Easy Shrimp Tacos – The Recipe Critic

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These easy shrimp tacos are the perfect simple dinner for busy weeknights! Plump, juicy shrimp are cooked in a flavorful spice blend then wrapped in warm flour tortillas and piled high with your favorite toppings.

If you’re as much of a taco fiend as I am, you may also like these baja fish tacos, spicy blackened salmon tacos, or carne asada tacos if you’re feeling something meaty!

Top-down view of 3 prepared tacos on a white plate.

Easy Shrimp Tacos Recipe

Happy Friday! I’m here to bring you another easy and delicious dinner that’s a great timesaver for busy families! I love tacos. You just can’t go wrong with them! Everyone will be happy because they can choose their own toppings, they’re fun to eat as well. Serve them up with some Mexican rice and refried beans for an unrivaled Taco Tuesday! Let’s talk about these shrimp tacos, though.

This is the BEST taco recipe for all of the seafood lovers in your family. Plump shrimp is cooked with onion, garlic, and warm spices. The flavor just gets seared right in! From there, you just have to add it to a warm flour or corn tortilla, add your favorite toppings, and voila! A dinner worthy of a chef’s kiss. Sorry for the newfound shrimp taco addiction you’re about to have.

Ingredients You Will Need

As long as you’ve got the shrimp on hand, chances are you will have all the seasonings and spices needed to cook up these tasty tacos. As simple as these ingredients may be, the flavor is anything but! You may want to make extras, seconds and thirds are a common occurrence with my family. Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements!

  • Shrimp: I used peeled, medium-sized shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, make sure it’s thawed before cooking.
  • Olive Oil: This is for cooking the shrimp in. Feel free to use your favorite cooking oil here!
  • Seasonings and Spices: I toss the shrimp in a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and chili powder. This is one of my favorite blends because the flavor is warm and savory with the best hint of spice!
  • Flour Tortillas: I like using medium-sized tortillas because they’re big enough to hold all of the shrimp and toppings while also being easy to hold. You can use premade tortillas or also make your own using my easy recipe here!
  • Toppings: (Optional) Use your favorite! I usually go for a mix of sliced avocado, sour cream, salsa, and shredded cabbage, as well as pico de gallo, red onions, and fresh cilantro. For a little extra flavor, drizzle this homemade cilantro ranch sauce on top!

What Size Shrimp Do I Need?

I typically use 31- 40/pound count frozen raw shrimp. You can use smaller or larger shrimp if you wish, you may just need to adjust the cooking time as needed.

How to Make the Best Shrimp Tacos

Because these shrimp tacos are so easy to make, you’ll want to skip the takeout! They only take 30 minutes to whip up! This easy shrimp tacos recipe is the best for busy weeknights. This Instant Pot salsa verde chicken tacos recipe is another great meal to make in a pinch.

  1. Thaw and Peel Shrimp: Prep your shrimp. If frozen, run them under cool water until thawed. Then peel them and remove the tails. 
  2. Prepare Toppings: Meanwhile, prep your toppings. 
  3. Toss in Seasonings, Cook Shrimp: Add the shrimp to a skillet along with the olive oil and spices. Then cook over medium-high heat until the shrimp are no longer pink, flipping/stirring them occasionally (about 5-6 minutes). 
  4. Assemble and Serve: Assemble tacos as desired and serve immediately. 
2-photo collage of shrimp being seasoned and cooked in a skillet.

Tips for Making the Best Shrimp Tacos

These are just a few extra ways to customize and perfect your shrimp tacos. You’re going to love them! This is one of my go-to dinner recipes. It will make even the pickiest eaters into seafood lovers.

  • Add Spice: Want to make spicy shrimp tacos? Add a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper!
  • Use Taco Seasoning: If you’re in a rush, feel free to use pre-made taco seasoning instead of the spices in the recipe card. Homemade taco seasoning is even better! I have a great recipe to make your own blend here.
  • Swap Out Tortillas: I used flour tortillas in this recipe, but you can also use corn tortillas if you prefer.
  • Warm Your Tortillas: To heat flour tortillas all at once, I like to wrap them in foil and place them in a 375F oven while I’m getting everything ready. It’s also easy to warm tortillas individually in the microwave (just put one on a plate) by heating it for 10-15 seconds.

Delicious Topping Ideas

Toppings are what make a good taco great! You really can’t go wrong. This is a great place to use leftovers in your fridge! Here are some ideas to get you started.

  • Shredded iceberg lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Your favorite salsa (mango salsa is one of my new favorites!)
  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Tex-Mex or Mexican cheese blend
  • Red onions or scallions
  • Avocado
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Chopped cilantro

A flour tortilla topped with shrimp, sliced avocados, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro.

Storing Leftovers

These amazing shrimp tacos are best eaten fresh, but can be stored in the fridge and enjoyed later as well. You’ll want to store shrimp, toppings, and tortillas separately.

  • Leftover Shrimp: Store leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
  • Storing Flour Tortillas: You can keep any leftover tortillas in a Ziploc bag for 2-3 days.

A shrimp taco being picked up.

More Amazing Shrimp Recipes

Growing up, I wasn’t the biggest fan of shrimp. Looking back, I don’t know what was wrong with me! Shrimp is one of my proteins of choice now. It absorbs flavor so well and is amazingly delicious. For all of my seafood-loving readers out there, here are a few more must-try shrimp recipes! I know you’ll love them as much as I do.

  • Prep your shrimp. If frozen, run them under cool water until thawed. Peel them and remove the tails. 

  • Meanwhile, prep your toppings. 

  • Add the shrimp to a skillet along with the olive oil and spices. Cook over medium-high heat until the shrimp are no longer pink, flipping/stirring them occasionally (about 5-6 minutes). 

  • Assemble tacos as desired and serve immediately. 

Originally posted April 8, 2019
Updated January 6, 2023

Serves: 4

Calories219kcal (11%)Carbohydrates30g (10%)Protein5g (10%)Fat8g (12%)Saturated Fat2g (10%)Polyunsaturated Fat2gMonounsaturated Fat4gSodium447mg (19%)Potassium97mg (3%)Fiber2g (8%)Sugar2g (2%)Vitamin A200IU (4%)Vitamin C0.1mgCalcium93mg (9%)Iron2mg (11%)

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword Easy Shrimp Tacos, shrimp tacos recipe



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