Fried Shrimp Tacos

Read 5 Reviews
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Servings 12 tacos

Fried Shrimp Tacos made with popcorn shrimp, fresh slaw, an amazing creamy cilantro-lime dressing, and homemade corn tortillas. This recipe will have you dreaming about it long after the meal is over.

Take taco night up another level with Restaurant Style Salsa and the best Guacamole!

Fried shrimp tacos in corn tortillas with creamy dressing

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These shrimp tacos are just next level. With crispy fried shrimp, a light fresh slaw, and an incredible creamy tangy dressing to finish them off, they make your taste buds so happy.

Shrimp Tacos Recipe

Heres what you’ll need to make these tacos:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

  • Shrimp: We put our homemade popcorn shrimp to great use in these tacos! Make up a batch in advance and then this recipe comes together in minutes.
  • Coleslaw: A simple undressed slaw mix, either pre-packaged or made from scratch works great.
  • Sauce: The sauce for these tacos is creamy, tangy, and perfectly spiced. We could drink it, it’s so good!
  • Tortillas: Homemade corn tortillas take these tacos up a notch, but you can use store-bought, no problem.
overhead view of 3 shrimp tacos on plate with lemon wedges

Shrimp Taco Sauce

The sauce for these tacos? Chef’s kiss. It comes together in minutes using your food processor.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)

  • Mayonnaise and Sour Cream: These ingredients are the base of the dressing and provide creaminess and rich flavor.
  • Cilantro: This fresh herb is a key component here. If you absolutely hate it, parsley can be used instead.
  • Garlic: Use fresh for the best aromatics and flavor.
  • Jalapeno: The seeds carry most of the heat in Jalapeno peppers, so remove them if you want the dressing to be more mild, or include them if you like things spicier.
  • Lime juice: Fresh lime juice adds a bright citrusy flavor.
  • Rice wine vinegar: For wonderful tang and flavor.
  • Vegetable oil: A little vegetable oil is added to help disperse the vinegar in the emulsion.
  • Kosher salt and black pepper: Simple seasoning for added flavor.
spoonful of creamy cilantro-lime dressing in bowl
spoon drizzling creamy dressing over popcorn shrimp taco

Recipe Variatons

  • Sautéed shrimp: If you don’t want to use fried shrimp, raw shrimp that’s seasoned and sautéed is delicious here, as well.
  • Flour tortillas: We prefer these tacos with corn tortillas (especially our homemade corn tortillas), but there is absolutely no shame in using flour tortillas – we love those, too.
  • Creamy Coleslaw: Replacing plain coleslaw with our creamy Coleslaw adds another level of flavor. If you go that route, you might want to consider ditching the cilantro-lime sauce since all those flavors together might not jive.
  • Use a different dressing: If the cilantro-lime dressing just isn’t calling your name, try our Chimichurri sauce, instead.

How to Make Fried Shrimp Tacos

These shrimp tacos are done in a few steps: Fry the shrimp, make the corn tortillas, blend the dressing, and assemble. If you choose to make the shrimp in advance and buy the corn tortillas already made, this meal comes together even quicker! To make this shrimp taco recipe, follow the steps below included in the printable recipe card. Make sure to refer back to the article for additional information.

Fried Shrimp Tacos Video

What to Serve with Shrimp Tacos

For a complete meal, we like to serve shrimp tacos with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice and Churros for dessert!

Other Shrimp Recipes We Love

I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

5 from 5

Fried Shrimp Tacos

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 27 minutes
Servings: 12 tacos
Fried Shrimp Tacos made with popcorn shrimp, fresh slaw, an amazing creamy cilantro-lime dressing, and homemade corn tortillas.

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound Popcorn Shrimp
  • 1 cup cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic, , minced
  • 1 medium jalapeno, , chopped (seeds removed if you want a milder sauce)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups plain coleslaw mix

Instructions 

  • Make the popcorn shrimp.
  • Place the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, mayonnaise, sour cream, vegetable oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until combined and smooth.
  • Make the tortillas from scratch or use store-bought. Warm them over a low flame on stovetop burners until just slightly charred around the edges.
  • Top tortillas with a little coleslaw and 5 or so shrimp. Drizzle with the cilantro-lime sauce.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 437mg | Sodium: 805mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If you’re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

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4 Comments

  1. Terry s says:

    5 stars
    I was surprised by how easy it was. My wife was surprised at how good I was able to cook.

  2. Savontb82 says:

    5 stars
    Awesomely delicious! All four of my kids went crazy over this recipe last night. The most shocking part was that my husband, who DOES NOT eat shrimp, ate several helpings and loved it! I had made chicken for him to put in his tacos, but he ate as much shrimp as everyone else. I was floored. The sauce really pulls everything together beautifully. Luckily, I made a double portion of the sauce.

  3. Tammy J says:

    5 stars
    The Bomb! That sauce says it all! Delicious! It thickened after I put the sauce on fridge and the flavor developed even more! We all loved the ease and taste. Bravo!

  4. Valerie says:

    5 stars
    These were SO good! The sauce is incredible – I just want to drizzle it on everything.