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–+ servings
A white plate of shrimp tacos sitting on a blue tiled table next to a bowl of the charred shrimp, a basket of corn tortillas, and some purple cabbage slaw.
Kate Ramos

Skillet Charred Cajun Shrimp Tacos Recipe

Delectable and spicy this Shrimp Taco recipe is truly the best! Tender shrimp in a spicy shrimp taco seasoning wrapped in warm tortillas with a tangy slaw and lime crema (aka: killer shrimp taco sauce). A fresh, flavorful dinner!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 380

Ingredients
  

For the shrimp taco sauce

Method
 

  1. Dry the shrimp. Lay the peeled and deviened shrimp on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat dry with another sheet of paper towels so the shrimp is nice and dry. If it is wet it will steam and not char.
  2. Marinate the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and add the paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir to combine. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the meal.
  3. Make the sauce. Whisk together the crema, zest and lime juice, cilantro, and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. Prepare the garnishes. Make the slaw, cut the lime wedges, slice the red onion, clean the cilantro, and warm the tortillas. Keep tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or wrap in a clean kitchen towel.
  5. Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and give it a minute or two to heat up. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add shrimp and spread out to an even layer. Let cook, undisturbed, until lightly charred on one side and starting to become firm, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes more.
  6. Serve. Place about 1/4 cup (or however much you want) of the slaw in the tortilla, top with shrimp and drizzle sauce over everything. Garnish with red onion and cilantro. Pass lime wedges and salsa macha at the table.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 380kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 8gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 677mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10g

Video

Notes

    1. Timing: Prepare the shrimp taco sauce, slaw, garnishes, and warm the tortillas before you cook the shrimp. The shrimp cooks really fast and you want to serve it hot.
    2. Spice level: These on the spicy side, especially if you serve them with the Salsa Macha or hot sauce. The cayenne pepper packs a punch but they aren’t crazy spicy. You can substitute a mild chili powder if you’d like.
    3. Shrimp: I use the frozen Argentinian Red Shrimp from Trader Joe’s because it comes already peeled and deveined which makes this recipe even easier. If you want to use fresh, look for wild caught shrimp, preferably from the Gulf of Mexico or Pacific coast.
    4. Cheese: If you want to add cheese I recommend using crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese for a bit more tang.

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