Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
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Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema combine tender, spiced shrimp with crunchy slaw and Avocado Crema. This simple meal should be on repeat all summer long!
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
I love an easy weeknight (or anytime) meal. These shrimp tacos cook up crazy fast, especially if you do some prep in advance.
We keep raw shrimp in the freezer at all times. You never know when you’re going to crave shrimp tacos, Shrimp Taco Bowls, Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice, or Crunchy Shrimp Tostadas!
Why We Love This Recipe:
- SIMPLE TO MAKE – This is a fairly quick recipe, especially if you do some of the work in advance. You can prep the shrimp and slaw in advance and then sauté the shrimp and make the Crema at mealtime.
- DELICIOUS – We love the flavors in this meal – a little bit spicy, crunchy, and creamy all at once.
- PERFECT TEX-MEX MEAL – Got a fun backyard party planned? Make this and your guests will be happy!
Ingredients Needed:
For the shrimp:
- Shrimp – I used two pounds of large shrimp. I recommend you get the peeled and deveined shrimp because then all you need to do is remove the tail.
- Seasonings – Ground cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Avocado Oil – This oil has a high smoke point, but you could also use canola.
- Tortillas – We often use a lower-carb tortilla, but whatever you like best works too.
For the slaw:
- Cabbage – I used some packaged slaw and chopped it finer. You could also buy a head of cabbage and chop it all yourself.
- Onion – This calls for red onion, but green is fine too.
- Jalapeño – I used 1/2 of a jalapeño and removed the seeds before dicing. You could also keep a few seeds for some kick.
- Cilantro – Just a small amount adds a lot of flavor!
- Lime – You’ll need to freshly squeeze the lime. So easy.
For Avocado Crema:
- Avocado – You’ll need one large ripe avocado for this recipe.
- Sour Cream – I use either the full-fat or light version of sour cream. Both work well!
- Cilantro – Just a small amount of cilantro is needed – about 1/4 cup loosely packed.
- Garlic Salt – If you don’t have garlic salt, you can use regular salt.
- Lime – One large lime, freshly squeezed.
How to make Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema:
Step 1
Prep the shrimp. For best results, use raw peeled, and deveined shrimp. Remove tails and pat dry. Then add the seasoning mixture to the shrimp.
Step 2
Make the slaw. Combine the slaw ingredients in a medium bowl – the cabbage, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Stir to combine.
Step 3
Make the Avocado Crema. Add all ingredients – the avocado, sour cream, cilantro, garlic salt, and fresh lime juice – to a food processor. Pulse until creamy.
Step 4
Cook shrimp. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add avocado oil. Then add about half of the shrimp and sauté until done – about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the size of the shrimp). Remove cooked shrimp to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining half.
NOTE: Shrimp cooks very fast. Cook at a high heat and flip after 2-3 minutes, cooking the other side. The shrimp is done when it goes from gray to pink.
Step 5
Assemble tacos. Add the slaw, Crema, and shrimp to some warmed tortillas. Add cotija cheese and other optional toppings.
We love serving these with a side of Mexican Quinoa Salad or Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Pro-Tip: Make some margaritas too! How about some Watermelon Margaritas, Pineapple Coconut Margaritas, or Skinny Margaritas?
Other Tex-Mex Recipes to try next:
- Healthy Taco Salad Recipe – A healthy salad that has SO much flavor.
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas – You can’t go wrong with enchiladas!
- Steak Quesadilla Recipe – A great way to use up leftover steak.
- Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls – Just like Chipotle!
If you want to try a different dressing in place of the Avocado Crema, try our Chipotle Ranch Dressing or Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing instead.
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
xoxo ~Sue
Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
- 2 pounds large shrimp – raw, deveined, with tails removed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
For the slaw:
- 3 cups cabbage – finely shredded
- 1/4 cup red onion – diced
- 1/2 large jalapeño – diced without seeds
- 2 Tablespoon cilantro
- 1 large lime – freshly squeezed
Avocado Crema:
- 1 large avocado
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup cilantro – loosely packed
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 large lime – freshly squeezed
Other taco ingredients:
- 8 small flour tortillas
- cotija cheese – for topping
Instructions
- Prep the shrimp. For best results, use raw peeled, and deveined shrimp. Remove tails and pat dry. Then add the seasoning mixture to the shrimp.
- Make the slaw. Combine the slaw ingredients in a medium bowl – the cabbage, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Stir to combine.
- Make the Avocado Crema. Add all ingredients – the avocado, sour cream, cilantro, garlic salt, and fresh lime juice – to a food processor. Pulse until creamy.
- Cook shrimp. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add avocado oil. Then add about half of the shrimp and sauté until done – about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the size of the shrimp). Remove cooked shrimp to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining half.
- Assemble tacos. Add the slaw, Crema, and shrimp to some warmed tortillas. Add other toppings if desired.
Notes
- You can prep the slaw and avocado crema a couple of hours in advance. I also recommend adding spices to shrimp ahead of time. Then this becomes a very quick meal to get on the table!
- We like to use a lower carb tortilla, but use whatever you prefer.
- The shrimp are done when they go from gray to pink. Only a couple of minutes per side!
My girls were on their second taco before I got my first one made. Needless to say, they were a big hit.
So good to hear, Rob! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂