Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw

Aug 14, 2022 | Food, Main Course

Happy Monday everyone!  This Spicy Shrimp Taco with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw is absolutely crunchy and delicious with fresh cut green cabbage, seasoned shrimp, with textures of crumbled Mexican cheese and creamy Cilantro garlic sauce!  Not only is this recipe outstanding, it is Mr. TAL approved.  Yes, I make Thomas taste everything and he said this was definitely blog approved :-). I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did and don’t forget to rate it if you try it!  I always love your feedback.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos

How to make the shrimp taco spice mix:

With Jake And Maggie by my side and a plan in motion to make us a fun twist on tacos, I got busy seasoning the shrimp.  You can buy fresh shrimp but I had a bag of frozen shrimp already opened in the freezer.  I de-thawed them by letting them sit in hot water and then drying them off between two towels.  I used chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, seasoning salt, thyme, crushed pepper, and coated the shrimp in a small bowl.  I let the shrimp marinate in the spices for a few minutes while I sliced the cabbage, avocados, and pulled out 4 large soft taco shells.  

 
Substituting soft tacos for the hard shell would also work well.  You could also create a fish taco instead of using the shrimp by using the same spices and baking or sautéing the fish!
Spicy Shrimp Tacos

How to cook the shrimp:

Using a cast iron skillet, I added a drizzle of vegetable oil and olive oil and cooked the shrimp on medium heat sautéing for approximately 8 minutes flipping the shrimp until they were cooked through.  Then I removed them from the pan into a small bowl and into the microwave to keep warm while I made the rest of the recipe!

Mexican cheese

This cheese comes in a wheel like you would be buying a wheel of Brie.  I broke it up into chunks which almost looks like Feta cheese.  It has a mild taste and is very creamy.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

How to make the Garlic Cilantro Lime Sauce:

In a blender, I blended oil, water, green onions, cilantro leaves, garlic, salt, lime juice, Helluva Good onion dip, and sour cream together until smooth.

Creating a crispy, flaky soft burrito shell

I used the same skillet that I made the tacos in, added my oils, and cooked the shells on both sides.  This creates a flaky, crispy shell.  The seasoning from the shrimp stuck to the shells which game them even more flavor.  The two oils combined add great flavor as well.  

Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Assembly:

In a hot cast iron skillet on low/medium heat, I added 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and cooked the soft tacos on both sides until they started to get crispy.  This takes no time at all.  Once you start to see brown crispy spots your soft taco shell is done and ready to be assembled.  I laid out the shell, added my shrimp, shredded cabbage, Mexican cheese, sliced avocados, and topped with my garlic cilantro lime sauce.  Because I didn’t want an open face taco, I folded the edges together to make for easier eating :-). This recipe made 4 large tacos with sauce left over.  

Add a side of Mexican rice or salad using the leftover avocado and cabbage!  If you love the dressing, add a bit more sour cream and use it as a dressing for your salad.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Want more recipes from Two Adorable Labs, check out my older posts!

Beef Taco Bake

Garlic Shrimp and Pasta With Fresh Herbs

Beef Quesadillas 

Smothered Chicken

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Folding your shrimp burrito

Want to make your dish look more fancy and put together, fold up your burrito, wrap it in brown parchment paper and tie it with a burlap string.  Cut up extra slices of avocado as a garnish or add a small bowl of Mexican street corn for color, taste, and texture.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw

A delicious twist on shrimp tacos with crunchy green cabbage, shrimp with a kick, and drizzled with a creamy cilantro sauce
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: tacos, shrimp, cilantro, garlic, sour cream
Author: Two Adorable Labs

Ingredients

Garlic Cilantro Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup water Want your sauce to be thicker, leave the water out
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 3/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 limes (use juice from the limes)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup Hellava Good Green Onion Dip

Shrimp Taco Spice Mix:

  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp season salt
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • drizzle of vegetable oil
  • drizzle of olive oil

Assembly:

  • 1 lb shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails removed)
  • 2-3 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 4 large soft taco shells
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup mexican cheese, crumbled
  • lime wedges for decoration

Instructions

Garlic Cilantro Sauce:

  • Mix all ingredients together in a blender and pulse until smooth

Shrimp Taco Mix:

  • Thaw shrimp if frozen. Combine shrimp and spices and toss shrimp until covered well
  • Sauté in cast iron skillet up to 8 minutes (toss a few times) until cooked through
  • When done, set aside or in microwave to keep warm

Assembly:

  • Cut avocado, lime wedges, and green cabbage
  • Crumble cheese
  • Cook soft tacos in a cast iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until brow crispy spots start to form
  • Layer taco shell with shrimp, avocado, cabbage, and sauce
  • Enjoy!

Notes

If you want a creamier sauce, add more sour cream or green onion dip.  If you want a thinner sauce, add more water.
I sliced my avocado but you can always mash it in a bowl and spread out on your taco shell before assembling the rest of the ingredients.  
I used fresh garlic cloves but if you can always use garlic paste.
The spice can always be adjusted to be hotter or more mild by adding or reducing the chili powder, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper.

I’m Bobbi Jo, a lab-lover who took my passion for animals and dogs and turned it into something bigger.  When I adopted Jake and Maggie, my love for them became the driving force behind Two Adorable Labs, and my blog was born.  My hope is to not only share them with the world, but to help educate others on the importance of animal health and well-being. 

I love hearing from all of you and do my best to respond to each and every one of you.  I always enjoy your comments, feedback, and suggestions so keep them coming!  If I’ve posted a recipe (for our human and our furry friends) and you try it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @twoadorablelabs and use #twoadorablelabs​.

If you do try and love my recipes, I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating.  I read every single one and respond to them.  It also lets Google know that the website contains quality content.  The more comments and 5-star ratings, the more Google will show my blog in search results!  Thank you so much! 

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2 Comments

    • Two Adorable Labs

      Thank you!!!!

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