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This easy shrimp tacos recipe is made with zesty shrimp, cilantro lime coleslaw, sliced avocado and a spicy chipotle crema. Kick them up a notch with homemade flour tortillas too, if you’d like!
Meet the zesty shrimp tacos that we can’t stop making lately. ♡
Since other proteins haven’t been reliably in stock at our local grocery store these past few weeks, we’ve been cooking with frozen shrimp more than ever while we have been stuck at home. And one recipe we keep craving again and again are these ultra-flavorful shrimp tacos.
They are basically just a simple riff on my favorite crispy baked fish tacos, filled with a bright and creamy cilantro lime slaw, lots of fresh avocado, a quick chipotle crema, and sprinkled with any of your favorite toppings. But the shrimp here are what really set this recipe over the top. They are coated in an extra-generous sprinkling of taco seasoning and then briefly cooked over high heat so that the spices are lightly charred and pack the best bold and zesty flavors. And when loaded up together with all of the other fillings in soft tortillas — especially these amazing homemade flour tortillas that I’m currently obsessing over! — these shrimp tacos are a total, delicious win.
Here’s how to make them!
Shrimp Taco Ingredients:
To make this shrimp tacos recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Shrimp: Just a pound of peeled and deveined large shrimp.
- Taco seasoning: Either store-bought or homemade taco seasoning, which we will use to season the shrimp along with some sea salt and black pepper.
- Tortillas: I’m loving these homemade flour tortillas lately, but you can use any type of homemade or store-bought tortillas that you prefer.
- Cilantro Lime Slaw: I whipped up a batch of this favorite slaw, made with cole slaw mix, Greek yogurt, cilantro, green onions, lime juice, garlic and seasonings — which I love. But if you would like a simpler slaw option, see an alternate simpler recipe below.
- Chipotle Crema: Made with Greek yogurt (or mayo), one chipotle in adobo, lime juice and sea salt.
- Favorite Toppings: Feel free to also sprinkle the tacos with any toppings you love, such as chopped fresh cilantro, chopped red or white onion, sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers, and/or crumbled cotija cheese.
How To Make Shrimp Tacos:
Here’s a quick overview of how to make shrimp tacos! Full instructions included in the recipe below…
- Prep the slaw and crema: Prep the cilantro lime slaw and the chipotle crema. (Feel free to puree the crema in a blender, or you can just finely chop the chipotle then stir everything together in a bowol)
- Cook the shrimp. Season the shrimp with lots of taco seasoning, plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Then sauté in oil in a non-stick pan until they are cooked through.
- Assemble the tacos: Load those tortillas up with a generous serving of the slaw, a few slices of avocado, a few shrimp, a drizzle of chipotle crema and sprinkle of your favorite toppings.
- Serve. Then dive in while they’re nice and warm and ENJOY!
Possible Variations:
Want to customize this shrimp tacos recipe? Feel free to…
- Make it gluten-free: Just use gluten-free tortillas (flour or corn), and double-check that your taco seasoning is gluten-free (if using store-bought).
- Make it dairy-free: Use vegan mayo in place of the Greek yogurt.
- Make it spicier: Mix 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of cayenne into the taco seasoning, use a jalapeño in the slaw recipe, and/or top your tacos with sliced jalapeño peppers.
- Make a simpler slaw: Just mix 1 bag of cole slaw mix with 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and season with a generous pinch of salt, black pepper and ground cumin. Feel free to also drizzle in some honey for a sweeter slaw.
- Use chipotle chili powder: Instead of using canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, you are welcome to sub in 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder. (Then you can just stir the crema together instead of pureeing it in a blender.)
More Favorite Taco Recipes:
Looking for more winning taco recipes? Here are a few of my faves:
Description
This easy shrimp tacos recipe is made with zesty shrimp, cilantro lime coleslaw, sliced avocado and a spicy chipotle crema. See notes above for possible recipe variations and shortcuts too.
Scale
Ingredients
Shrimp Taco Ingredients:
Chipotle Crema Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or mayo)
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce (or 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the slaw and crema: Prepare the cilantro lime slaw according to instructions. Combine all of the chipotle crema ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.*
- Cook the shrimp. In a mixing bowl, toss the shrimp with the taco seasoning, plus a generous pinch of salt and black pepper, until evenly coated. Heat oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once, until they are opaque and cooked through. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
- Assemble the tacos: Fill each flour tortillas with a generous serving of the slaw, a few slices of avocado, a few shrimp, a drizzle of chipotle crema and sprinkle of your favorite toppings.
- Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
How to make chipotle crema by hand: If you would like to skip the blender, just finely chop the chipotle in adobo sauce and stir it together with the other ingredients in a mixing bowl until evenly combined. Or if you are using chipotle powder, you can definitely just stir the ingredients together by hand.
