These Shrimp Tacos are loaded with plump, juicy shrimp, crunchy cabbage, cotija cheese, and the best garlic-lime crema shrimp taco sauce that will win you over. They are served over toasted corn tortillas, making them authentic, delicious, and naturally gluten-free. Go ahead and make a double batch – you’ll thank me later!
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Helpful Reader Review
“My husband made these for us tonight and they were absolutely delicious—from the seasonings to the sauce, every bite was amazing and he followed the recipe to a T. These were the best shrimp tacos ever… Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!” – Nancy ★★★★★
Shrimp Tacos Video Tutorial
Discover how I prepare these delicious Shrimp Tacos with a sensational garlic-lime crema shrimp taco sauce. Don’t miss my tips on heating the tortillas for an authentic crunch.
Easy Shrimp Tacos Recipe
These easy shrimp tacos have been a favorite in my house for years! My kids love them, my husband loves them, and I love them–a winning recipe! They’re also perfect for entertaining and we have hosted many shrimp taco parties over the years. I love all the fresh toppings and the perfectly seasoned shrimp. Read on to see my trick for getting an authentic crunch on the corn tortillas–it takes these shrimp tacos from good to restaurant-quality delicious!
The mouthwatering Shrimp Taco Sauce makes these Shrimp Tacos the BEST! It comes together fast and has an irresistible garlic-lime spin. It’s the same sauce we use on our famous Fish Tacos and Fish Taco Bowls. I like to make double and then use it on everything–from Pan-Seared Steak to Air Fryer Potatoes.
Ingredients for Shrimp Tacos
These easy shrimp tacos come in three parts: the seasoned shrimp, the toppings, and that irresistible shrimp taco sauce.
- Shrimp – We used large 21-25 count thawed shrimp, but the medium (26-30 count) or even small shrimp (31-35 count) would work well. Keep in mind that smaller shrimp will cook faster. Season the shrimp with a simple combo of garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Cheese – Cotija is the traditional Mexican cheese for tacos. I found cotija at the grocery store next to the refrigerated tortillas. You can substitute feta, queso fresco, or Mexican blend cheese.
- Other Toppings – red cabbage (or try green cabbage or a coleslaw blend), avocado, red onion, and cilantro are our go-to toppings for tacos. Readers have also suggested jalapeños, pickled red onion, sautéed red peppers, and Pico de Gallo.
- Tortillas – Corn tortillas make the most authentic Mexican tacos and my personal preference is white corn tortillas. They’re also naturally gluten-free. You can also use small flour tortillas if that is what you have on hand.
Shrimp Taco Sauce Ingredients
- Sour cream and Mayonnaise – The basis of the crema sauce. Readers have reported swapping the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt, but I love the tang and richness from the sour cream.
- Fresh lime juice – squeeze 1 medium lime for a bit of sour freshness
- Garlic powder – I prefer garlic powder over fresh for a smoother sauce.
- Sriracha sauce – Adds just a touch of spice. If you love spicy shrimp tacos, add more sriracha hot sauce to taste.
How to Make Shrimp Tacos
It takes minutes to make these delicious shrimp tacos! We marinate and cook the shrimp, whip up a bit of crema sauce, and load on the toppings. The completed dish is a masterpiece–almost too good to eat!
- Make the taco sauce – Whisk all the crema ingredients and set aside for the flavors to meld.
Pro Tip:
You could serve the Garlic-lime crema sauce with a spoon, or snip the corner of a zip-top bag to drizzle, but my favorite way to serve it is out of a squeeze bottle because it makes me feel like I’m dining out.
- Prep the toppings – Slice the red cabbage and limes, dice the avocado and red onion, and then chop the cilantro.
- Season the Shrimp – Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, add the seasonings and garlic, and stir together.
- Cook the Shrimp – Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the shrimp in a single layer and saute for a minute or two on each side until cooked through (they will be opaque with some pink on the outside). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Toast Tortillas – see below for options, whether you’re using a gas stove, griddle or skillet.
- Serve Shrimp Tacos – Setting up a taco bar is my favorite way to serve shrimp tacos so everyone gets exactly what they like.
How to Heat Tortillas for Tacos
I love the flavor of slightly charred tortillas. Here’s how to acheive that with a big batch or small batch of tortillas.
- Over a Gas Stove Flame – We love this method for authentic, lightly charred edges. Toast the tortilla directly over a medium/low open flame on a gas stove. Use tongs to rotate the tortilla every 5 seconds. Flip as soon as the tortilla is lightly blackened on the edges, and repeat with the second side. Keep your eye on that tortilla and adjust the flame as needed because it can burn quickly.
- Toast Tortillas in the Oven – Arrange the tortillas in a single layer on a sturdy baking sheet and set under the broiler, about 6-8 inches from the heat source and broil for 2 minutes or until you see browned spots on the tortillas.
- On a Griddle or cast iron skillet – Preheat a dry griddle or skillet to medium-high heat. Add tortillas in a single layer and toast for 15-30 seconds per side until golden brown in some spots on each side.
Helpful Reader Review
“Amazing! Every part was perfect and we love the way you heat the tortillas. So authentic tasting. We didn’t have Cotija cheese but they were perfect. Next time we will add it and they will be even better, if that is possible!” – Alane ★★★★★
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Shrimp tacos are easy to make ahead! Store each element separately in air-tight containers and combine when ready to serve. Toast the tortillas just before serving for the best flavor.
- To Refrigerate: Allow cooked shrimp to cool, and then store for up to 4 days. Crema will last for up to a week in the fridge.
- Freezing: Flash freeze the cooled shrimp by placing it on a baking dish for an hour until frozen, then store it in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. The crema shrimp taco sauce doesn’t freeze well.
- To Reheat: thaw in the fridge overnight, then saute the shrimp until warm in a low-heat pan. Be careful not to overcook.
My easy Shrimp Tacos recipe with garlic-lime crema shrimp taco sauce will change the way you eat tacos! The juicy seasoned shrimp, toasted tortillas, crisp veggies, and tangy crema sauce combine to make an irresistibly delicious meal. I know you will love this recipe as much as I do!
Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Shrimp Taco Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice, squeezed from 1 medium lime
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste
Shrimp Taco Toppings:
- 8 white corn tortillas, (small, 6” diameter), or Hard Taco Shells
- 1/2 small purple cabbage, 2 cups shredded
- 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 4 oz Cotija cheese, (1 cup grated on a box grater)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1 lime , cut into 8 wedges
For the Shrimp:
- 1 lb shrimp (medium or large), raw
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Make the Shrimp Taco Sauce – In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside for the flavors to meld. Transfer to a squeeze bottle if desired.
- Prep the Toppings – Thinly slice cabbage, dice the avocado, finely dice the red onion, and coarsely chop the cilantro. Arrange toppings in small bowls for easy serving.
- Season the Shrimp – Thaw and pat dry the shrimp with paper towels and place in a medium bowl. Add seasonings and garlic and stir to combine.
- Cook the Shrimp – Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and add shrimp in a single layer. Sauté 1-2 minutes per side or just until cooked through. As soon as they are cooked through (white inside with some pink and red accents outside), transfer to a serving platter and set aside to cool.
- Heat the Tortillas – You can toast the tortillas over a gas flame, on a griddle or in a skillet**.
- To Serve – Build tacos by arranging toppings and shrimp over each toasted tortilla. Serve drizzled with the taco sauce.
Notes
- Gas Stove: Toast tortillas one at a time over an open gas stovetop flame on medium/low heat (about 10 seconds per side) until lightly charred on the edges.
- Toast Tortillas in the Oven: Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil about 6-8 inches from the heat source for 2 minutes or until you see browned spots on the tortillas.
- Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and toast tortillas for 15-30 seconds on each side or until golden. No oil needed.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Love Tacos? Try these Taco Recipes Next
Once you fall in love with these easy Shrimp Tacos, you have to try these other superstar Taco Recipes:
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Beef Bulgogi Tacos
- Carne Asada Street Tacos
- Breakfast Tacos
- Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos
- Taco Salad
- Taco Soup
Are these super spicy cause of the cayenne pepper? We like spicy but not so spicy your mouth is on fire the whole time.
HI Candy, the spice is pretty mild with only 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and not overly fiery or spicy.
Recipe sounds delish. I am curious though is all that sodium from the cojito cheese?
Hi Karen, the cotija and mayo have sodium, but the shrimp itself has sodium also!
Great recipe! I wouldn’t change a thing. Very easy to follow.
I’m glad you loved it, Lucille!
Have to tell you, these came out great. 11 yr old daughter loves seafood, couldn’t get enough. 10 yr old boy who is iffy on seafood said he would eat it every day. Wife was out for the evening, not a seafood fan so that’s when I make it, and she ended up jealous and wants to try next time. Will be doubling the recipe for sure. After this, I will be looking through more of your recipes.
That is awesome, Sean. Great to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe. I hope you will all love the recipes that you will try!
I’ve made countless of your recipes, and this and the chicken & rice/plov are my absolute favorites! The sauce in these tacos is unbelievably tasty (and the kids love squirting it out of a fancy restaurant-like bottle). This is the 3rd time I’ve made it, and will NOT be the last. Thank you for alllll your amazing recipes and for making my kids and hubby think I’m the best cook!
Love it! Thank you for sharing your experience trying this recipe, Alisha. I’m happy to hear that you liked it!
This receipe was a hit with the family, they said it was the best shrimp tacos they have ever had…the creamy sauce was delicious and used it to grill some salmon and it was so yummy…Thanks Natasha!
Thanks for the compliment and great review, Jeffrey! Happy to know that your family enjoyed these tacos.
My husband said it’s the best thing he ate in the last 6 months!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Victoria!
Love this! We used oregano instead of cilantro (Mexican oregano).
Hello Melinda, great to hear that you loved this recipe! Thanks for your review.
Hi, can I use lemon instead of lime?
Hi Dami, we prefer it with lime but I bet that could work with lemon too.
Hi Natasha,
I only have precooked shrimp at hand. Can I still make this recipe work out?
Hi Andrea, we prefer fresh, but that may work. Pre-cooked shrimp tends to get rubbery when heated. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that!
I make these OFTEN! My family absolutely loves this recipe! I also make the fish tacos and bulgogi tacos! YUM! Better than restaurants or takeout!
Our favorite too! I’m so glad you all enjoyed this recipe, Amanda!
Delicious! We made this for dinner tonight. They were delicious. The whole family loved them and the sauce was so good.
That is awesome! I’m glad the recipe was a hit, Janet. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Delicious! My husband and I both really enjoyed these! I used broccoli slaw instead of the cabbage. Next time we make it, we’ll add a little of that delicious sauce into the slaw before we assemble the tacos.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
This is gonna be my Mother’s Day fiesta dinner, made by my family, not me. I can’t wait !
Yum! The perfect Mother’s Day treat!
I made these yesterday, and had some as leftovers today. So good! I kept snacking on the cooked shrimp before I finished the recipe.
Then, I accidently ate the first taco without sauce! It was yummy even without the sauce. I have lots of leftover sauce. I was thinking it would taste great on hamburgers, too.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
You mentioned that you could make this ahead…how would you heat it up? Looking forward to giving this a try!
Hi Mary, yes, the sauce can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge.
Hi I see per the nutrition facts 1 serving is 308 calories. However, it doesn’t say how many tacos make 1 serving?
Thank you
Hi Paula, the number of servings is always at the top of the recipe card and the nutrition label is per serving. In this case it is per taco.
Delicious and this sauce was amazing!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jolie!
I just need to tell you how fun I find you and your cooking videos!! Thank you for being you, Natasha! You’re a bright spot in my world. 😀
You’re so sweet! Thank you for your good words and feedback. I appreciate your support, Sallie.
Really really good! So good Im going to buy more shrimp next time I go to the store!! Loved them. Recipe could probably be adapted to other fillings besides shrimp pretty easily too. Easy to make too!
Yes, I imagine that would work! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Sally.
OMG Natasha these are so delicious. I tweaked them a little to go with I could find. I kept my shrimp warm. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome, Gial! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Just finished eating these tonight. They were a huge hit! I will make them again very soon!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!