If you like eating foods that have a little kick to them; a little heated flavor, than these Spicy Shrimp Tacos will be your jam!
These Spicy Shrimp Tacos are a really delicious and easy enough dish to make on weeknights. In addition, these are also great served at parties, super bowl Sunday, or on those long Summer evenings enjoying dinner out in the backyard.
These tacos are loaded with layers of delicious flavors.
First, you have the guacamole base. Layered on top of that is the delicious garlic-lime slaw. Then, comes the star of the dish–the spicy seasoned shrimp.
Following the shrimp is the queso fresco Mexican cheese, fresh chopped cilantro leaves, and a super easy creamy sriracha sauce to top it all off and add a little more heat to the dish.
This shrimp taco dish doesn’t require any complicated steps or fancy ingredients, and can be made in about 30 minutes.
Making the Spicy Shrimp
First, start out by defrosting about a pound worth of shrimp. I put my shrimp into a large bowl and ran some cold water over it and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Repeat the process if the shrimp are still not fully defrosted.
Once defrosted, drain the water from the shrimp and add in the lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt & pepper to taste.
Give it a good stir and let shrimp sit for about 10-15 minutes to marinate and absorb all the flavors.
Now, to cook the shrimp. Heat a medium cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet with enough oil to coat the bottom of pan (about 1 tablespoon). Heat for about 1-2 minutes to get it nice and hot.
Now, add in the shrimp and cook for about 6 minutes. Three minutes on each side. Transfer cooked shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Making the Garlic-Lime Slaw
Measure out about 3 cups worth of shredded green cabbage and place into a medium sized bowl or container. I just bought a premade package of shredded cabbage to make my job easier.
Next, you’re going to want to prepare the garlic-lime dressing that goes over the cabbage.
In a high speed blender or food processor, combine the following: lime juice, minced garlic, fresh cilantro leaves, sour cream, water, and salt to taste.
Pour a small amount of dressing over shredded cabbage and lightly mix to get it evenly coated. You won’t be using the entire dressing because then your cabbage would be swimming in it.
Just enough dressing to coat the shredded cabbage! Set prepared cabbage aside.
Making the Creamy Sriracha Sauce
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, sriracha sauce, and garlic powder and set aside. That was easy! 🙂
Putting Together Shrimp Tacos
Warm up the corn tortillas directly over the burner on the stove or you can place the tortilla on a skillet and warm it up that way. Feel free to use tongs if you feel more comfortable when heating over an open flame.
Place two corn tortillas together. Start by adding about 2 teaspoons worth of guacamole to tortilla and spread around.
Next, layer the garlic-lime slaw on top of the guacamole. Add on top of the slaw about 4-5 shrimp.
Continue by layering on the fresh chopped cilantro leaves, crumbled queso fresco cheese, and dollop or drizzle the creamy sriracha sauce on top.
Note: Feel free to use some of that left-over garlic-lime dressing to top on your tacos as well.
Other Great Topping Ideas:
- Fresh Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Lime Juice
- Hot sauce
- guacamole or avocado slices
- diced onion
Makes 6 tacos.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Equipment
- High-speed blender or Food processor
- skillet
Ingredients
Spicy Shrimp Mixture:
- 1 lb. shrimp
- lime juice, half of a lime
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic-Lime Slaw:
- 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
- lime juice, one lime
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/8 cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups cabbage, shredded
Creamy Sriracha Sauce:
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp. siricha sauce
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Other Items:
- 12 corn tortillas
- 12 tsps. guacamole
- 6 tbsp. queso fresco cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Making Spicy Shrimp Tacos
- First, start out by defrosting about a pound worth of shrimp. I put my shrimp into a large bowl and ran some cold water over it and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Repeat the process if the shrimp are still not fully defrosted.
- Once defrosted, drain the water from the shrimp and add in the lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Give it a good stir and let shrimp sit for about 10-15 minutes to marinate and absorb all the flavors.
- Now, to cook the shrimp. Heat a medium cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet with enough oil to coat the bottom of pan (about 1 tablespoon). Heat for about 1-2 minutes to get it nice and hot.
- Now, add in the shrimp and cook for about 6 minutes. Three minutes on each side. Transfer cooked shrimp to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Making the Garlic-Lime Slaw
- Measure out about 3 cups worth of shredded green cabbage and place into a medium sized bowl or container. I just bought a premade package of shredded cabbage to make my job easier.
- Next, you're going to want to prepare the garlic-lime dressing that goes over the cabbage.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, combine the following: lime juice, minced garlic, fresh cilantro leaves, sour cream, water, and salt to taste.
- Pour a small amount of dressing over shredded cabbage and lightly mix to get it evenly coated. You won't be using the entire dressing because then your cabbage would be swimming in it.
- Just enough dressing to coat the shredded cabbage! Set prepared cabbage aside.
Making the Creamy Sriracha Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, sriracha sauce, and garlic powder and set aside.
Putting It All Together
- Warm up the corn tortillas directly over the burner on the stove or you can place the tortilla on a skillet and warm it up that way. Feel free to use tongs if you feel more comfortable when heating over an open flame.
- Place two corn tortillas together. Start by adding about 2 teaspoons worth of guacamole to tortilla and spread around.
- Next, layer the garlic-lime slaw on top of the guacamole. Add on top of the slaw about 4-5 shrimp.
- Continue by layering on the fresh chopped cilantro leaves, crumbled queso fresco cheese, and dollop or drizzle the creamy sriracha sauce on top.
- Note: Feel free to use some of that left-over garlic-lime dressing to top on your tacos as well.
Other Great Topping Ideas:
- Fresh Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Lime Juice
- Hot sauce
- guacamole or avocado slices
- diced onion
Notes
Nutrition
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The best shrimp tacos ever!
The very best! Great flavors and just the right amount of heat 😉
So good! Just the right amount of heat. The flavors all compliment each other. That’s why I kept going back for more! And so simple👍😁