These simple shrimp tacos are a quick and easy dinner option that features tender shrimp, slaw, and creamy cilantro lime sauce, all inside warm corn tortillas. This is my favorite way to do taco night!
These shrimp tacos are quickly becoming one of my family’s favorite dinner options. And every time I make a recipe with shrimp, I ask myself why I don’t cook with it more often. It’s so easy and tasty!
I actually came across this recipe over at Kirsten’s Home Cooking. It’s the perfect light and easy meal that doesn’t require me to be stuck in the kitchen all night.
Let me tell you guys, these are so good and so easy.
I pretty much stuck to Kirsten’s recipe, except I swapped the sour cream for some fat-free Greek yogurt, served them with fresh guac, and I doubled the recipe. It’s a keeper!
How Do You Make Shrimp Tacos?
This shrimp taco recipe is SUPER easy! Just a few simple steps and you’re well on your way to a flavorful dinner!
- Heat tortillas in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots. Set aside.
- Mix creamy cilantro lime sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook cabbage in a skillet until just wilted. Set aside.
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Cut shrimp into thirds, so you have little bite-size pieces.
- Sauté shrimp in a hot skillet with two teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Cook until pink.
- Assemble tacos with cabbage, shrimp, creamy cilantro sauce, and other desired toppings.
How Do You Peel Shrimp?
For this recipe, you’ll need raw, uncooked shrimp that have been defrosted if bought frozen. I typically buy shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined for convenience. If your shrimp have shells, remove the shells by pulling the main part of the shell off with your fingers, then gently pull off the tail end of the shell. To devein the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut a slit along the top of the shrimp and use the knife to remove the vein.
Tips For Shrimp Tacos
- We like corn tortillas for shrimp tacos, but you can use flour tortillas if preferred.
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp – shrimp cooks very quickly. It will be whitish pink and curled into a loose “C” shape when fully cooked.
- For convenience, buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage for making the slaw.
- The creamy cilantro sauce can be made a day in advance.
Variations
We love this recipe as-is but feel free to switch things up a bit depending on the ingredients you have available.
- Try replacing the shrimp with a white fish, such as cod or tilapia.
- Add in other ingredients, like corn, black beans, red onion, or diced tomato.
- Top the tacos with guacamole or sliced avocado, jalapeño slices, cotija cheese, or pickled red onion. Don’t forget a splash of fresh lime juice!
What I love best about this recipe is that it’s just so quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients! These sizzling shrimp tacos are going on my regular dinner menu rotation. They were such a hit!
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