If you’ve never tried shrimp tacos, you need to!!! This shrimp taco recipe has multiple bursts of flavor, that will leave you wanting more!!
I have to admit I always thought the idea of shrimp tacos and fish tacos was weird. I was thinking they were the same flavor as regular tacos, just with seafood as the meat. Duh, I wasn’t even close!
Shrimp tacos (and tacos made with seafood) are quite unique. They aren’t made with the same spices as beef or pork tacos. These shrimp tacos are sweet and scrumptious and just a bit zippy!
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Ingredients for this Shrimp Taco Recipe…
This shrimp taco recipe calls for a pound of shrimp that have been peeled and deveined with the tail removed.
To prepare the shrimp for the tacos you’ll also need garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper flakes, cilantro, and pepper!!
The rest of the ingredients for this recipe are 6” flour or corn tortilla shells and cilantro lime slaw.
For the slaw you’ll need shredded cabbage, more cilantro, 2 limes , sour cream, more garlic, and olive oil.
I also like to add mango salsa and yet more cilantro as toppings! You can make your own mango salsa if you have a good recipe, or do like I do and purchase mango salsa from the store!!
Shredded mozzarella or Monterey cheese (really any shredded cheese will work!) adds the final touch to these yummy delights!!!
Making the Slaw…
In a medium mixing bowl combine ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, the juice from 2 limes (about ½ cup or so), ¼ cup olive oil, and ½ cup sour cream.
Place about 3 cups shredded cabbage (I buy the pre-shredded bags of cabbage!) in a large mixing bowl. Add a little of the dressing at a time to the cabbage and stir it together until it resembles the consistency of coleslaw.
You might not use all the dressing in the slaw, so you can use the leftover dressing as an additional topping on the shrimp tacos!
Set the slaw (and any leftover dressing) in the fridge until you’re ready to construct the shrimp tacos! It works great to make the slaw ahead of time so there’s less fuss later!
Preparing the Shrimp…
In a small bowl combine 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon minced ginger, 4 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste!), and 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro.
Marinade the shrimp in this mixture for 15-30 minutes. Discard marinade.
In a large skillet pan sear the shrimp in a little olive oil. Sear them on both sides until browned a bit and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes per side. I love how the shrimp get all pretty pink when they’re cooked!
Assembling the Shrimp Tacos…
I like to place the tortilla shells in a frying pan (one at a time) and warm them over medium-high heat. Place the warmed tortillas on a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel until you’ve got them all heated and are ready to make up the tacos!
To each shell add a few shrimp and a spoonful (or two!) of slaw!
Top with mango salsa, shredded cheese, and additional cilantro! Oh, and if you have more dressing left over you can add a little of that too!
These tacos are so small you won’t feel guilty going back for seconds!!!
Corn on the cob makes an amazing side to these shrimp taco yummies!
Enjoy!
Shrimp Tacos
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Ingredients
- Slaw:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- juice of 2 limes
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage or a bag of coleslaw mix
- Shrimp:
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
- 4 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- pepper to taste
- Toppings:
- mango salsa
- shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese any shredded cheese will work!
- extra cilantro
Instructions
- Make the cilantro lime slaw first and set it in the fridge while you prepare the shrimp. To make the slaw mix the slaw ingredients listed above in a small bowl. This will be the dressing.
- In a large bowl add the shredded cabbage or bag of shredded coleslaw. Slowly add the mixed dressing to the cabbage until the slaw is the consistency of coleslaw. If there is more dressing left over it can be used as topping on the shrimp tacos.
- To make the shrimp combine the garlic, ginger, honey , soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper flakes, cilantro, and pepper. Marinade shrimp in mixture 15-30 minutes. Drain and discard marinade.
- Over medium-high heat sear shrimp in a large skillet in a little bit of oil. Sear on both sides until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Remove from skillet and set aside until ready to assemble tacos.
- Warm tortilla shells in a skillet. To assemble add a few shrimp, a spoonful or two of the slaw, and mango salsa and extra cilantro. Also top with the shredded cheese and any other toppings of your choice.
- Enjoy!
