Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Sriracha Sauce might just become your favorite for taco night, with the crunchy shrimp, avocado, tomato, cabbage and cilantro, topped with a drizzle of spicy sauce.
I have a serious obsession with tacos. Not just shrimp tacos, but basically any taco (see: carnitas tacos or pork belly tacos). But these shrimp tacos take it to the next level. They have a little bit of everything. They’re crispy, spicy, savory, and crunchy.
The best part about these shrimp tacos is that they make a perfect quick and tasty lunch, as well as a healthy dinner. You can a whole plate of these together in around 15 minutes, so even cooking for a crowd is easy.
In the summer, these are one of our top go-to dinners. The only cooked element is the shrimp, which take just a few minutes to cook. No need for the oven. Try these shrimp taco bowls with leftover ingredients and top them with this cilantro lime sauce.
» Spice up taco night with these fun taco variations and learn how to build the perfect Mexican charcuterie board.
What You’ll Need
To make these shrimp tacos, you’re going to need a few easy ingredients:
- Tortillas – I usually use 6″ flour tortillas, though I’ve now been getting street taco sized flour tortillas when I can find them. They’re the perfect size.
- Shrimp – You can go big or small here. It’s your preference. I like to use 41-60 sized medium shrimp that are raw, peeled, deveined and tail off. That’s the easiest possible method. If you don’t mind shelling your own shrimp you can do unpeeled, but be sure to clean them properly first.
- Toppings: Avocado, tomato, red cabbage, cilantro, green onion
- Sauce: Sriracha, mayonnaise, white vinegar, garlic powder
» You might be interested in How Much Shrimp to Serve Per Person.
Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Sriracha Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas
- 1 pound (454 g) shrimp fresh or frozen/thawed (approximately 20 shrimp)
- 1/4 cup (31 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (4 g) dry rub
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cooking oil
- 1 cup (70 g) cabbage shredded (red and/or white)
- 1/2 pound (227 g) cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
- 1 avocado cubed
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) white vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.38 g) garlic powder
- Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Clean and peel the shrimp (if necessary), then pat dry.
- Combine the flour and dry rub in a zip top bag. Add the shrimp and shake to coat.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until they are crisp and browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- Assemble and chop all of the vegetables and toppings.
- Whisk together the mayo, Sriracha, garlic powder, and vinegar.
- Heat the flour tortillas according to the package directions. Top each tortilla with shrimp, cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, green onion, and cilantro.
- Drizzle with sriracha cream sauce and serve.
Notes
- Size and weight of the shrimp needed may vary. I estimate 3-4 shrimps per taco for medium sized shrimp.
Nutrition
Spicy Sriracha Cream Sauce
The creamy Sriracha sauce that I add to the top of these shrimp tacos is one of my favorite sauces. It goes with everything. Seriously. Try it. I’m not exaggerating.
All it takes to make this sauce is mayonnaise, garlic powder, white vinegar and Sriracha. Just mix up however much you think you’ll want. This recipe makes enough for 6 tacos.
I make it in large batches (because I use it on everything) and store it in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator. The squeeze bottle makes it really easy to drizzle the sauce onto the shrimp tacos.
Check out our recipe for Yum Yum Sauce, which is this sauce with the addition of a secret ingredient that will rock your world.
What Toppings to Use for Shrimp Tacos
You can use any toppings you want for your tacos. I always use red and white cabbage. The red cabbage adds such great color to the tacos. Green onions are a must, as is cilantro and red peppers. Onion and avocado are another option. Don’t forget a lime wedge to squeeze over the top.
I sometimes put pico de gallo on, but more often I use freshly sliced cherry tomatoes. They add a bit of acidity that works well with the fried shrimp.
Assembling the Taco
To start assembling the tacos, get everything chopped, cooked and ready. Heat the tortillas so they are pliable and warm.
Add about 4-6 shrimps to the taco and top with all your favorite toppings. Drizzle on some of your homemade sriracha cream sauce.
Other Shrimp Recipes to Try
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Like it, Love it, Want Some More of It? Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch us cook and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. We really love it when you save our recipes to Pinterest 😊
Pin it for later
Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.
I was sold at the creamy sriracha sauce – what a delicious taco!
Sounds delish! I love shrimp tacos I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Yummy! This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try! My daughter is going to love this!
Now this is my kind of dinner! My kids just started eating shrimp too so I know this will be a hit in our house.
You got me at shrimp and sriracha. Will give this recipe a try.
Shrimp tacos were delicous! I loved the sriracha aioli on them. YUM.
It looks delicious and I am so excited to make this at home, yum!