These Easy Shrimp Tacos are light, fresh, and so full of flavor! Simple and easy to make, they’re ideal for a busy weeknight meal.
You. Guys.
It is Cinco de Mayo AND Taco Tuesday. On. The. Same. Day. As a lover of tacos and margaritas and all things delicious, this feels like a small miracle. Tacos and I are like star crossed lovers and this is OUR day.
I am pretty hard core missing my favorite taco restaurant. I got take out from them the other day, and it was amazing, but I decided I needed to be able to make awesome tacos like them at home.
Enter these incredible and easy Shrimp Tacos.
HOW TO MAKE SHRIMP TACOS
These tacos are very simple to make, and require just a few spices and ingredients.
We start by seasoning the thawed and raw shrimp with taco seasoning. I’m breaking it down to exactly how much you need to make this recipe, but I strongly encourage you to keep a big batch of my taco seasoning on hand. You will need 3 tablespoons of it for this recipe.
After thawing the shrimp pat them down. The thawing process leads to shrimp that are very wet. Simple put the shrimp on a paper towel lined plate and pat them down to remove excess liquid before marinating.
Add the shrimp, taco seasoning, oil, and a little lime juice to a bowl. Let it sit, covered, in your refrigerator for 15 – 20 minutes. We are marinating the shrimp and allowing the acid in the lime juice to break down and penetrate just the first layer of the shrimp.
After they have marinated for a little bit, add them to a hot skillet. You want to add just enough to the skillet so that they are in a single layer. Cook only for about 2 to 3 minutes, flipping in between. We want to cook them until they turn pink. If you cook too long they will be chewy and unappetizing.
Cook them in batches, returning them to a clean plate and losely covering them while cooking the next batch.
TOPPING SHRIMP TACOS
The sky is the limit with how to top these easy shrimp tacos. I made some cilantro creama to go on top and then added red and green cabbage. Here are some other great options:
- My Pineapple Salsa might be my favorite way to eat tacos.
- Another great option is this Corn Salsa. It’s perfect with shrimp.
- Finally, you could just go with a little guacamole.
HOW TO MAKE CILANTRO CREMA
In general, Crema is like a thin sour cream that has an added flavoring to it. Cilantro Crema is exactly like it sounds. It has a great cilantro flavoring with a little lime juice and salt. It is perfect for these tacos.
- Add sour cream, cilantro, and a lime juice to a blender or food processor.
- Process until it is smooth.
This part of the recipe is best eaten the day it is made.
Please note that you may want to add only half the lime juice and salt that the recipe calls for. After the initial processing, you can always add more to taste.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SHRIMP TACOS
If you are making a big Cinco de Mayo spread for your family, I have some other great options. Plus, all of the toppings listed above would make great dips.
- My Crockpot Chicken Tacos are always a great idea, and only 3 ingredients.
- I love making my Cilantro Lime Rice to go on the side.
- Pico de Gallo is a must in my opinion.
- And of course is it even Cinco de Mayo if you don’t make margaritas? My recipe is hands down THE BEST.
If you make any of my recipes or this shrimp taco recipe, I would love if you would come back and leave me a comment! Hearing from you makes my day.
Easy Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 pounds raw frozen shrimp, deviened and peeled thaw according to package instructions
- 1 tablespoon chili powder (please see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Cilantro Crema
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 2 teaspoons lime juice (see note 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Assembling Tacos
- 12 soft shell corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 avocado sliced
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Shrimp
- Pat the shrimp down with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid that accrued during thawing.2 pounds raw frozen shrimp, deviened and peeled
- In a measuring cup, mix together the chili powder, paprika, kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper with the olive oil and lime juice. Pour over the thawed shrimp in a large bowl, and mix to combine. Refrigerate, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. (Move on to making the Cilantro Crema and shredding the cabbage.)1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough shrimp to the skillet to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Cook for 4 to 5 mintues, flipping once half way through. Cook so that the shrimp turn pink, but before they completely curl in on themselves.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate. You will need to cook the shrimp in mutliple batchs.
Cilantro Crema
- Add the sour cream, cilantro, 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until fully combined. Taste and add the rest of the lime juice and kosher salt a little at a time to taste, or more if needed.1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Assembling Tacos
- Add cabbage, avocado slices, and then shrimp to the taco shells. Top with some of the cilantro crema and fresh cilantro.12 soft shell corn tortillas, 1 cup shredded red cabbage, 1 avocado, cilantro
Notes
- You can replace the spices in this recipe (from the chili powder down to the cayenne pepper) with 3 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning or a 1 ounce packet of store bought taco seasoning.
- I recommend adding half the lime juice and salt when you initially blend this. Taste the recipe and add more to taste.
- Please note that the nutritional information does not contain the cilantro crema as the amount you use will greatly change the values. I recommend calculating this separately based on the brand of sour cream you use.
Stacie says
I Love all of these recipes, one of my favorites…I Always read your recipes but this was full of delicious stuff and easy to make. Thanks, your Wonderful!!
I’m so glad you liked these!