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Hello shrimp tacos!!!
End of summer tacos that features bright green jalapeno sauce, avocado mash, jalapeno cilantro slaw, plump shrimp, and crunchy sweet corn.
Yes, please. I will have these for dinner every single night until it’s fall. TYVM!
Remember that easy jalapeno sauce I made back in May, for Cinco de Mayo? Well, that sauce inspired me to make these shrimp tacos! There are so many good uses for that jalapeno sauce, but I couldn’t get shrimp tacos out of my brain!
Honestly, these shrimp tacos might be my all time favorite shrimp tacos I have had. I haven’t made a lot of shrimp tacos myself, but I have ordered a lot of shrimp tacos in the best kinds of places to order shrimp tacos, such as Florida.
And yes, these shrimp tacos with jalapeno sauce even beat the ones I remember having in Florida.
I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything…but…I am tooting it! LOL!
These shrimp tacos are pretty easy to make, especially if you have the jalapeno sauce already made. Which, can be done up to 2 days in advance. Either way, these tacos only take about 35 minutes to make.
Summertime shrimp tacos here we come!!!
Ingredients for shrimp tacos with jalapeno sauce
- jalapeno sauce – this stuff is pure gold. It’s easy to make so delicious, and so versatile. It’s a combo of jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, avocado oil, and of course salt – all blended up into a smooth sauce that’s super fresh tasting, a little spicy (or a lot, if you want), and so addicting. This sauce is the base of our slaw for the tacos, but is also the sauce that we drizzle on top o the tacos before eating. Always more sauce with tacos!
- shredded cabbage – we couldn’t have slaw without it. For a super easy shortcut I buy a bag of the pre-shredded coleslaw mix. Or, if you’re needing to use up a head of cabbage, you can easily shred you own.
- Plain, fat free Greek yogurt – this adds a nice creaminess to our slaw. You can easily swap if for sour cream, if you prefer. The yogurt along with the jalapeno sauce makes one ultimate tasty sauce for a slaw.
- Cilantro, chopped – added to the slaw to amp up that cilantro, herby, summer vibes. Also, perfect for sprinkling some on top of the tacos, just before eating.
- Avocado mash – A simple, quick mash of ripe avocados, lime juice, kosher salt, and garlic powder. I love spreading this on the bottom of my tortilla. It adds a nice creamy texture.
- Shrimp – peeled, and deveined. Juicy, sweet, and delicious – the star of the show!!! If you can get your hands on shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined it makes this recipe go so much faster. If not, no worries, just give yourself an extra 5 minutes, turn on a podcast, or some music, and start peeling away.
- avocado oil – for cooking the shrimp.
- Corn or flour tortillas – warmed, just before serving. My favorite way to warm tortillas is either in a dry skillet, or on an open flame of a gas stove.
- Sweet corn – kernels cut from the cob. Yes!!! The corn is eaten raw!!! Trust me, friends, it’s so, so, so good raw. And, it’s the perfect crunchy sweet topping for our shrimp tacos.
- Lime wedges – for anyone who likes a little extra squirt of limey goodness on their tacos
That’s it.
This may seem like a long list of ingredients. But, so many of those are for the sauce, and the fixings for the tacos. All of it comes together so quickly.
How to make shrimp tacos with jalapeno sauce
- First, make the jalapeno sauce – Just to get it out of the way. Again, this can be made up to 1 or 2 days in advance if you want to get a head start.
- Prepare – peel your shrimp, if needed. Shred your cabbage, If needed. And cut the kernels of the ears of corn.
- Make the slaw – literally add the cabbage, jalapeno sauce, yogurt, salt and cilantro in a bowl and toss together.
- Make the avocado mash – Mash the avocado, stir in the lime juice, and season with the salt and garlic powder.
- Cook the shrimp – sauté the shrimp in a skillet – takes about 8 minutes to cook!
- Finish – gather the rest of your fixings for the tacos.
- Serve – Serve everything in individual bowls so that each person can assemble their taco just before eating. Customization is always fun.
Easy!
Of course, the more detailed directions are below.
What to serve with shrimp tacos with jalapeno sauce:
Honestly, most of the time we just eat these tacos as a meal-in-one. I like to eat a little extra slaw on the side – so good on it’s own. And maybe dip a few chips into the jalapeno sauce. Happy tummy!
But, if you are serving this to guests, and you want to stretch out the meal a little, here are some ideas:
- corn on the cob – why not mirror the corn in the tacos? Sweet corn cooked to perfection, with some butter and salt – all you need.
- Mexican street corn salad – yes, more corn. But, this would go great with the flavors in the tacos.
- Extra jalapeno sauce – Already mentioned this, but if you have guests you can simply make a double batch of the jalapeno sauce and add some chips to a bowl. Go to town!
- Easy 8 ingredient salsa – another dip. But this one is so good with any Mexican inspired dishes.
No one will go hungry at your table!
Reasons you’ll love these shrimp tacos:
- They’re fresh
- Summer vibes happening
- They’re festive
- Quick and easy to make – 35 minutes
- They’re easily gluten free – just use corn tortillas
- They’re impressive
- And delicious
- They’re light
- Yet, satisfying
- Everyone loves a good taco!
I hope you enjoy these fresh, vibrant shrimp tacos as much as we do.
When you make them, please leave a comment, and a star rating down below. This helps my recipes to rank higher in google, and be seen by more people. And, I love hearing from you. Thanks, friends.
More shrimp recipes:
- summer pesto pasta with shrimp
- kimchi fried rice with shrimp
- shrimp spring roll bowls with tahini sauce
- Mexican shrimp cocktail
- sheet pan pineapple shrimp fajitas with avocado crema
Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeno Sauce
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (about 2 to 3 tacos per person) 1x
- Category: fish, entree, dinner, easy, 30 minutes, or less
- Method: sauté, blend
- Cuisine: gluten free, nut free,
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These shrimp tacos with jalapeno sauce are a favorite summertime meal. Crunchy jalapeno cilantro slaw, creamy avocado mash, juicy shrimp, and sweet corn. The perfect shrimp taco!
Ingredients
Easy jalapeno sauce
- 1 batch of easy jalapeno sauce (click here to get the recipe)
Jalapeno cilantro slaw
- 14 ounces (4 cups) shredded cabbage (I buy the bags of coleslaw mix for a shortcut)
- 1/3 cup jalapeno sauce
- 1/4 cup fat free, plain Greek yogurt (or sub sour cream)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (including tender stems)
Avocado mash
- 2 ripe avocadoes, peeled, and seeded
- juice of 1/2 to 1 lime
- kosher salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled, and deveined
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- kosher salt and pepper
Remaining fixings
- corn or flour tortilla shells, heated up
- 2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut from the cob
- cilantro leaves, for garnish
- lime wedges, for drizzling
- remaining jalapeno sauce, for drizzling
Instructions
- Make the jalapeno sauce: You can do this step up to 2 days in advance – (only takes 10 minutes). Click here for the recipe.
- Prepare: Once you start cooking, things go fast, so doing a little prep work helps things along. If needed, peel and devein your shrimp, and pat them dry – set aside. Also shred your cabbage – if shredding yourself – set aside. I highly recommend buying a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, this really helps to keep this recipe quick and easy. Cut the corn off the cobs, set aside in a small serving dish.
- Make the slaw: To a large mixing bowl add the bag of coleslaw mix (or the shredded cabbage), add 1/3 cup of the jalapeno sauce, the Greek yogurt (or sour cream), the kosher salt, and the chopped cilantro. Use tongs to give it a good toss until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Note: that as the cabbage sits in the salt and the sauce, liquid will be drawn out of the cabbage – if it seems dry then give it 5 minutes before adding anymore jalapeno sauce. Cover, and place in the fridge to chill.
- Make the avocado mash (optional): This is optional, but I really like it. To a medium mixing bowl, add the avocados and mash with a fork, or a potato masher until it’s mostly smooth. Squeeze in 1/2 of the lime juice, add some salt, and the garlic powder. Give it a mix and taste, adjust flavors as needed, adding in the other half of the lime juice, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap so it’s touching the avocado mash, to prevent browning, and set aside.
- Cook the shrimp: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, once the oil is heated add the shrimp to the pan, along with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, give the shrimp a good toss. Allow the shrimp to sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally – or until the shrimp curls up, turns opaque, and pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a serving bowl, cover with foil to keep warm.
- Finish: Heat the tortilla shells by either heating them in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel, in a dry skillet, or over the open flame of a gas stove (my fave). Tear off some cilantro leaves and place them in a serving bowl, along with a few wedges of sliced lime, and the remaining jalapeno sauce. Have all of the fixings for the tacos in serving bowls so individuals can assemble their own tacos right before eating.
- To assemble: Spread some avocado mash on the tortilla, then place some of the slaw on top of the avocado mash, followed by a few shrimp, a sprinkle of crunchy sweet corn, and a drizzle of jalapenos sauce. You can also add some fresh cilantro leaves and a squirt of lime juice, if desired. Enjoy immediately. Tacos are best assembled just before eating. YUM!
Notes
Leftovers: Store any leftovers in the fridge in separate containers. To keep the avocado mash from turning brown, place a layer of plastic wrap right on top of the the avocado to prevent air from getting to it. You will want to heat up fresh tortillas just before serving again. Make sure to re-heat the shrimp gently in the microwave.
Gluten free: Make sure to use corn tortillas to keep this recipe gluten free, if needed.
Nutrition facts: The calculation is an estimation. I did include the nutrition facts for the jalapeno sauce. Keep in mind that the nutrition facts can vary depending on the various toppings you add, and if you do or don’t include the avocado mash. They can also vary depending on whether you use corn tortillas, or flour – and by brand.
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