Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos

2 weeks ago 16

Author:Erren HartPublished:5/03/2024Last Updated:5/03/2024

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This easy, spicy shrimp tacos recipe is great for busy nights! Spiced, juicy shrimp served with your favorite toppings in a warm tortilla.

Serve alongside guacamole and homemade salsa for a fresh, spicy meal everyone will love.

Two shrimp tacos with avocado and red cabbage in corn tortillas, topped with crumbled cheese and creamy sauce, served with lime and extra sauce on the side.

I adore seafood, and my favorite is shrimp. When you cook with shrimp, you know you’re getting a quick, easy, and tasty treat, and this shrimp taco recipe is no exception.

This recipe is a real crowd-pleaser because it provides everything you need for the spicy shrimp but allows you to choose your own toppings, so everyone gets a taco just as they like it!

Delicious By Design

We were on a mission to create the perfect weeknight dinner: something incredibly flavorful but that wouldn’t take forever to make. Spicy shrimp with a cooling cilantro-lime sauce seemed like a tasty starting point. Flour tortillas were the ideal base to hold all the goodness.

Next came the toppings! We wanted a mix of textures and tastes. Creamy avocado balanced the spice, while fresh, crunchy cabbage added a contrasting bite. Juicy tomatoes brought a burst of flavor to every bite. The result? Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos – a flavor explosion in under 30 minutes!

Shrimp Buying Guide

There are a lot of choices when buying shrimp. Here’s some guidance for making the best purchase.

Fresh isn’t as fresh as you think. Just because shrimp is presented raw doesn’t mean it’s fresh. Only a small proportion (around 10%) of shrimp sold in the United States comes from the United States. The rest is imported, so it has probably already been frozen. Make sure you ask on the counter and do not buy defrosted.
When buying frozen, choose shrimp that are individually frozen instead of in a block; that way, you can thaw exactly what you need. For detailed information on this topic, see my post on how to thaw frozen shrimp
Buy untreated shrimp. Some manufacturers chemically treat shrimp, so check the package ingredients and make sure “Shrimp” is the only ingredient listed.

A taco filled with succulent shrimp, nestled among fresh avocado and crunchy red cabbage, topped with crumbled cheese and herbs, accompanied by a lime wedge on the side.

For Fresh From Scratch Flavor

We created this recipe to make it an easy weeknight pantry meal, so it doesn’t call for any fresh ingredients. However, we often add fresh chopped garlic to the pan with the shrimp at the end and cook it for 30 seconds. Then, we finish with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime for brightness.

Make It Your Own

The beauty of tacos is their endless customization possibilities! Swap flour tortillas for corn or even lettuce leaves for a lighter option. Craving something creamier? Ditch the crema and add a dollop of guacamole. Want to turn up the heat? Salsa roja or verde are your friends. For a vegetarian twist, replace the shrimp with portobello mushrooms or tofu. Feeling adventurous? Throw in some grilled pineapple for a touch of sweetness. Finally, swap the shredded cabbage for a refreshing slaw made with a mix of colorful veggies and a light vinaigrette.

Shrimp tacos with avocado slices and red cabbage in a toasted tortilla, sprinkled with cheese and herbs, served with a side of lime.

How To Tell When Shrimp Are Cooked

Shrimp cook very quickly, so it’s best to stay on top of them as they cook. As a shrimp cook, they change shape, going from a horseshoe to a half-circle shape when perfectly cooked. If they start to form a circle, they start cooking over and should be removed from the pan!

Alternatively, for the most accurate results, you can use a meat thermometer and cook the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F/62°C.

Erren’s Top Tips

Don’t overcrowd the pan for the best sear on the shrimp. Overcrowding will cause the shrimp to steam instead of brown. When in doubt, it’s best to cook in batches.
Avoid nonstick pans when searing food. Nonstick surfaces make it difficult to get a good, brown sear without overcooking.

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Let’s Make Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Juicy shrimp with Mexican inspired spices and fresh cilantro, served on a flour tortilla with a lime crama. Quick, easy, and extremely satisfying.

Prep15 minutes

Cook10 minutes

Total25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crema Sauce

▢ ½ cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
▢ 2 tablespoons heavy cream
▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
▢ 1 tablespoon lime zest finely grated
▢ 3 tablespoons cilantro very finely chopped
▢ 1 clove garlic finely minced
▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For The Shrimp

▢ 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined, tails removed
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
▢ 2 teaspoon chili powder*
▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ 2 teaspoon cumin
▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
▢ 2 tablespoons oil

To Assemble

▢ 8 corn tortillas or flour tortillas, 6-inch, warmed
▢ 1 avocado large, sliced or diced
▢ Cotija cheese crumbled
▢ 2 cups shredded red cabbage or green cabbage
▢ Tomatoes deseeded and chopped

Instructions

For The Crema Sauce

In a bowl, mix together sour cream (or Greek yogurt), mayonnaise, heavy cream, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or lime juice as needed.
Cover the bowl and chill the sauce until ready to use.

For the Shrimp

Pat dry the shrimp well with paper towels.
In a small bowl, combine all the seasoning spices to make the seasoning mix. Add the shrimp to the bowl and coat them evenly.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side until cooked through.

To Assemble

Layer each warmed tortilla with shrimp, avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese, shredded cabbage, and chopped tomatoes.
Drizzle each taco generously with Cilantro-Lime Crema Sauce.

Tips + Notes

This recipe yields about 8 tacos.

*Chili Powder (Not to be confused with chile powder) is a commonly used American spice mix. It’s most often made up of ground chili pepper, paprika, garlic, and cumin. It’s not as hot as ground chili pepper so if you can’t get it where you are, use a half teaspoon of paprika, an eighth teaspoon of cyan pepper.

For Fresh From Scratch Flavor

I created this recipe to make it an easy, weeknight pantry meal so it doesn’t call for any fresh ingredients, but I often add fresh chopped garlic to the pan with the shrimp at the end and then cook it for 30 seconds. Then I finish with chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Tip

Don’t overcrowd the pan for the best sear on the shrimp. Overcrowding will cause the shrimp to steam instead of brown. When in doubt, it’s best to cook in batches.