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Published: Aug 8, 2018 · Updated: Jul 24, 2021. Post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure page for details.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos

Spicy shrimp tacos with creamy sriracha sauce, cabbage, & avocado are healthy and easy! These yummy tacos are done in about 20 minutes!

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You’re here because you love tacos as much as I do. These spicy shrimp tacos are nothing but perfection, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you fall in love once you try them!

Start with peeled shrimp tossed in a spicy seasoning blend, then saute with a little avocado oil, throw them in a soft shell tortilla, and top with cabbage, avocado, and a creamy sriracha ranch sauce. It doesn’t get any better or simple than that!

Three spicy shrimp tacos on a plate.
Jump to:
  • What does it taste like?
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions
  • Instructions
  • Tips & FAQ
  • Nutritional Info
  • Pricing Info
  • Side Ideas
  • Other Mexican-style Recipes
  • Recipe

What does it taste like?

These spicy shrimp tacos are exactly that, spicy! They get most of their flavor from the homemade sriracha ranch sauce and the seasoning blend that you’ll toss the shrimp in.

You’ll also top your shrimp tacos with cabbage, avocado slices, and green onion, so you’ll get a little crunch and some creamy avocado flavor as well!

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    Ingredients

    The ingredients needed to make spicy shrimp tacos.

    Shrimp – Make sure to use a medium or large-sized shrimp. I used 21-25 shrimp, meaning there are 21-25 shrimp per pound. I also use precooked shrimp to make things faster, but you can use raw shrimp as well.

    Avocado oil – A heart-healthy oil that is perfect for sauteing your spicy seasoned shrimp!

    Garlic powder – Dried garlic that has been ground up is just too flavorful and delicious not to use for this shrimp taco recipe!

    Ground black pepper – The black pepper adds flavor and also a spicy kick to the shrimp as they cook in the oil.

    Paprika – I love using paprika in this recipe because not only does it add flavor, but it adds a beautiful red and orange color to the shrimp as they cook.

    Avocado – One of the best taco toppings in the history of tacos, the avocado adds healthy fats to these healthy shrimp tacos, and helps to make them filling as well!

    Green cabbage – Make sure to cut up your green cabbage fairly thin so you don’t end up with big chunks of it in your tacos. I love the crunch that the cabbage gives the shrimp tacos!

    Green onion – Another level of flavor, green onions give these tacos an onion flavor without being too overpowering.

    Ranch dressing – Make sure to use a ranch dressing that is as natural as possible and uses minimal additives. Primal Kitchen makes a great sugar-free ranch with all-natural flavors and ingredients!

    Sriracha sauce – This is the ingredient that is really flexible in this recipe, and can be added to taste if you’re sensitive to spice!

    Tortillas – I like to use whole wheat street taco tortillas or smaller corn tortillas for these spicy shrimp tacos. Both are healthier alternatives to white flour tortillas, but you can use any kind of tortilla you want for this recipe.

    Lime wedges – Totally optional, but fresh lime juice just adds an amazing extra layer of flavor to these tacos.

    Substitutions

    Shrimp – If you don’t like seafood or shrimp very much, you can substitute in any sort of protein you want. Shredded beef, pork, chicken, white fish, and even tofu would work just fine in this recipe!

    Avocado oil – This is my oil of choice, but you can use virtually any oil you want to saute the shrimp. The healthiest alternatives are olive oil, canola oil, and Ghee.

    Green cabbage – You can also use red cabbage, shredded lettuce, or a slaw mix instead of green cabbage.

    Tortillas – Any kind of tortilla will work for this recipe. You can use spinach wraps, cauliflower wraps, whole wheat tortillas, corn tortillas, etc. I would stick to the street taco size tortillas just to keep the portion size the same.

    Instructions

    • A bowl of shrimp being seasoned.
    • Ranch dressing and sriracha sauce being mixed together in a bowl.
    • Seasoned shrimp being sauted in a cast iron skillet.
    • Three spicy shrimp tacos on a plate.
    1. Peel, devein, and remove the tails from your shrimp and place in a medium bowl. Toss with garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika until evenly coated.
    2. Heat oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add shrimp and saute until fully cooked through or, about 5-6 minutes.
    3. Meanwhile, combine the sriracha sauce and ranch dressing in a small bowl and set aside.
    4. Build your tacos. Start with tortillas, then shrimp, sliced avocado, cabbage, and green onions. Drizzle with sriracha ranch sauce, and squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

    Tips & FAQ

    How much shrimp do you need per person for tacos?

    When making shrimp tacos, a good rule of thumb is to buy about 8-10 shrimp per person. For this recipe, I bought 1 1/2 lbs of 21/25 sized shrimp. This means that there are 21-25 shrimp per pound. So, at 1.5 lbs, there are roughly 32-38 shrimp total, enough for 4 people to have 8-10 shrimp each!

    What can I do with frozen cooked shrimp?

    You can thaw it and make these spicy shrimp tacos! Frozen shrimp can also be used to make Orange Shrimp Stir Fry or even made into a shrimp power bowl!

    How do I thaw shrimp quickly?

    Shrimp is extremely easy and fast to thaw. Simply place your frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes and they will be thawed in no time!

    Nutritional Info

    This healthy shrimp taco recipe is very high in protein and fiber, especially if you use a high-fiber tortilla.

    Shrimp is relatively high in sodium naturally because of the salt content in the water they live in. They are also often soaked in saltwater when caught as part of the harvesting process. If you are trying to watch your sodium intake, I would recommend using a different type of protein, such as cod or halibut.

    Total nutritional content per serving is:

    • Calories: 397 calories
    • Protein: 28 grams
    • Sodium: 765 mg
    • Carbohydrates: 31 grams
    • Fiber: 22 grams

    *This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

    Pricing Info

    This is the amount I paid to personally make this recipe:

    • 1.5 lbs frozen shrimp: $8.37
    • 1 tbsp garlic powder: $0.14
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper: $0.03
    • 1 tsp paprika: $0.05
    • 1 tbsp avocado oil: $0.09
    • 1 tbsp sriracha sauce: $0.04
    • 1/2 cup ranch dressing: $1.22
    • 1 avocado: $0.68
    • 1 cup green cabbage: $0.15
    • 1/4 cup green onions: $0.07
    • 8 whole wheat street taco tortillas: $2.26

    The total for this spicy shrimp taco recipe comes out to be about $13.10 or roughly $3.28 per serving!

    Side Ideas

    You might be asking yourself, “what goes well with shrimp tacos?”. Here are some ideas:

    • Chips and salsa
    • Cilantro lime rice or spanish rice
    • Mexican corn salad
    • Coleslaw
    • Rice salad
    • Beans
    • Quinoa salad
    • Margaritas

    Other Mexican-style Recipes

    • A yellow bell pepper stuffed with quinoa and topped with cheese.
      Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
    • A carne asada quesadilla cut into 4s with lime wedges, cilantro, and guacamole.
      Carne Asada Quesadillas w/Slow Cooker Steak
    • Sheet pan huevos ranceros with egg, cilantro, homemade sauce, and diced tomatoes
      Sheet Pan Huevos Rancheros | An Easy Brunch
    • coconut lime white bean chicken chili with lime wedges and cilantro
      Coconut Lime White Bean Chicken Chili

    Shop my recipe:

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!

    Recipe

    Three spicy shrimp tacos on plate.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Spicy Shrimp Tacos

    Spicy shrimp tacos with creamy sriracha sauce, cabbage, & avocado are healthy and easy! These yummy tacos are done in about 20 minutes!
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: Spicy Shrimp Tacos
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 397kcal
    Author: Megan Byrd, RD
    Cost: $13.10 or $3.28 per serving

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ lbs medium-sized shrimp peeled, deveined, tail off
    • 1 tbsp garlic powder
    • 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tbsp avocado oil
    • 1-2 tbsp sriracha sauce to taste
    • ½ cup ranch dressing
    • 1 avocado sliced
    • 1 cup green cabbage shredded
    • ¼ cup green onions chopped
    • 8 small whole wheat tortillas (street taco size)
    • lime wedges (optional)

    Instructions

    • Peel, devein, and remove the tails from your shrimp and place in a medium bowl. Toss with garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika until evenly coated.
    • Heat oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add shrimp and saute until fully cooked through or, about 5-6 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, combine the sriracha sauce and ranch dressing in a small bowl and set aside.
    • Build your tacos. Start with tortillas, then shrimp, sliced avocado, cabbage, and green onions. Drizzle with sriracha ranch sauce, and squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 397kcal

    Pin me for later!

    Spicy shrimp tacos.

    If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!

    Spicy shrimp tacos will be your family’s new favorite recipe for taco Tuesday! Grab your margarita mix and let’s have some tacos!

    xoxo Megan

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