A quick, small batch grilled shrimp tacos recipe that makes four tacos. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a casual summer lunch, these shrimp tacos are packed with flavor and come together in less than 30 minutes.
Time to step up your taco night game and throw these Grilled Shrimp Tacos into the rotation! The star of this recipe is really the avocado lime slaw. It’s fresh, creamy, flavorful, and absolutely perfect for grilled shrimp tacos! To get the most flavor out of the slaw, make it before grilling the shrimp so the flavors have ample time to come together.
Saying the creamy cabbage slaw is delicious is certainly not to discount the shrimp. It’s also very quick to come together, but benefits from marinating in a simple spice blend for about 20 minutes before grilling. The key to simple recipes having the most flavor is to give those flavors time to develop. The rest is a breeze after that!
Ingredients
For the Grilled Shrimp:
1/2 lb. Large Raw Shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder or Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Olive Oil
Salt + freshly cracked Black Pepper
For the Avocado Lime Slaw:
1/2 medium Avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 tbsp. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Lime Zest
1 tbsp. Lime Juice
1/4 tsp. each: Garlic Powder, (Ancho) Chili Powder, Cumin
dash of your favorite Hot Sauce
8 oz. shredded Green Cabbage or bagged Coleslaw Mix
1/4 cup thinly sliced Red Onion
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Cilantro (optional)
Salt + freshly cracked Black Pepper
For the Tacos:
4 small (6″) Flour Tortillas or 8 Corn Tortillas, warmed
1/2 Avocado, sliced or diced
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp:
I used jumbo shrimp (21/25) for this grilled shrimp tacos recipe because they’re easiest to skewer. Large shrimp (31/40) or (26/30) will work, too! If you’re not going to skewer the shrimp and you’re using an indoor grill pan, medium shrimp (41/50) would also work. I used medium shrimp in these Spicy Baja Shrimp Tacos (such a great recipe, too!) and they were perfect! Just adjust the cooking time so they don’t overcook; probably about one minute less per side.
Sour Cream:
Sour cream adds a tangy acidity and creamy texture to the slaw, but Mexican Crema would be an awesome substitute if you have some on hand! Mexican crema has a richer flavor and thinner consistency, and it’s so delicious.
Tortillas:
Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side before serving, or in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Warm tortillas make a difference – they’re more pliable and they keep the shrimp warm, too!
Additional Toppings: I really love to throw some fresh pico de gallo on these tacos, or even some chopped white onion and cilantro for a finishing touch. Feel free to add some of your favorite toppings if you like, too. Green salsa, sour cream, cotija cheese, feta cheese, and green onions are all great options.
The other ingredients are pretty straightforward, but feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions! There’s a couple of ways you can grill these shrimp; either on an outdoor grill OR a grill pan on top of your stove. We’ll go over how to prep the shrimp properly for both, so you can use whichever method you feel comfortable with or have access to.
If you’re grilling outside, you’ll need either metal skewers or wooden skewers for the shrimp. Wooden skewers can catch fire, so soak them for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight) before threading the shrimp onto them! Metal skewers will be ready to rock immediately.
Directions
How to Make this Grilled Shrimp Tacos Recipe
If using an outdoor grill and wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
Rinse the shrimp in cold water then pat them very dry with paper towels. Place shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with two teaspoons of olive oil, seasonings (1/2 tsp. each of ancho [or regular] chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, and 1/4 tsp. cumin), and a pinch each of salt and freshly cracked pepper. Set the shrimp aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
While the shrimp marinate, mash the diced avocado (only one half of the avocado) in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, seasonings (1/4 tsp. each of ancho [or regular] chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin), and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended and creamy. Toss in the shredded cabbage, red onion, cilantro, and a healthy pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Lightly oil the grill grates of an outdoor grill, then turn the grill to medium heat. If using a grill pan: set grill pan on the oven over medium heat. Carefully skewer the shrimp, then grill shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until charred and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. (If you’re using a grill pan on the stove top, skewering the shrimp isn’t necessary, but it does make it easier to flip them!)
Slice the remaining avocado half into thin slices. Divide the avocado lime slaw, avocado slices, and grilled shrimp between warm tortillas. Serve warm!
See below for a step-by-step guide on how to make these Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Soak skewers. If you’re using wooden skewers and an outdoor grill, submerge the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. This helps prevent them from catching fire as they rest over the open flame on the grill. If you’re using an indoor grill pan, soaking the skewers is not necessary. Alternatively, you can use metal skewers that do not require soaking.
Rinse, dry, and season the shrimp. Briefly rinse the shrimp under running cold water, then transfer them to paper towels. Pat the shrimp as dry as possible, then toss them with two teaspoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of cumin. Toss the shrimp thoroughly so they’re evenly coated in seasoning, then set them aside to marinate in the seasonings for 15 minutes.
Make the avocado lime slaw. While the shrimp marinate, scoop one half of an avocado into a mixing bowl. (Discard the skin and seed of the avocado.). Zest the lime before cutting into it. Zest one teaspoon of lime zest into the bowl with the mashed avocado.
Add fresh lime juice and seasonings. Cut the zested lime in half, and squeeze about one tablespoon of lime juice into the mashed avocado. Add a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce, and ¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder, cumin, and ancho (or standard) chili powder.
Stir in sour cream and mayonnaise. Stir thoroughly until you have a creamy, well blended avocado sauce.
Toss in the crunchy ingredients. Add shredded cabbage (or bagged coleslaw mix), thinly sliced red onions, and chopped cilantro (if you like cilantro ). Stir to thoroughly coat the cabbage and onions in the creamy avocado sauce. Sprinkle in a pinch Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the tacos.
Grill the shrimp. If using an outdoor grill: Lightly oil the grill grates of an outdoor grill, then turn the grill to medium heat. If using a grill pan: set grill pan on the oven over medium heat. Carefully skewer the shrimp, then grill shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until charred and cooked through. Transfer grilled shrimp to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
(If you’re using a grill pan on the stove top, skewering the shrimp isn’t necessary, but it does make it easier to flip them!)
Build your tacos! First, slice the remaining avocado half into thin slices. Divide the avocado lime slaw, avocado slices, and grilled shrimp between four warm tortillas. Serve warm!
This recipe really is a super easy dinner for Taco Tuesday. The crunchy cabbage and creamy, fresh avocado blend together to create a delicious texture. I feel like some sort of cabbage slaw is necessary to make the best shrimp tacos, and this is just a cool take on a new version of slaw.
If you’re looking for more small batch shrimp recipes, I have a few favorites on the blog. From tacos to risotto, the following recipes are always a hit!
More Shrimp Recipes for Two:
If you make these Grilled Shrimp Tacos and love them, leave a comment and star rating below! You can also snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. Feel free to email me with any questions you have, too. Cheers!
xx Sara
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Grilled Shrimp Tacos Recipe with Avocado Lime Slaw
Author Sara
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2servings
A delicious small batch grilled shrimp tacos recipe with a crunchy, creamy avocado lime slaw.
Prep Time 20 minutesmins
Cook Time 5 minutesmins
Total Time 25 minutesmins
Ingredients
For the Avocado Lime Slaw:
Instructions
Prep the Skewers: If using an outdoor grill and wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
Season the Shrimp: Rinse the shrimp in cold water then pat them very dry with paper towels. Place shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with two teaspoons of olive oil, seasonings (1/2 tsp. each of ancho [or regular] chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, and 1/4 tsp. cumin), and a pinch each of salt and freshly cracked pepper. Set the shrimp aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
Make Avocado Lime Slaw: While the shrimp marinate, mash the diced avocado (only one half of the avocado) in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, seasonings (1/4 tsp. each of ancho [or regular] chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin), and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended and creamy. Toss in the shredded cabbage, red onion, cilantro, and a healthy pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Grill Shrimp: Lightly oil the grill grates of an outdoor grill, then turn the grill to medium heat. If using a grill pan: set grill pan on the oven over medium heat. Carefully skewer the shrimp, then grill shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until charred and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. (If you’re using a grill pan on the stove top, skewering the shrimp isn’t necessary, but it does make it easier to flip them!)
Build Tacos: Slice the remaining avocado half into thin slices. Divide the avocado lime slaw, avocado slices, and grilled shrimp between warm tortillas. Serve warm!
Notes
I used jumbo shrimp (20/25) for these grilled shrimp tacos, but large shrimp (31/40) or (26/30) will work, too! If using corn tortillas, use two tortillas per taco. You may have extra avocado lime slaw, which can be used in wraps or as a side dish.
