Name: Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh shrimp (or frozen/thawed); 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper ((optional)); 1/4 tsp salt; 1 TBSP avocado oil (or favorite healthy oil); 1-2 limes; 1 cup finely shredded/chopped red cabbage; 2 cups shredded lettuce (and/or shredded green cabbage); 2-4 TBSP homemade or store-bought ranch dressing*; 1 jalapeño pepper ((diced or sliced thin)); 8 soft corn tortillas; 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (plus extra to taste)

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos topped with jalapeños and a cool ranch slaw. These tasty seafood soft tacos are ready in 18 minutes!

Cilantro and lime are a match made in heaven. Even moreso when it’s in shrimp taco form. LOVE. IT. SO. I’m about to rock your world with this sassy shrimp taco recipe.

But first, a letter to myself…

Dearest Jennifer,

I know you like to live life on the edge, but please for the love of all things veggie do not, I repeat, DO NOT stick your fingers in your eye after chopping jalapeño peppers.

I understand a rogue eyelash may have shifted position, prompting you to use your freshly peppered digits to put it back in line… Or maybe your eye is really itchy and must be rubbed immediately, jalapeño fingers and all…

This is a trap.

You will cry.

Stop that **** immediately, yo.

Hugs and kisses,

Your fiery eyeballed friend.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way with, let’s get our taco on!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

You only need some spices, a few tasty whole food ingredients, and 18 minutes to make these scrumptious seafood soft tacos. WOOT!

I kept the ingredient list simple, but feel free to get as “extra” as you’d like with toppings.

shrimp taco toppings

My Quick Fridge Pickled Vegetables are a great topping option for these cilantro lime shrimp tacos or you could go the salsa route and top these spicy chili lime shrimp tacos with Avocado Corn Salsa or Mango Jalapeño Salsa.

Chopped avocado or guacamole is always a tasty addition too!

I love thinly sliced red onion on mine when I have some handy and my husband insists his be piled high with pickled red onion. I always have a little DIY jar of it in my fridge – yum!

You could even set up a shrimp taco bar for your family/friends and set out an array of toppings for everyone to customize their own taco.

I paired my tacos with spicy chopped jalapeños and a cool ranch slaw made with cabbage, lettuce, and cilantro. Simple and delicious!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos topped with jalapeños and a cool ranch slaw. These tasty seafood soft tacos are ready in 18 minutes! Recipe yields 6-8 tacos.

5 from 16 votes

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Seafood

Keyword: Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Servings: servings

Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

1 pound fresh shrimp or frozen/thawed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP avocado oil or favorite healthy oil
1-2 limes
1 cup finely shredded/chopped red cabbage
2 cups shredded lettuce and/or shredded green cabbage
2-4 TBSP homemade or store-bought ranch dressing*
1 jalapeño pepper (diced or sliced thin)
8 soft corn tortillas
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro plus extra to taste

Instructions

Clean and peel shrimp, defrosting if needed. Lately we’ve been buying frozen, deveined, easy-peel shrimp. All I have to do is defrost, peel, and cook! You can also buy your shrimp already peeled if you’d like!
Set prepped shrimp in the fridge, covered while you make your slaw.
To make the slaw, combine shredded lettuce, cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro in a small bowl and top with a quality all-natural ranch dressisng. (store-bought or homemade both work here!) Mix until lightly coated.
Pat shrimp dry and season with chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well to coat both sides.
Heat a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat with 1 TBSP of oil and sauté your shrimp. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until shrimp curl and become opaque. The cook time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp, but regardless they’ll be perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes. While the shrimp are still in it, deglaze the pan with fresh squeezed lime juice and mix well.
Warm corn tortillas in a large skillet. You can use a nonstick skillet to keep things oil-free or heat a little oil in a stainless steel skillet and lightly pan-fry your tortillas until the edges are crispy.
Line your warmed corn tortillas with shrimp and top with a hearty scoop of slaw. Serve with lime wedges to add an extra burst of citrus. Add any extras your heart desires and dig in!

Notes

When it comes to cilantro, use as much or as little as you’d like! Not a fan of cilantro? No problem! Skip the cilantro entirely and jazz up the flavor of your slaw using thinly sliced red onion instead.

To control the spice/heat of these tacos, adjust the amount of fresh jalapeño and cayenne pepper. Add more of less based on preference. For extra spicy tacos feel free to add a little hot sauce too!

Nutrition facts below are estimated with an online nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed. This recipe yields 6-8 tacos and will vary based on shrimp size and how much each taco is stuffed. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 144mg, Sodium: 577mg, Potassium: 167mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 480IU, Vitamin C: 13.8mg, Calcium: 114mg, Iron: 1.9mg

Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!

If you get a chance to try these cilantro lime shrimp tacos, let me know!

Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation! I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

live every night like it’s taco night!

Love guacamole? Whip up a batch of DIY Guacamole Seasoning and guac it up!

Pair your shrimp tacos with a side of Mexican Kale Salad (the cilantro lime dressing is legendary) or a big bowl of Chipotle Corn Salsa and chips. Sarcastic Cooking’s Skinny Low Carb Margaritas look amazing too!

Have a ton of jalapeños on hand? Make a jar of Fridge Pickled Jalapeño Peppers!

More Tasty Shrimp Taco Recipes:

NEW! Shrimp Taco Salad
NEW! Shrimp Taco Bowls
Spicy Szechuan Shrimp Tacos with Cool Cucumber Slaw
Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw