Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Easy shrimp tacos are ready to eat in less than a half hour! With zippy sautéed shrimp tucked into warm corn tortillas along with tangy cilantro sauce, cotija cheese, and crisp red cabbage, these restaurant-style fish tacos are so delicious.
How long it takes: 25 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: skillet
Servings: 4 (two tacos each)
This Is My Kind of Taco Night
At this point, I have more than 20 shrimp recipes on my site… which is kind of funny considering there was a time I didn’t even like shrimp. Growth. And I love ’em all, from sheet pan shrimp fajitas to crispy air fryer coconut shrimp to grilled shrimp kabobs with pineapple.
I really love these shrimp tacos, too, and I can’t wait for you to try them! If you like shrimp tacos, be sure to try my shrimp tacos with avocado, mango and fresh pineapple salsa, too.
What makes them special:
- Super flavorful! Marinated shrimp, a flavorful creamy cilantro sauce, tangy cotija cheese, and crisp red cabbage combine to make a delicious taco.
- Easy to make. You can have shrimp tacos on the table in about 30 minutes, and they look (and taste) like something you’d order in a restaurant.
- Light but satisfying. Lean protein from shrimp, plus fresh, nutritious toppings.
“I am a beginner at cooking. This was the first recipe I tried. It was so easy that I didn’t mess it up! These tacos were amazing! My husband .. was blown away at how amazing they tasted! Thank you so much!”
Ingredient Notes
- Shrimp: I usually keep a bag of frozen shrimp on hand for meals like this. Small sized shrimp, 50/60 count per pound, are perfect for tacos. The shrimp should be peeled and deveined, with the tails removed.
- Marinade: A blend of seasonings is stirred into olive oil for a simple marinade. You’ll need chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Creamy Sauce: The shrimp taco sauce is made with a blend of mayonnaise and yogurt. You’ll add fresh cilantro, lime juice, and honey to it, along with a few of the same seasonings you’ll use in the marinade.
- Corn Tortillas: Made with ground corn, most corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free. They taste best if they are lightly charred over a gas flame.
- Cotija Cheese: This Mexican cheese is white, dry, and crumbly. It has a salty flavor and is often used to top southwestern-style recipes. If you can’t find it, feta cheese is somewhat similar.
- Red Cabbage: Finely shredded red cabbage adds color, crunch, and nutrition. Green cabbage could be substituted, or even iceberg lettuce.
- Additional Toppings, optional: Pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, pickled red onions, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice are all good choices.
Taco Presentation Made Easy
I love the taco holders that restaurants often use to serve tacos. They hold the tacos upright so the contents don’t spill out of the tortilla which looks more attractive. Taco holders also leave room on your plate for sides.
How to make Shrimp Tacos
Thaw the shrimp. If your shrimp is still frozen, put it in a colander and thaw it under cool running water. It won’t take long because the shrimp are small. Once it’s thawed, pat off excess water with paper towels.
Marinate the shrimp. In a medium sized bowl (large enough to hold the shrimp), blend together olive oil and the seasonings for the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the bowl, toss lightly until coated. Let the shrimp marinate for 15 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
Make the sauce. In a small bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, honey, cilantro, and seasonings. Set it aside until you’re ready to serve the shrimp tacos.
Prep red cabbage and optional toppings. Everything should be pretty much ready to go before you cook the shrimp because it cooks in less than five minutes.
Sauté the shrimp. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Once it’s hot, add the shrimp with the marinade to the pan. Cook for a minute or two, until the shrimp begins to curl and is pink on the bottom side.
Flip or stir, cooking for another minute or two until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
How long should you cook shrimp?
Shrimp come in many sizes ranging from colossal, jumbo, large, medium, small, and tiny. Obviously, large shrimp take longer to cook than small shrimp, but how do you know when they’re done? Raw shrimp are gray, somewhat translucent, and limp, almost mushy. When a shrimp is perfectly cooked, it will be firm, opaque, and pinkish white in color. The shrimp will curl, with the head turning toward the tail into a C-shape. The internal temperature should be 120°F according to ThermoWorks.Assemble the tacos. Spread a little sauce on each tortilla. Next, add a generous teaspoonful of cotija cheese, and then evenly divide the shrimp between the 8 tortillas. Sprinkle on a generous pinch of red cabbage and cilantro leaves, along with other toppings of your choice. Serve immediately.
Serving Ideas
The shrimp tacos go well with Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice. A basket of tortilla chips with fresh pico de gallo is always a good choice.
For a festive occasion, consider serving spicy Paloma cocktails or orange mojitos. Pineapple margaritas are a fun alternative; pineapple agua fresca is a refreshing non-alcoholic choice
Recipe Variations
- Make it a salad or a bowl. Omit the corn tortillas and make a double batch of the sauce. Serve the cooked shrimp on a bed of greens or cilantro lime rice. Add shredded red cabbage and cilantro, and drizzle the sauce over it. Top the salad with cotija cheese crumbles and crispy tortilla strips.
- Substitute green cabbage. If you’re not fond of red cabbage, feel free to use green cabbage or iceberg lettuce, whatever you like best.
- Shrimp options. Skip the marinade and substitute firecracker shrimp or spicy garlic shrimp.
- Top the tacos with mango salsa. This fruity salsa with avocados is so delicious and goes well with any type of seafood taco. It’s wonderful with tortilla chips, too, and you may just find yourself eating it out of the bowl with a spoon.
- Vegetarian options. Try my mushroom tacos or cauliflower tacos with chickpeas. We really love these sweet potato tacos, too. The sweet potatoes are marinated in beer and roasted to crisp perfection.
The sauce can be made up to a day ahead; the red cabbage can be shredded so it’s ready to use. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The shrimp can marinate for an hour or more. Cover and refrigerate the bowl until you’re ready to cook the shrimp.
Refrigerate: The tacos are best eaten immediately. If you have extras, store the shrimp, sauce, toppings, and tortillas separately. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat: To serve, reheat the shrimp briefly in the microwave or in a small skillet just until warmed through. Assemble tacos as directed.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #29. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
More Taco Recipes
Easy Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
For Shrimp:
- 1 pound shrimp (50/60 count) (peeled, deveined, tails removed )
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
For Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For Serving:
- 8 small corn tortillas (see note)
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ½ cup finely shredded red cabbage
Optional Toppings:
- pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, pickled red onions, squeeze of fresh lime juice
Instructions
- If shrimp is frozen, thaw as directed on package. Pat thawed shrimp dry with paper towels.1 pound shrimp (50/60 count)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to make marinade. Add the shrimp the bowl, and toss to coat. Let the shrimp marinate for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for up to an hour).2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- In the meantime, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, honey, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ½ teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until pink and curled.
- If desired, lightly char tortillas over gas burner (see note) or microwave them briefly to soften them.8 small corn tortillas
- To assemble the tacos, spread about a tablespoon of the sauce on tortilla. Sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese, and divide the shrimp among the tortillas. Top with cilantro and shredded red cabbage, and any other optional toppings. Serve immediately.½ cup crumbled cotija cheese, ½ cup finely shredded red cabbage
Notes
- Variations: Flour tortillas may be substituted for corn tortillas, if desired. Shredded green cabbage or head lettuce could be substituted for the red cabbage.
- To char corn tortillas: Put a tortilla directly on a gas burner over medium low heat. When lightly charred (about 2 minutes), use tongs to flip the tortilla over and char the other side (about 1 minute). Keep warm under a damp towel until all the tortillas are charred.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I am a beginner at cooking. This was the first recipe I tried. It was so easy that I didn’t mess it up! These tacos were amazing! My husband was not only shocked that I was trying to cook something new, but was blown away at how amazing they tasted! Thank you so much!
This makes me SO happy! My biggest goal is to make cooking approachable and easy. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review.