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Before you start eating this shrimp taco, politely apologize to your family that you’ll be unavailable for the next 15 minutes (5 minutes to wolf it down and 10 minutes of food coma). These Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa are a yummy mouthful and you will not want to put them down.
This was inspired by the famous fish tacos at Coconut’s Fish Cafe that we tried twice in Maui. It’s a copycat recipe except for the shrimp part. Since it’s really hard to come by fresh Mahi and Ono in Idaho, we chose shrimp. To be honest, I think I loved the shrimp more; not a hint of fishiness and perfectly seasoned with a subtle spicy kick.
This Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa recipe makes 6 towering, juicy shrimp tacos. They aren’t neat and tidy either; that’s intentional! I like having a fork nearby to clean my plate once I’m done with my taco. 😉
Did I mention they are GLUTEN FREE? Those are white corn tortillas you’re seeing! My oh my these were amazing.
Ingredients For the Shrimp:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (click for quick tutorial)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt (I used sea salt)
Coconut Coleslaw (click here for the recipe)
Mango Avocado Salsa
1/2 small Red Onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp of canned hot Jalapenos, finely chopped
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1 fresh Mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
3 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
To Serve:
12 Small white corn tortillas
1 medium tomato, diced
1 Lemon cut into 6 wedges
How To Make Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa:
Prepping the Shrimp:
1. Combine 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp salt and sprinkle over shrimp. Stir shrimp to coat evenly.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Swirl in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and saute about 1 min per side, or until pink and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Once shrimp are cooled, chop into large pieces if desired (they’re easier to eat if chopped).
Prep your Coconut Coleslaw:
Click here for the full recipe & tutorial. Don’t skip the coleslaw, ok? For goodness sake, DON’T!
Mango Salsa:
1. In a medium bowl, combine: diced red onion, 2 Tbsp jalapeños, 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro, diced mango and diced avocado then drizzle in 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and stir to combine.
Assembly:
1. When ready to serve, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Stack 2 tortillas on top of each other and once the oil is hot, saute until the bottom is golden (no need to flip the tortillas). You’ll see the top one curl up; this is a good thing. The top one should be warm not toasted. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
2. Place 1/6th of the shrimp on each taco (I like to make it an assembly line and have everyone make their own taco, that way I can focus on what’s important; like eating my taco!)
Add 1/6th of the coleslaw (it seems like a lot but you’ll thank me later), top with 1/6 of the mango salsa and finally stud the top with some freshly diced tomatoes. Put a wedge of lemon on each plate because they are even more amazing with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top.
Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw and Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, I used sea salt
Coconut Coleslaw
- Visit NatashasKitchen.com to print coconut coleslaw recipe
Mango Avocado Salsa
- 1/2 small Red Onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp of canned hot Jalapenos, finely chopped
- 1/4 bunch of cilantro
- 1 fresh Mango, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
To Serve:
- 12 Small white corn tortillas
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 Lemon cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
Prepping the Shrimp:
- Combine 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp salt and sprinkle over shrimp. Stir shrimp to coat evenly.
- Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Swirl in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and saute about 1 min per side, or until pink and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Once shrimp are cooled, chop into large pieces if desired (they're easier to eat if chopped).
Prep your Coconut Coleslaw:
- Visit: https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/04/01/creamy-coconut-coleslaw-recipe/ for the full recipe & tutorial.
Mango Salsa
- In a medium bowl, combine: diced red onion, 2 Tbsp jalapeños, 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro, diced mango and diced avocado then drizzle in 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and stir to combine.
Assembly:
- When ready to serve, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Stack 2 tortillas on top of each other and once the oil is hot, saute until the bottom is golden (no need to flip the tortillas). You'll see the top one curl up; this is a good thing. The top one should be warm not toasted. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Place 1/6th of the shrimp on each taco (I like to make it an assembly line and have everyone make their own taco, that way I can focus on what's important; like eating my taco!) Add 1/6th of the coleslaw (it seems like a lot but you'll thank me later), top with 1/6 of the mango salsa and finally stud the top with some freshly diced tomatoes. Put a wedge of lemon on each plate because they are even more amazing with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top.
Can you tell these are my favorite tacos? They can be your favorite too! 😉 Swoon…
This was fantastic! Only changes I made were I used canned diced mangos and lime instead of lemon. I loved it. I see what you mean about pigging out on them, lol. I will definitely make this a lot more. I didn’t think I was going to like the way the tortillas were cooked with one being soft but they were great too. Great dish. Thanks
Hi Brenda! That sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing with us. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this tonight and it was a bit of mixed feelings for me.
The shrimp was seasoned PERFECTLY, this seasoning mix will be my go-to for shrimp and some fish like tilapia from now on. The mango salsa was tasty but I felt that it lacked some flavor; I feel like a lot depends on how flavorful the mango is and I think maybe mine wasn’t; next time I’ll try it with pineapple instead of mango. The coconut slaw recipe made a lot for 6 tacos, next time I’ll halve it. I followed the recipe closely and felt that the slaw lacked something; I’m used to slaw being tangy and with 2 tsp of vinegar this one wasn’t. I added a little salt and a bit more apple cider vinegar and still it wasn’t quite what I expected. I could barely taste the horseradish so maybe next time I should add a little more. I enjoyed the coconut taste. Despite my minor gripes the result was very good and will definitely make it again, thank you for the recipe. Tomorrow I am making the fish tacos with the cotija cheese; looking forward to it.
Hi Lorena, you are very welcome and I hope you love the fish tacos also!
Alaskan here and this is going to be my “go to” recipe for Halibut tacos. Although, I love this for shrimp too!
Yay! Great to know that, Laurie.
Delicious. Thank you for the recipe. We love coconuts, and I am so happy I found your copycat recipe. I subbed cod for the shrimp – I bet shrimp is wonderful, too!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review, Leanne!
Well said, Natasha….”5 minutes to wolf it down and 10 minutes of food coma”! That’s exactly how we felt!!! I’ve had this recipe printed out for quite some time and now kicking myself that I waited so long to try this exceptionally wonderful recipe. Thanks again for posting another winner!
You’re very welcome! I’m happy to know that you loved this recipe a lot!
Love your recipes. Seen the one on sausage. Do you have one to red hots
What recipe is it exactly that you are looking for? I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
Delicious! I didn’t use shrimp, I ordered Mahi from Honolulu. The coleslaw could use more mayo sauce. I vaguely remember juices dripping down my arm at Coconut’s.
Thank you for your comments and feedback, Victoria. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Sooooo yummy
Thank you, Sue!
These shrimp tacos are the best thing I’ve ever made or eaten! The shrimp paired w/ the coconut slaw and mango salsa is genius and devine! It’s like a flavor explosion!! All the senses were satisfied with this dish! Thank you so much for sharing all these awesome recipes!!
Thank you Robin, I’m glad that you liked it.
Natasha, these were soooo good! My hubby who said he only wanted one ended up eating three! I did have a problem in cooking the shells. It could be the brand I used…or…me!! At any rate they didn’t turn out like yours. Wish you had a video on exactly how you did that. Regardless, these were great and thank you!
Thank you for sharing that with me, Connie! I’m so happy you both enjoyed this recipe overall. Thank you for the video recipe suggestion.
Yummy for my tummy! I made these tonight. They were a big hit. I doubled the recipe for leftovers and I’m glad that I did because I think we ate half in one sitting!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
It isn’t mango season and I definitely want to make this for my family. Can I use frozen but thawed mangoes?
Hi Casey, I haven’t tested that with frozen mangoes but it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
My son and I had been talking about fish tacos, but my husband prefers shellfish, so I decided to try your delicious-looking shrimp tacos recipe. We also made our own tortillas using half corn masa and half all-purpose flour. The process was a labor of love, but the results were – “Oh! I don’t want this meal to end!”
My husband, who is not effusive, said they were the best tacos he has ever eaten. Thank you for this recipe! Now, he’ll be open to trying your fish tacos…
That’s so awesome Colleen, thank you for that awesome feedback! Sounds like you found a new family favorite!
Well—-It’s Cinco De Mayo, and we’re in Miami on vacation. I made both shrimp and fish tacos (fresh seafood from the Florida Keys) with your Coconut Slaw & Mango Avocado Salsa. What awesome recipes! Thank you so very much. Mary from Central NY!
I imagine that fish is so fresh in Florida! Thank you or sharing that with us!
Wish I could post a picture!
Saw this last night and had to make it…
Thank you for this!!
It was sooo good!!
We’d love to see it! if you post on social media tag #natashaskitchen Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with us!