Cilantro Lime Slaw Shrimp Tacos
These Cilantro Lime Slaw Shrimp Tacos are bright, fresh, and full of flavor. Tender, seasoned shrimp get a quick sear before being piled into warm tortillas with crisp cilantro-lime slaw and a cool, tangy cream sauce. Light, fast, and perfect for any night of the week.
Why You Will Love These
Big flavor, minimal effort. The homemade seasoning, fresh slaw, and lime cream sauce do all the heavy lifting.
Quick cooking. Shrimp cook in minutes, and everything else mixes quickly.
Fresh, crunchy, and bright. Lime, jalapeño, cilantro, and cabbage bring the perfect texture and pop.
Easy to customize. Adjust the heat, switch tortillas, or add your favorite toppings.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Slaw Shrimp Tacos
1. Prep the Shrimp & Make the Cream Sauce
Mix olive oil, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let them marinate while you prepare the sauce.
In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice until smooth. Refrigerate until serving.
2. Make the Cilantro Lime Slaw
In a large bowl combine green cabbage, purple cabbage, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, and fresh lime juice. Toss well to coat.
3. Cook the Shrimp
Heat a large skillet over medium–high heat. Add the shrimp in an even layer and cook 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Immediately remove from heat — shrimp cook fast and can turn rubbery if left in the pan.
4. Assemble the Tacos
Warm your tortillas (double up on corn for strength). Add slaw, a few shrimp, sliced avocado, jalapeños, and a drizzle of the lime cream sauce.
Serve with lime wedges.
These shrimp tacos hit every note — bright lime, crisp slaw, tender seasoned shrimp, and a cool, citrusy cream sauce that brings it all together. They’re quick to make, easy to customize, and deliver that fresh, vibrant flavor that keeps everyone coming back for more.
Tips
Don’t overcook the shrimp. Pull them as soon as they’re pink.
Make it spicier. Add extra jalapeño to the slaw or a pinch more cayenne to the shrimp.
Prep ahead. The slaw and cream sauce can be made a few hours early.
Use what you have. Flour or corn tortillas both work—whatever is in the pantry.
Shortcuts welcome. Bagged coleslaw mix works great in place of shredding cabbage.
Variations
Blackened Shrimp Tacos: Swap the seasoning for blackening spice.
Chipotle Lime Sauce: Add chipotle in adobo or a dash of hot sauce to the crema.
Fruit Twist: Add diced mango or pineapple for a Baja-style taco.
Crunchy Finish: Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips or roasted pepitas.
FAQs
Yes. Just thaw completely and pat dry before seasoning.
Use a dairy-free sour cream or swap the crema for a simple lime vinaigrette.
Absolutely. It keeps well for 3–4 hours refrigerated.
Warm as written. Add more jalapeño or cayenne for heat.
More Delicious Taco Recipes
Cilantro Lime Slaw Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 16 small corn tortillas or 8 flour tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 2 green onions, diced (we use the green tops only)
- 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, diced and seeded
- Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Toppings: avocados (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add the shrimp and toss until evenly coated. Let marinate for about 10–15 minutes.1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, chopped cilantro, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, 2 tablespoons lime juice
- In a medium bowl, combine the green cabbage, purple cabbage, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, and the juice of 1 lime. Toss to coat and set aside.2 cups shredded green cabbage, 2 cups shredded purple cabbage, 2 green onions, diced, 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped, Juice of 1 lime, 1 jalapeno, diced and seeded
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and sear for 1–2 minutes per side, just until pink and opaque. Remove from the heat immediately to prevent overcooking.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Warm the tortillas in a hot, dry skillet until pliable, or microwave them in a covered stack for 20–30 seconds. If using corn tortillas, layer two together for each taco to keep them from tearing.16 small corn tortillas
- Add a scoop of slaw to each tortilla stack, top with a few shrimp, sliced avocado, jalapeños (if using), and a drizzle of the cilantro-lime cream sauce.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Congratulations!
Hope you have enjoyed your new Red Plate and your feature at Full Plate Thursday this week. We pinned your post to our features board and thanks so much for sharing it with us!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen!!! 🙂
Your recipe is such a great combination of fresh flavors! My mouth is watering! Yum!
Thank you so much, Alison!
This is my kind of recipe! Love the use of the cilantro lime slaw in the tacos! Brilliant! Pinned to share 🙂