Try these spicy shrimp tacos for a quick weeknight dinner. Full of spicy shrimp, cabbage slaw and a flavorful avocado cilantro sauce, this recipe works for tacos, bowls and more!
*Originally published 3/2015. Updated 1/2025.*
Hi friends!
If you’re stuck in a weeknight dinner rut, you’ve gotta try these Spicy Shrimp Tacos! We eat tacos about once a week here and although chicken and ground turkey are our staples, it’s always fun to change it up with a shrimp version.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
These tacos are the perfect blend of spicy and refreshing. They pair spicy shrimp with a crunchy slaw and a flavorful cilantro avocado sauce that you can toss the slaw in as well as drizzle over the top of the tacos.
Spicy Shrimp Taco Variations
Spicy Slaw for Shrimp Tacos // Spicy Crema for Shrimp Tacos
I keep the slaw for these tacos super basic by just tossing chopped cabbage in a simple homemade avocado cilantro crema. To make it even easier you can skip the chopping by buying bagged coleslaw.
If you don’t get enough spice from the shrimp, try adding a jalapeno to the avocado crema to add some extra spice when you toss the slaw in it.
How To Make Spicy Mayo for Shrimp Tacos
If you’re not in love with the cilantro avocado flavor, you could try making a simple spicy mayo to toss the slaw in. Here’s an easy recipe for simple Spicy Mayo.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
If you haven’t tried it yet, shrimp and mango make a great pair. Try topping these tacos with a Fresh Mango Salsa or this Avocado Cucumber Salsa with Pineapple would be great as well.
If you’re not a fan of fruit-based salsa, just keep it simple and top with some homemade pico de gallo.
Ingredients for Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
This recipe has a few parts:
- Shrimp marinade – a mix of a little oil and lime juice and spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt.
- Crema – a mix of plain Greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt, green onions and jalapeno.
- Cabbage – to toss in the crema
- Pico de gallo
- Cotija cheese – or your favorite cheese
- Tortillas
How To Make Healthy Spicy Shrimp Tacos
To make the tacos:
- Marinade the shrimp with lime juice and spices.
- Make the crema by combining yogurt, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt, garlic powder and jalapeno. Taste and then mix in green onions.
- Toss the cabbage in some of the crema.
- Assemble the tacos with slaw, shrimp, pico de gallo, crema and cheese.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos Recipe
Here’s how you make them:
PrintSpicy Shrimp Tacos
Try these spicy shrimp tacos for a quick weeknight dinner. Full of spicy shrimp, cabbage slaw and a flavorful avocado cilantro sauce, this recipe works for tacos, bowls and more!
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp (fresh or thawed from frozen, shells removed)
- 1 Tbsp oil
- juice from 1/2 a lime
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the avocado crema:
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 medium avocado
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- 1/2 cup green onion, sliced
For the tacos
- 3 cups sliced/chopped green cabbage
- pico de gallo
- cotija cheese
- tortillas
Instructions
- Place shrimp in a Ziploc bag with oil and lime juice.
- In a small bowl, combine spices and add to ziploc bag.
- Toss to coat and let marinate for 30-60 min.
- In a small food processor, combine yogurt, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt, garlic powder and jalapeno and process until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, then add green onion and pulse a few times to mix.
- Toss cabbage in about 3/4 of crema and reserve the rest.
- Saute shrimp in a large pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until cooked.
- Add slaw to tortillas, top with shrimp and top with pico de gallo, crema and cotija cheese and serve.
Notes
*I like 50-60 count shrimp because they’re smaller and good for tacos but you can use any size
Spicy Shrimp Tacos FAQs
Could you serve spicy shrimp tacos with creamy corn salad?
Yes! If you’re looking for a corn-based side dish, this Mexican Street Corn Dip would be perfect! Or serve it with some Hot Taco Layer Dip , Baked Ranch Chicken Taquitos or a Kale and White Bean Salad.
How to store spicy shrimp tacos?
You can choose to pre-mix the slaw with the avocado crema or store them separately and mix before serving. I’ve found that coleslaw is pretty hearty and holds up well when tossed with the crema for several days.
Can I make this a spicy grilled shrimp tacos recipe?
Absolutely. If you don’t want to cook the shrimp in a pan, you could cook them on a Blackstone or thread them onto skewers and cook them on the grill.
How to make low carb spicy shrimp tacos?
If you’re looking to make these lower carb, serve all the components in a bowl with just a few tortilla chips crumbled over the top. Or try them as lettuce wraps! You could also choose a lower-carb tortilla option.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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And now we will have to have tacos for dinner tonight. Looks delicious!
This looks delicious, Linds!
Curious – do you both still eat together? I want to make that a goal to still try to do family dinners but with our stage of life right now, fitting in practicing my group fitness teaching, him working late, boys bed times etc….I find our dinners are never together! And for me and my disordered eating past I want to make ‘normal’ family dinners a routine!
I have been craving shrimp lately myself. I like any and all spicy foods so this is right up my ally!
Yum! I was just pinning fish tacos last night thinking I need to make some. These look delicious!
Looooove this! Spicy shrimp – I’m drooling! I’ll definitely have to have these for taco tuesday next week!
can’t ever go wrong with any type of tacos, in my opinion!
Yummmm–these do look like the perfect weeknight meal!
Oh Lindsay! I was looking for something to make on Friday! Lent is an interesting time for me to try to make food for kids. Think I’ll give these a whirl.
shrimp tacos are one of my favorite meals. i usually put purple cabbage on them, but then always have so much leftover and it feels wasteful. i like this alternative.
Everything tastes better as a taco. Any food my family and I can pick up with our hands is a winner in our book.
Looks so good Lindsay!!
You’re right, guac is definitely NOT optional. I can imagine you having way less time to cook now that you have the little one to take care of too. Love that tacos are usually ready in a jiffy!
Shrimp tacos are my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!
Oh yes – I could happily eat shrimp tacos daily – look forward to trying out your version 🙂
I don’t make many thing with shrimp, but it would definitely be a good way to mix up dinner. Shrimp are so easy to use in meals too, so thanks for sharing!
YUM! And ready in just 15 minutes? Sounds perfect in every way!
There’s nothing like a good shrimp taco. I’ve been way more into spicy foods recently and these look perfect! YUM.
Love that I could probably throw this together when I get home from work- thank you! I totally agree on the guac not being optional.
Looks delicious!
I love shrimp tacos and that sweet thai chili sauce sounds so good with it!
Thai chili sauce is heaven – I love this! Pinning for dinner next week 🙂
These looks sooo good!! 🙂
I have such a hard time cooking shrimp, they always end up like weird little fishy tasting gummy bears. I have less of a hard time with fish though, do you suppose it would be just as good with halibut?
Yep! Fish tacos are a great choice!
How many W.W. Points for this recipe? Looks delicious
I’m not sure. Sorry!