Affiliate links will always be marked with an asterisk! ♡
It’s almost hard to talk about these tacos, that’s how much I love them.
Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk! ♡
What we have going on here is delicious spice-loaded shrimp tucked in between smashed avocado and a cabbage slaw that is heavy with a homemade creamy lime sauce. Question: topped with crumbly, salty Cotija cheese, and wrapped in a corn tortilla with a wedge of lime squeezed over the top? Answer: Yes.
More cilantro. More lime. More avocado and spicy shrimp.
The world just seems so right.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Let’s talk more about the sauce for these shrimp tacos.
All you need is sour cream, lime juice, garlic, some herbs, and olive oil. Blitz it all up together and you’re in business.
We’re gonna toss it with some shredded cabbage (see above) and ALSO give these tacos a good shower on top. Because there is no such thing as too much sauce. Especially when it comes to tacos.
How To Cook Shrimp For Tacos
How to Prepare the Shrimp
It might give you the scaries but I’d recommend getting tail-on shrimp (fresh or frozen) and peel and devein them yourself. Don’t worry – it’s easier than you think.
Ways to Cook the Shrimp
These are made in a skillet, but if the sun is shining and the beer is cold and the grill is hot, then you do you and grill those shrimp! Might be best to get them on some skewers* for a much less frustrating grilling experience.
The BEST Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw – ready in about 30 minutes and loaded with flavor and texture. SO YUM!
Ingredients
Units
Garlic Cilantro Lime Sauce:
1/4cupoil
1/4cupwater
1/2cup chopped green onions
1/2cupcilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoonsalt
juice of 2limes
1/2cupsour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
Shrimp Taco Spice Mix:
2 teaspoonseachchili powder and cumin
1/2 teaspooneachonion powder and garlic powder
1/4 teaspooncayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 teaspooncoarse sea salt
Stuff for the Shrimp Tacos:
1lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
2–3cups shredded green cabbage
8 small tortillas (corn or flour)
avocados, Cotija cheese, and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Sauce: Pulse all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth.
Slaw: Toss some of the sauce (not all) with the cabbage. We’ll use the leftover sauce to top the tacos.
Shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss the shrimp in a small bowl with the spice mix to get it coated. Heat a drizzle of oil a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and sauté for 5-8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through.
Assembly: For the prettiest and easiest-to-eat assembly, go in this order: smashed avocado, slaw, and shrimp. Finish with Cotjia cheese, lime wedges, and extra sauce.