These Shrimp Tacos with perfectly seasoned shrimp with cilantro-lime slaw and fresh avocado are all packed in a tortilla — these are the absolute best!

Next try these chicken tacos (a reader favorite!), these Vegetarian Tacos, these Asian Tacos, or these Quinoa Tacos.

Overhead image of the Shrimp Tacos.

Shrimp Tacos

While these stand on their own pretty well, here are a couple of quick side dish ideas:

What to serve with these tacos:

Overhead image of the ready-to-eat Shrimp Tacos.

Storage

Make Ahead & Storage Tips

  • Make Ahead: Make the sauce and put it in the fridge. It can stay there for 3 days. Marinate the shrimp and keep them in the fridge too, but only for 4-6 hours before cooking.
  • Storage: Keep the spiced shrimp, chopped cabbage, and sauce in the fridge. Cut the avocado when you’re ready to eat. Tortillas should be kept in a cool spot or in the fridge if you want them to last longer.

More Easy Seafood Dishes:

4.92 from 101 votes

Shrimp Tacos

Perfectly seasoned shrimp with cilantro-lime slaw and fresh avocado are all packed in a tortilla. These Shrimp Tacos can be ready in 30 minutes or less! (Plus, prep ahead tips!)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 small tacos (serves 4)

Ingredients  

Shrimp

  • 1 pound (~45) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or use additional olive oil)
  • 1-2 limes
  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 1 large avocado, thinly sliced
  • Corn (or flour) tortillas
  • Optional: olive oil cooking spray

Cilantro Lime Sauce

  • 1-2 limes, juiced and zested
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
  • 1/2 of 1 large bunch of cilantro (1 cup loosely packed)
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeรฑo (remove seeds for less spice)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise regular, full fat
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions 

Shrimp

  • Pat both sides of the shrimp dry. Toss in a large bowl with garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes (up to 8 hours). In a large skillet, melt butter and remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
  • Cook shrimp in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sautรฉ until they just turn pink, flipping halfway through, 2 to 4 minutes total depending on their size. Remove from heat and set aside on a cutting board. Cut off the tails. If desired, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the shrimp.

Cilantro-Lime Sauce

  • Zest and juice the lime(s) to get 4 tablespoons of juice and 1 teaspoon of zest. In a small blender jar or mini food processor, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper) and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to preference. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assemble Tacos

  • Remove 1/2 cup of the cilantro-lime sauce and toss it with the shredded green cabbage to combine.
  • Optional: Spray tortillas (both sides) with olive oil cooking spray and grill on the stovetop over an open flame until slightly charred. Alternatively, warm tortillas in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel.
  • Fill tortillas with a generous serving of the slaw, shrimp, and fresh avocado. Drizzle additional sauce on top and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Video

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information includes corn tortillas.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Perfectly seasoned shrimp with cilantro-lime slaw and fresh avocado all packed in a tortilla. These shrimp tacos can be ready in 30 minutes or less! (Plus, prep ahead tips!) via chelseasmessyapron.com #shrimp #taco #easy #quick #healthy #fast #recipe #meal #cilantro #lime #avocado #guacamole #tacos

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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4.92 from 101 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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234 Comments

  1. Kim says:

    5 stars
    Amazing – total keeper!

    1. Chelsea says:

      Thanks so much Kim! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Caryn C says:

    5 stars
    Family favorite! So easy and delicious.
    I add paprika to the shrimp marinade.
    Love this recipe. ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so happy you loved this! Thanks so much Caryn! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Joanie says:

    5 stars
    These were a huge hit, served with the mango salsa. Definitely will do again soon!

    1. Chelsea says:

      YAY! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Joanie! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Lynn K says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! The sauce is amazing and the spice is just right for the shrimp. Not too much for people who donโ€™t like spicy. Sauce is easily made in advance and prepped the shrimp in advance too. Made for easy and quick dinner.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Lynn! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Catalina Puentes says:

    For how long does the cilantro lime dressing stay good for?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge

  6. Jo says:

    5 stars
    These are a big hit at my house. I am not a fan of cilantro so I used a bunch of fresh basil and continental parsley instead of a bunch of cilantro. So Good!!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Jo! ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Aaron says:

    5 stars
    We loved it. The flavors had zing!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So glad to hear that! Thanks Aaron!

  8. Milan says:

    hi iโ€™m gunna try these out next week, but have a question about the calories. How many tacos is the 253kcal for?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      3

  9. Sami Brantley says:

    5 stars
    My husband and I LOVE these tacos! I’ve been making them regularly for years now. When I’m in a pinch and can’t make the sauce, I just buy the Costco brand cilantro and lime sauce. It does the job, but nothing compared to the yummy home made sauce! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for this delicious recipe!!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed these tacos, thanks so much for the comment Sami!

  10. Judy says:

    Just wondering how long in advance you can make up the sauce and how long it keeps in the fridge?