• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Clean & Delicious logo

  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Recipes
  • Video
  • Food For Thought
    • Intuitive Eating
    • Mental Health
    • Nutrition
    • Weight Loss
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work With Me

Home » Recipes » Dinner » Fish + Seafood » Easy Shrimp Tacos

May 1, 2013(updated June 13, 2020)

Easy Shrimp Tacos

4.94 from 60 votes
By Dani Spies
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links.
Simple Shrimp Tacos recipe
steps for making shrimp tacos
shrimp tacos on parchment paper
shrimp tacos on a white plate
easy shrimp tacos recipe
shrimp tacos on corn tortillas
Simple Shrimp Tacos
simple shrimp tacos served with cilantro lime sauce

These simple shrimp tacos are a quick and easy dinner option that features tender shrimp, slaw, and creamy cilantro lime sauce, all inside warm corn tortillas. This is my favorite way to do taco night!

shrimp tacos served on a white plate with fresh cilantro and lime

These shrimp tacos are quickly becoming one of my family’s favorite dinner options. And every time I make a recipe with shrimp, I ask myself why I don’t cook with it more often. It’s so easy and tasty!

I actually came across this recipe over at Kirsten’s Home Cooking. It’s the perfect light and easy meal that doesn’t require me to be stuck in the kitchen all night.

Let me tell you guys, these are so good and so easy. 

I pretty much stuck to Kirsten’s recipe, except I swapped the sour cream for some fat free Greek yogurt, served them with fresh guac, and I doubled the recipe. It’s a keeper!

how to make shrimp tacos

How Do You Make Shrimp Tacos?

This shrimp taco recipe is SUPER easy! Just a few simple steps and you’re well on your way to a flavorful dinner!

  1. Heat tortillas in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots. Set aside.
  2. Mix creamy cilantro lime sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Cook cabbage in a skillet until just wilted. Set aside.
  4. Peel and devein the shrimp. Cut shrimp into thirds, so you have little bite size pieces.
  5. Sauté shrimp in a hot skillet with two teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Cook until pink.
  6. Assemble tacos with cabbage, shrimp, creamy cilantro sauce and another desired toppings.

shrimp tacos in corn tortillas with a creamy sauce

How Do You Peel Shrimp?

For this recipe you’ll need raw, uncooked shrimp that have been defrosted, if bought frozen. I typically buy shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined for convenience. If your shrimp have shells, remove the shells by pulling the main part of the shell off with your fingers, then gently pull off the tail end of the shell. To devein the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut a slit along the top of the shrimp and use the knife to remove the vein.

Tips For Shrimp Tacos

  • We like corn tortillas for shrimp tacos, but you can use flour tortillas, if preferred.
  • Be careful not to overcook the shrimp – shrimp cooks very quickly. It will be whitish pink and curled into a loose “C” shape when fully cooked.
  • For convenience, buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage for making the slaw.
  • The creamy cilantro sauce can be made a day in advance.

Variations 

We love this recipe as-is, but feel free to switch things up a bit depending on the ingredients you have available.

  • Try replacing the shrimp with a white fish, such as cod or tilapia.
  • Add in other ingredients, like corn, black beans, red onion or diced tomato.
  • Top the tacos with guacamole or sliced avocado, jalapeño slices, cotija cheese or pickled red onion. Don’t forget a splash of fresh lime juice!

shrimp tacos with creamy cilantro sauce

What I love best about this recipe is that it’s just so quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients! These sizzling shrimp tacos are going on my regular dinner menu rotation. They were such a hit!

More Taco Recipes To Try

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

Easy Fish Tacos

Turkey Black Bean Tacos

Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below and if you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below.  And be sure to follow me on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FaceBook for more healthy food inspiration!

shrimp tacos topped with fresh cilantro and served with lime
Print Recipe
4.94 from 60 votes

Super Simple Shrimp Tacos

These simple shrimp tacos are a quick and easy dinner option that features tender shrimp, slaw, and creamy cilantro lime sauce, all inside warm corn tortillas. This is my favorite way to do taco night! 
Course: DIET, DINNER, fish + seafood
Cuisine: gluten free, Mexican, nut free
Author: Dani Spies
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 179kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1/2 a head of cabbage thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
  • 1 lb shrimp defrosted if frozen, peeled, & deveined
  • Salt and pepper to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots. Set aside on a plate covered with a clean kitchen towel.
    cooking tortillas in a skillet
  • Mix yogurt, cayenne, lime juice, cilantro, & salt in a small bowl, set aside.
    mixing creamy cilantro sauce in a small bowl
  • Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet and add cabbage. Cook for about four minutes or until the cabbage is just barely wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
    cooking cabbage in a skillet
  • Cut shrimp into thirds, so you have little bite size pieces. Sauté in two teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper over medium heat just until done. They cook up in just a few minutes so be sure to watch them!
    cooking shrimp in a skillet
  • Build your taco! Place a scoop of cabbage on the warmed tortillas, then top with shrimp, and cilantro sauce. Enjoy!
    assembling shrimp tacos on a white plate

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Fish + Seafood, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Recipes, Video

About Dani Spies

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.

Learn MoreWork With Me

Reader Interactions

Simple Shrimp Tacos recipe
steps for making shrimp tacos
shrimp tacos on parchment paper
shrimp tacos on a white plate
easy shrimp tacos recipe
shrimp tacos on corn tortillas
Simple Shrimp Tacos
simple shrimp tacos served with cilantro lime sauce

Yum! I love this recipe.

    Leave a review Cancel reply

    If you loved this recipe please leave a comment and star rating below. Questions are also welcome. Cheers!

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

  1. Kiran says

    January 23, 2011 at 2:41 pm

    5 stars
    I love fish tacos. I’m yet to try shrimp tacos, and thanks for this delish simple recipe 🙂

    Reply
  2. Jaya says

    January 23, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    5 stars
    Oooh Dani! These look awesome! I thought I had explored your archives in their entirety, but I somehow missed these beauties! I have made so many great meals from your site. Thanks again!

    Reply
  3. Lauren Slayton says

    January 24, 2011 at 5:33 am

    5 stars
    glad you reposted. This may be dinner tonight. I assume fresh shrimp work? Yum.

    Reply
  4. Kevin (Closet Cooking) says

    January 24, 2011 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    Those tacos look nice an light and healthy and so good!

    Reply
  5. Cara says

    January 24, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    5 stars
    tacos are the best! love the idea of the cilantro yogurt sauce on these.

    Reply
  6. Hadas says

    January 25, 2011 at 9:31 am

    5 stars
    Oh, my! That was delicious!!!! I was having a “When Harry Met Sally” episode while eating them. The guacamole was sooooo good.
    My Chihuahuas were begging for a bite 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to make them A LOT!!!!!

    Reply
  7. Stacey says

    March 26, 2011 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    I have been reading your blog for about 2 years and am so glad I did because I look forward to seeing what you post.

    I am trying to eat healthier and have given up all red meat for lent. I am only eating fish (I thought of going vegan and not eat fish, but I was hungry just thinking about it lol) and could not allow myself to grab another $4! shrimp Taco Bell burrito as a quick lunch at work. I can right to your site and found this recipie. I made them last night and I woke up today thinking about them…delicious!

    They were so light; I love the Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I didn’t even think I liked cabbage, but this was goooood! I will be making these regularly. Thanks Dani

    Reply
  8. BeeGidget says

    January 5, 2012 at 6:59 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe!! This was my first time on your blog and I am greatly impressed! The Shrimp Tacos was not only extremely easy to make, but super tasty! My Husband just loved them!! I will be sure to make them again and also try out some of your other recipes!!!

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  9. Brittany says

    April 4, 2012 at 9:13 am

    5 stars
    Made these last night. Be careful not to over cook the tortillas because if you do, you wont be able to fold or roll them.I used flour tortillas so that might of been the culprit. I think these may have been better with just shredded lettuce, but the cabbage was ok. I also used fat free sour cream instead of the yogart. The sauce was delish! We added cheese too. Yummy!

    Reply
  10. PP says

    April 12, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for dinner tonight– delicious! The sauce takes it up a notch from your standard taco or burrito, and has just the perfect amount of kick.

    Reply
  11. Leslie says

    May 6, 2012 at 5:44 pm

    5 stars
    Made these for dinner tonight and they were amazing! The sauce was wonderful! And, even better that it was Greek yogurt!

    Reply
  12. Jenn says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    5 stars
    The nutritional info posted-is that for one taco, or for one serving aka 2 tacos?
    Just made these tonight-they tasted wonderful!!

    Reply
  13. Allison says

    May 22, 2012 at 7:34 pm

    5 stars
    spicy—but GOOD!

    Reply
  14. Jennifer says

    June 10, 2012 at 7:36 am

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night- hubby and I loved it (he loves spicy food)! We are having it again tonight since we have 1/2 of all the ingredients left. Thanks for an easy, delicious and healthy recipe!

    Reply
  15. Jessica says

    June 14, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these for dinner with homemade whole wheat tortillas- SO GOOD! I will admit that I just wing it with the amount of each ingredient, but hey, they were super tasty!

    Reply
  16. Rally says

    June 15, 2012 at 5:21 am

    5 stars
    Is the nutritional information per serving (of 2 tacos) or for 1 taco?

    Reply
    • Dani says

      June 15, 2012 at 8:06 am

      5 stars
      The nutritional info is for two tacos!

      Reply
  17. Jen says

    June 26, 2012 at 6:44 am

    5 stars
    These look sooo good! I am always trying to find a NEW, fast, healthy meal. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  18. Kelly says

    June 30, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out great although I think a little less cayenne pepper for the faint of mouth like me.

    Reply
  19. Patricia Walton says

    July 8, 2012 at 8:22 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good. I will use less cayenne pepper next time. Also I used bagged slaw mix and I didn’t warm it up as directed. I seasoned my shrimp with chili powder,olive oil, cumin and cilantro. I let it marinate while my wooden Skewers were soaking and then hit the shrimp with lime just before I put them on the grill and again afterward.

    Reply
  20. Melodi Cagle says

    July 19, 2012 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    Oh my Goodness! I made these last night for my husband and I for our date night and WOW! The sauce was out of this world and I think the greek yogurt really adds to that! fast, easy, and healthy? YEP! I will be making this again soon! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  21. Monica says

    July 23, 2012 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for reposting! They were great! I used NM Red Chile powder because I couldn’t find my cayenne. Big thumbs up from the boys (my dad & husband).

    Reply
  22. Jenna says

    August 4, 2012 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    I made these today and they were so good!! I added cummin, chilli powder and garlic. Yummy!! 🙂

    Reply
  23. David says

    August 6, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe, I just added 1 TBS of sugar to the sauce to cut down the acidity a little, and spinkled cajun spice on the shrimp while it was cooking instead of salt peper and cayenne.

    Turned out absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  24. Marny says

    August 15, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    5 stars
    These were great, but a bit too spicy. Next time I’d cut the cayenne by half– a little goes a long way for me. Regardless, it’s a great dish!

    Reply
  25. Kristen says

    August 22, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for the great recipe – my family really enjoyed them! To save time, I bought a bag of Cole slaw mix instead of chopping cabbage. It tasted great and made your fast recipe even faster!

    Reply
  26. Rebecca says

    August 30, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    5 stars
    thank you for posting this recipe! as a college student, im always trying to find new recipes to make that are cheap, quick and healthy. this one exceeded my expectations. the only tweak i did was add garlic powder to the sauce… because who doesnt love garlic??

    Reply
  27. Alexis Williams says

    September 17, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    5 stars
    Came across this recipe and was excited to make this!!! My kids really enjoyed the tacos, I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand and it was sooo easy to make!! Looking forward to making more of your recipes!!

    Reply
  28. Fran says

    October 26, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    Does anyone know of a substitute for the cilantro…my family says it tastes like soap, so its not a popular ingredient

    Reply
  29. Kristi says

    December 26, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    Made these a while ago and they were SOOO good!! I don’t like corn tortillas so I used flour and my husband doesn’t like cabbage so we just used lettuce. Even with these small changes they were great!! Making them again soo!

    Reply
  30. sandjrose says

    January 3, 2013 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these for dinner tonight. OMGosh amazing with extra zing! Super easy no fuss meal and it was superb! Will do again for sure. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      January 8, 2013 at 10:00 am

      5 stars
      You are very welcome;)

      Reply
  31. jill says

    January 7, 2013 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    did anyone ever find out if the nutritional value was based on 1 or 2 tacos? Counting calories and would like to know.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      January 8, 2013 at 9:56 am

      5 stars
      It’s for two tacos.

      Reply
  32. Emma Leeds says

    February 7, 2013 at 11:04 am

    5 stars
    Just finished eating these babies! Absolutely AMAZING!!!!

    Reply
  33. Mandy says

    March 22, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    5 stars
    Made these tonight and they are delicious.

    Reply
  34. Lucy says

    March 24, 2013 at 4:41 pm

    5 stars
    omg these were to die for hahha my husband was licking his fingers but I added smoked paprika and a little balsamic vinegrette

    Reply
  35. Angie says

    March 30, 2013 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    Made these for the second time last night and they were a total hit again! The sauce is so delicious. I wish my kids would go for the shrimp because I think they’d love it if they could get past the idea of it being something different as they love spicy. Oh well, my husband and all my dinner guests raved about these tacos. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!

    Reply
  36. Chelsea says

    April 9, 2013 at 4:56 pm

    5 stars
    First time cooking (and eating!) Shrimp Tacos! They were great. I love how quick and easy they were. Delish!

    Reply
  37. kristen says

    April 19, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! Thanks for the recipe, I made it last night with some shrimp I got from Crabville.com. I had never ordered seafood online before (I thought it was kinda weird at first), but I was pleasantly surprised. Has anyone else tried ordering stuff like that online before? Any good recommendations?

    Reply
  38. Nikki says

    April 25, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    5 stars
    Shrimp Tacos, Does The Nutritional Information Include The Tortillas?? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      April 28, 2013 at 12:40 pm

      5 stars
      yes;)

      Reply
  39. rosalinda says

    May 7, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    5 stars
    We tryed this recipe this weekend anf they where delicious…we have tryed some of your recipes and they have all been GREAT! Thank you !

    Reply
  40. Lizzie says

    May 14, 2013 at 4:45 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these for dinner and I’m amazed at how simply and delicious they were! I’m new to your site and can’t wait to try more recipes. Love the video demonstrations.

    Reply
  41. Isabel says

    July 17, 2013 at 4:35 am

    5 stars
    Hi dani, love this recipe! But just a little curious about the cholesterol?? Is 850 correct?? It’s seems a bit much?? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Dani says

      July 17, 2013 at 5:37 am

      5 stars
      shrimp is high in cholesterol but remember, cholesterol it the diet does not create cholesterol in the body. Check out this video for a brilliant explanation of how cholesterol works from one of my favorite science/nutritional gurus: https://summertomato.com/cholesterol-explained/

      Reply
  42. Monica says

    October 15, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you soooo much! I made these tonight. So yummy! I didn’t have any cayenne pepper for the sauce so I used Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoning with has cayenne and other seasoning in it. Perfect!

    Reply
  43. Gigi says

    May 7, 2014 at 8:55 pm

    5 stars
    Dani your awesome I did the shrimp tacos and the family loved it!!!!
    I ate 4 OMG!!!!!

    Thanks

    Reply
  44. eva says

    September 6, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    5 stars
    i notice you use kosher salt often.
    what is the difference and/or benefit to using kosher salt?
    and how is is different than sea salt??

    thanks
    eva

    Reply
    • Dani says

      September 8, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      5 stars
      The main reason I choose kosher salt is because I like the texture. It has larger granules and I find when all is said and done, I use less of it!

      Reply
  45. Nancy says

    March 1, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for dinner last night.so yummy. I was surprised how well the cooked cabbage was in this recipe. Will be making this again! Thanks dani!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      March 7, 2018 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      Yay! So glad you enjoyed them Nancy. Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply
    • Char Wilcox says

      January 11, 2020 at 7:11 pm

      Dani,
      I am a big fan of C&D and am a lover of shrimp in anything. I also fall into the category of hating Cilantro and not a big fan of Parsley either. Anything else I could use? Or do I just eliminate it? I look forward to making these. Thank you for all your hard work.

      Reply
  46. Jackie Harris says

    November 7, 2022 at 10:21 am

    Wonderful to use shrimp. We love eating them prepared like this. Thank you, Dani

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Dani.

I’m a Health, Wellness & Weight Loss Coach, Mom of two, and the Founder of Clean & Delicious®. I’ll show you how to make healthy eating CRAZY-easy and insanely DELICIOUS!

Learn more

Stay Connected

Simple Shrimp Tacos recipe
steps for making shrimp tacos
shrimp tacos on parchment paper
shrimp tacos on a white plate
easy shrimp tacos recipe
shrimp tacos on corn tortillas
Simple Shrimp Tacos
simple shrimp tacos served with cilantro lime sauce

Never Miss a Recipe

Sign up for free recipes straight to your inbox.

Reader Faves

shrimp and green beans on small plate with fork

Roasted Shrimp and Green Beans

meatloaf muffins on plate

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Brussels Sprouts + Grapes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes | Healthy Holiday Side Dish

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats - Clean & Delicious®

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Roasted Rosemary Chicken

Baked Chicken And Potatoes

apple-protein-muffins

Apple Protein Muffins

Seasonal Picks

spinach frittata in cast iron pan

Spinach Frittata

warm blueberry crisp with vanilla ice-cream

Blueberry Crisp Recipe

open-faced fish taco on white plate

Easy Fish Tacos

healthy foods

10 Healthy Fridge Staples

blueberry oatmeal muffin cup

Baked Blueberry Lemon Oatmeal Muffin Cups

steamed beets in a white bowl

Simply Steamed Beets

My Ebooks

photo of salad and ice cream ebook

Search

As Featured On

Footer

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe to get new recipes + tips via email plus my BONUS smoothie making guide!

  • Recipes
  • Food For Thought
  • Shop
  • About
  • Work With Me

© 2023 Clean & Delicious. Privacy Policy

Jump on the Interest List for My New Course:

The Don’t Diet