tortilla, serve your bowls with rice, or use quinoa like these Burrito Bowls do.
  • Shrimp Taco Salad. Use the shrimp instead of ground meat in this delicious Taco Salad, or add them to Mexican Salad.

What to Pair with Shrimp Tacos

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Do Not Overcook the Shrimp. This is the first and most important rule of cooking shrimp—they can go from underdone to tough and chewy, fast. As soon as they curl and are firm to the touch, they are ready to eat.
  • Warm Your Tortillas. This small extra step makes all the difference! You can heat the tortillas over a gas stove, in a skillet, or (in a pinch) the microwave.
  • Make the Slaw Ahead. While not mandatory, the marinating time in the fridge makes the flavors even better. Plus, you’ll love dinner coming together that much faster!

Shrimp Tacos

4.82 From 358 reviews . Help us out! Review HERE.Help out & review HERE

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 tacos
The BEST shrimp tacos recipe with a creamy cilantro lime taco sauce and crunchy slaw. Juicy, spicy, and so quick and easy! Cook on the stove or grill.

Ingredients
  

For the Shrimp Tacos:

  • 1 pound large or jumbo shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails removed (fresh or frozen and thawed)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 to 8 corn or flour tortillas
  • Garnishes: avocados cilantro, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lime wedges, mango salsa

For the Slaw and Shrimp Taco Sauce:

  • 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic peeled
  • ½ small jalapeno seeds and membranes removed
  • ¼ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Zest and juice of 1 large or 2 very small limes about 2 teaspoons zest and 3 tablespoons juice
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage or slaw mix

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and pat the shrimp dry, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the chili powder, chipotle chili, cumin, and salt. Toss to coat evenly. Let rest while you prepare the shrimp taco sauce and slaw.
  • Prepare the sauce and slaw: In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt, lime zest, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Place the cabbage in a mixing bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Add more sauce if you desire a creamier slaw, then reserve the rest of the sauce for serving.
  • Cook the shrimp: In a large nonstick skillet over medium high, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add the shrimp and sauté just until the shrimp is cooked through and no longer translucent in the center, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook! Transfer the shrimp immediately to a plate.
  • Warm the tortillas (optional) and assemble the tacos: If you like, warm the tortillas in the microwave (put them in a stack and cover them with a lightly damp towel) or a 250 degrees F oven while the shrimp cook. To serve, fill the tortillas with your desired number of shrimp, then top generously with the slaw, extra sauce, a squeeze of lime juice, and any other desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.

Video

Notes

  • TO STORE: The shrimp tastes best the day it is made but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slaw can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and any extra sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Since shrimp tends to dry out when reheated, I prefer to use the leftovers on top of salads. However, you can very gently rewarm the shrimp in a skillet over medium-low heat if needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco (of 8), including tortilla, shrimp, and slawCalories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 13gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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  1. This recipe is out of this World. I used Fresh uncooked deveined Shrimp seasoned it and made the slaw. I happened to have Taco Flavor Seasoned Ranch Dip that I lined the inside of the shell which gave it a Chipotle taste and along with Avocado cubes gave the Taco it creamy flavor.5 stars

  2. I made this tonight. Wife & son both ate ALL of it. The slaw & sauce were amazing, really good flavor! Only change was using small shrimp instead as that was what was on hand. Really good recipe5 stars

  3. I made this for me and my partner. They loved it. Could not stop talking about how refreshing it was. They said it reminded them of their trips where you can pick up tacos from a food cart from the beach. They kept complimenting me. I told them I just followed the recipe. It was soooo delicious and we added avocado on top. The recipe produced 6 tacos for us. 2 for each of us and 2 for my partner to have for lunch the next day. I am making another batch for myself for lunch today. I have leftover sauce for the slaw and am excited to have it again!5 stars

  4. These were delicious! I made a mistake and blended the cabbage with the sauce ingredients but it was still delicious and I’m sure when I make them again the correct way they will even more delicious!5 stars

  5. I don’t like yogurt-based sauces. I think I can sub sour cream, right? Looking forward to making these!

  6. Oh, my goodness! This was a fabulous fast & easy dinner. The sauce really does make the dish. Creamy but not heavy at all and a perfect counter to the shrimp. Tacos + shrimp + spicy = can’t go wrong. Thank you, Erin!5 stars

  7. I’m so glad I literally stumbled across this recipe this morning. I have shrimp in my fridge I need to use up. The Shrimp rub and seasonings were perfect and I love the spice combination. So delicious & a tremendous hit with my shrimp-guzzling, taco-loving grandson! The entire family loved them. The sauce is perfect too.5 stars

  8. I just made this tonight and it was very, very good. I followed the recipe, made no substitutions. I tasted the sauce and thought it was just OK, but when combined with everything else, it is delicious. Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely make it again and we’ll make it for the company.5 stars

  9. So good! My family loves and requests this! For our family, we only needed half of the sauce but to each his own. I doubled the jalapeño, garlic and salt for the sauce. Yummy! My grocery store has fresh corn & flour tortillas. They are delish with this so if your grocery store has them, I highly recommend!5 stars

  10. Great recipe! I added 1tsp of paprika powder, 1/4 tsp of salt & pepper, and fresh garlic to the shrimp for an extra kick. The combination of flavours was delicious and I will definitely make this again!5 stars

  11. I made this for a big family gathering. Very good! I may have put too much lime in the slaw, just added a bit of sugar and salt pepper. Very very good!4 stars

  12. We loved these tacos. I was a little worried about the spice because I can’t take too much heat so I cut the chili powder in half and omitted jalapeños. That worked for me. I loved the yogurt slaw. I served w cheese and mild salsa for hubby and peach salsa for me.5 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, David. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!

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