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Not to play favorites, but when it comes to street food, it's hard to beat a well-executed taco. At home, I often build tacos around shrimp—quick-cooking and the ideal canvas for all my favorite toppings. Here, shrimp seasoned with taco seasoning and garlic are quickly sautéed, then piled onto charred corn tortillas and topped with crisp cabbage slaw and a game-changing jalapeño-garlic crema. Whip these up for an easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in under 45 minutes (!!) and sure to impress. Here's everything you need to know.
What People Are Saying:
"It's simple and it's a keeper." - TonyDeNova
"So good!!" - jackieee
First, the shrimp. Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with the taco seasoning, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, and 3/4 tsp. salt; make sure the shrimp is evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for up to 15 minutes; cover and refrigerate for longer storage.
Now for the crema. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayo, scallion whites, pickled jalapeños, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, the zest of 1 lime, the juice of 1/2 lime, and 1/4 tsp. salt. I recommend tasting the cream and adjusting the flavors with more salt or lime juice if needed.
Next, the slaw. In a large bowl, toss the cabbages, cilantro, scallion greens, and juice of 1/2 lime in a large bowl to combine. Generously season with salt.
Okay, let’s get cooking. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering; you want the pan good and hot before the shrimp go in. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in the skillet and cook, turning halfway through, until opaque throughout and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a clean medium bowl; reserve the skillet.
Reduce the heat to medium and squeeze the juice from the remaining lime directly into the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then pour the lime juice over the shrimp—how’s that for an instant sauce!
On to the tortillas; toasting them quickly really brings out their flavor. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, then heat 1 Tbsp. oil in it over medium-high heat. Working in two batches and adding the remaining Tbsp. oil between batches, toast the tortillas, turning frequently with tongs, 3 to 4 minutes. The tortillas should be golden brown with some dark charred patches (signs of caramelized sugars—very good things) and some blistering around the edges. Transfer the tortillas to a platter or divide among plates.
And now, at last, let's build some tacos! Top the tortillas with coleslaw, shrimp, avocado, radish, then crema. Garnish with cilantro; squeeze lime juice over.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
I love to pair these tacos with corn salsa or cilantro-lime rice for a satisfying, customizable meal, but you can't go wrong rounding things out with black bean and corn salad, elotes, or grilled avocados.
Though tacos of all sorts are best when freshly made, the jalapeño-garlic crema can be made 1 day ahead. Cover or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
store-bought or homemade taco seasoning
large garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
Kosher salt
scallions, green and white parts separated, thinly sliced
sour cream
finely chopped pickled jalapeños
mayonnaise
limes
shredded green cabbage
shredded red cabbage
fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus more for serving
neutral oil, divided
small corn tortillas
avocado, thinly sliced
Thinly sliced radishes, for serving
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