These easy shrimp tacos have just the right amount of spice balanced with crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, fresh salsa and lime. Best of all, you can have Mexican food for dinner in under 10 minutes!
Shrimp Tacos
Mexican food is our favorite dinner of the week, not just Tuesdays!
We love the authentic food our grandparents cooked, and also the fusions I’ve invented like Mexican Goulash.
We also love shrimp because they cook up so fast (literally minutes). They’re tender and the meat is sweet.
They soak up whatever seasonings you use which makes them versatile. An all-time favorite is camarones guisados (shrimp in red sauce) with rice or bread for the extra sauce.
I love these easy shrimp tacos because they have just the right amount of spice for flavor, but not too much to overpower the star of the show – the shrimp.
Juicy, succulent shrimp you can throw together with ingredients found in your pantry. For a little spicy kick I use chili powder and chipotle powder.
If you want more heat, add more chipotle. If you don’t like spice at all, just eliminate it.
For the shrimp I used medium sized shrimp (size 61-70). You can use any size you like, but I think medium or small are good for putting in tacos.
Fresh is best when you can get them, but frozen and thawed work just as well. Make sure they are peeled, deveined and tail off. No one wants to bite into a crunchy shell.
Toss the shrimp with the seasonings and put in a pan with a small amount of oil. Any oil will do – olive, canola, coconut or even butter. Use a pan that’s been preheated over medium-high heat.
Let me tell you the secret to tender, juicy shrimp: do not overcook the shrimp. Shrimp only take a few minutes.
Plus, they continue to cook even after you’ve turned off the heat, which is how they end up overdone.
Perfectly cooked shrimp will be pinkish-orange on the outside and opaque (not transparent) on the inside.
Go ahead and test one before the cooking time is up to gauge how much longer is needed. And don’t walk away because they’ll be ready in the blink of an eye.
Because shrimp cook up so easily, be sure you have prepared your tortillas and toppings ahead of time.
Heat your tortillas up ahead of time and keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in foil. You can use corn or flour tortillas for equally delicious results.
My favorite accompaniments for shrimp tacos are shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, pico de gallo salsa and lots of lime.
Other options are cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, mango or pineapple salsa. My husband loves his shrimp tacos with ranch dressing.
Because this is such a simple shrimp taco recipe the options are endless!
Shrimp Tacos
These easy shrimp tacos have just the right amount of spice balanced with crunchy cabbage, creamy avocado, fresh salsa and lime. Best of all, you can have Mexican food for dinner in under 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 24 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 12 corn or flour tortillas
- Toppings: cabbage, pico de gallo, avocado, lime
Instructions
- Prepare your toppings and warm the tortillas so they are
ready as soon as the shrimp is cooked. - In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, chili
powder, chipotle, cumin and pepper until evenly coated. - Add the oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium-high
heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Shrimp should be pink and opaque when cooked through. Remove from heat. - Add shrimp to tortillas along with desired toppings and
serve.
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Queso Fresco Enchiladas – these are not baked so they’re ready to eat right away!
