Shrimp tacos are a flavorful, quick, and easy dinner that comes together in minutes. Perfect for a healthy weeknight meal!
These tacos are a favorite Seafood meal in my house as well as my Crispy Fish Tacos! Give my Steak Tacos a try too! Or better yet have a Surf and Turf Taco night!
Sabrina’s Shrimp Tacos Recipe
I love cooking shrimp because it takes very little time, and you can have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer for last-minute meals. With just a few minutes, you can have a meal that tastes fresh, healthy, and flavorful, and it doesn’t take any fancy meal prep either. Shrimp is also the perfect protein for a quick dinner.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds shrimp , peeled and deveined (21-25 count)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lime , juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 16 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup green cabbage , finely shredded
- lime wedges
- sour cream
Instructions
- Toss the shrimp with the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, lime juice and lime zest then add it to a large skillet with the vegetable oil on high heat.
- Cook the shrimp for 1 minute on each side until just cooked through and serve on double corn tortillas with cabbage and sour cream and lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
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Table of contents
About this Recipe
Shrimp tacos are a healthy taco option if you keep the toppings under control. With just a bit of olive oil, using lettuce wraps or small tortillas and fresh vegetable toppings (or avocado), you can make them part of your regular meal rotation.
Chef’s Note
Deveining
- Tear away at the shell above the first segment of the shell (the tail segment).
- Take a paring knife and make a shallow cut along the spine (the back of it).
- Using the paring knife or a fork, gently remove the black strip of intestines.
- To remove tails just squeeze out from the bottom of the tail segment.
Thawing
- Overnight thaw method: Place the frozen shrimp in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and defrost the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. Drain the shrimp and pat them dry before cooking.
- Quick thaw method: Place the shrimp in a colander and set it in the sink. Run the water over the shrimp for about 10 -15 minutes. Gently rotate the shrimp with a spatula after 5 minutes. The ice crystals will melt, and the excess water will run down the drain. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels before moving on with your recipe.
Ingredients
Homemade Crema Recipe
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix ingredients well and refrigerate for at least one hour.
You can use sour cream as an alternative to the crema, or you can also use a spicy mayonnaise made by mixing 1 cup of mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of sriracha, which should be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before use.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- If you prefer, you can use olive oil or avocado oil instead of vegetable oil.
- You can marinate the shrimp in the taco seasoning for 30 minutes; just do not add any citrus.
- You can make spicy shrimp by adding a bit of cayenne or sriracha to the marinade.
- If you’d like to make more of a sauce, you can use a mix of tomato sauce, salsa, and taco seasoning warmed in the skillet after cooking is done.
- Cilantro is not in the recipe, but you can add dried cilantro to the seasoning mix or even chopped cilantro and onions as a topping for freshness.
- Heat your tortillas inside a wrapped foil pack so the tortillas stay moist.
- Do not freeze shrimp after it has been thawed. If you buy thawed shrimp from the store, ask your fishmonger if the shrimp has been previously frozen.
Ideas to Serve
There are so many great ways to serve tacos and the best part is you can personalize exactly what you want. Try serving with a variety of toppings. Lime Wedges, Cabbage Slaw, Red Onion, Cotija Cheese, Fresh Cilantro, Avocado, Jalapeno, Hot Sauce, Sriracha, Guacamole, Avocado Salsa, and Mango Salsa would all taste great. Set these out and let your guests choose what they want.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Stovetop Method
In this recipe, cook the shrimp quickly in a large skillet over high heat. A cast-iron skillet is a good choice because it retains heat well. Always preheat your skillet before adding the shrimp to the pan.
Oven Method
Oven-baked shrimp is one of my go-to methods. You can add vegetables to roast alongside the shrimp, too. Bake the well-seasoned shrimp in a cast-iron skillet or on a heavy-duty baking pan at 425° for 5-7 minutes.
Grill Method
If you want to learn how to grill shrimp, try this simple method. Season your shrimp with the seasoning rub, then place three or four shrimp on a skewer. Grilled shrimp are cooked for 2 minutes per side.
Variations
- Cabbage Slaw: We love the simplicity of serving shredded cabbage on tacos. If you have time to elevate your cabbage to a cabbage coleslaw, try this easy cole slaw. Throwing together the coleslaw makes this shrimp dish perfect to share with company.
- Rice: Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime White Rice, or Brown Rice. Healthy cauliflower rice is a good choice and an excellent way to add more vegetables to your meal.
- Corn: Corn Salsa, Fresh corn on the cob, or frozen corn pairs well with tacos.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Seafood
These photos were in a previous version of this post
I can consume these delicious Tacos anytime and anywhere. Best Dinner, breakfast or snacking option too.
No judgement here, haha! Tacos are always a great idea.
These look absolutely scrumptious! Great helpful hints too!
Thanks, Kristina!
I love all of the unique flavors, and the use of cabbage on your tacos! These are going on my Taco Tuesday list for sure!
Thanks, Katie. Enjoy!
Can’t wait to make these for Taco Tuesday!! Thank you for a great recipe!
You’re welcome, Tawnie!
I absolutely love that you used 4 shrimp on each. These look so delicious!
Load it up, am I right?!