These grilled smoky shrimp tacos are perfect for taco night and a tasty healthy weeknight meal, featuring juicy spiced shrimp, creamy cilantro lime sauce that doubles as a dressing for the sweet tangy garlicky crunchy slaw. These grilled shrimp tacos are so easy to make and so flavourful, you will be making them all summer and grilling season long. No grill – no problem! These tasty shrimp can easily be made stove top on a grill pan or in a skillet. Use flour or corn tortillas and top them with creamy mashed avocado, sweet, tangy crunchy slaw, hot off the grill juicy shrimp topped with that homemade creamy cilantro lime sauce.
Grilled Shrimp Taco Recipe Ingredients:
- Shrimp: I like to use large shrimp that are already deveined and peeled, fresh or frozen is great. How to thaw frozen shrimp? Either thaw over night in the fridge or run under cold water. (directions on cooking from frozen below – thawed is preferred though)
- Tortillas: Feel free to use corn tortillas or if you prefer flour ones feel free use them instead
- Spices: the spice rub for the shrimp is full of tasty spices like chili powder, cayenne, oregano, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Feel free to adjust amounts of each to taste and if you prefer a pre blended spice mix feel free to use taco seasoning – storebought or homemade taco seasoning
- Lime Juice: freshly squeezed is always best and please adjust amounts to taste
- Slaw Mix: feel free to use store-bought slaw mix or make your own using shredded cabbage (green, red or a combination of both) and feel free to add some shredded carrots too
- Mango or Pineapple: for a little sweetness – use either or or leave it out if you prefer the slaw without it and adjust amount to taste
- Red Onion, Green Onion & Garlic: red onion for the slaw and green onion or chives and garlic for the sauce. Feel free to adjust amounts to taste
- Fresh Cilantro: for the shrimp taco sauce and for garnishing – if you aren’t a fan feel free to use fresh parsley although it will change the taste of the sauce a little
- Yogurt: for the sauce – you can use sour cream in its place for even more tang, or you can even use mayonnaise for a creamier richer sauce
- Jalepeno: it gives the slaw just a touch of heat – use as little or as much as you prefer. Make sure to remove seeds for less heat
How to Make Grilled Shrimp Tacos (set by step)
This easy shrimp tacos recipe takes no time to make and full of flavor – here is a quick breakdown of the recipe instructions (full details in recipe below)
- Prepare cilantro lime sauce/dressing – place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until mostly smooth – don’t have a food processor no sweat just mince onions, cilantro and garlic fine and whisk together with the rest of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl
- Toss slaw with some of the sauce reserving some for topping the shrimp tacos
- Toss shrimp with the spices, olive oil and lime juice. Thread them on skewers (optional but easier to grill without losing some through the grill grates)
- Preheat the grill to medium high direct heat (375 to 400°F).
- Place shrimp on the grill and grill 2-3 minutes per side, until bright pink and cooked through – do not overcook. Slide them off skewers and set aside.
- Serve in a tortilla with the coleslaw, smashed avocado, cilantro lime sauce, fresh chopped cilantro, and lime juice.
What to Serve and Garnish These Tacos with:
- Smashed avocados or Guacamole
- Cotija cheese or crumbled Feta Cheese
- Lime wedges for serving
- Sliced Tomato or Pico de Gallo
- Tortilla chips
- Hot sauce
- Spicy salsa or a sweet mango salsa
- Rice – Spanish rice, Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice
Tips to Make the Tastiest Grilled Shrimp:
- Do not overcook shrimp: Shrimp are fully cooked when they turn a pink color and look opaque and white on the inside. Pull them off the grill as soon as they are done.
- Can you grill raw frozen shrimp? Save yourself time and cook your shrimp directly from frozen. No need to thaw first. Although not ideal – it will work.
- Can I grill Pre-cooked shrimp: You can grill pre-cooked shrimp. Essentially you will just be heating them on the grill so it will take less cook time. You just want to leave them long enough to warm them and get a little char on them otherwise they will be overcooked. Although not ideal – it will work.
Make Ahead & Storage:
- Coleslaw is easy to make in advance. The vegetables can be shredded 1-2 days in advance and kept in a resealable bag in the refrigerator.
- As for the cilantro lime sauce, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Combine the slaw veggies and dressing the night before or day of serving — we like the crunch of the vegetables to still be present. The longer the cabbage sits in the coleslaw dressing, the softer and less crunchy it will become.
- Leftover cilantro lime sauce can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Leftover cooked shrimp last in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days. Reheat over low heat so they don’t overcook.
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