Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos are a fast simple way to get dinner on the table. Ready in just 15 minutes the combination of cilantro and lime give these shrimp tacos a bright, fresh flavor that everyone will love!
Frozen shrimp is a great thing to keep on hand in your freezer. Not only is shrimp a versatile and affordable protein it cooks quickly. It’s definitely winner when it comes to getting dinner on the table fast.
Some of our favorite shrimp dinners are Chipotle Shrimp Tacos, Garlic Parmesan Shrimp, Lemon Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Pasta,
How to make Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos:
(Scroll down for the full recipe.)
Ingredients:
- shrimp
- cilantro
- cumin
- chili powder
- onion powder
- garlic
- lime juice
- olive oil
For Serving:
- cole slaw or lettuce
- lime juice
- sour cream
- red onion
Instructions:
- In a large bowl stir together the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic, and cilantro.
- Add shrimp to seasoning mix, squeeze the juice of a lime over the shrimp and toss to coat.
- Heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet. Then when the skillet is good and hot lower the temperature to low. Cook shrimp in a single layer until pink and it forms a “c” shape.
- Remove shrimp from skillet and cook remaining batches of shrimp in same manner. It may be necessary to add more oil to skillet if shrimp begins to stick as it is cooking.
- In a tortilla or taco shell layer cole slaw, red onion, shrimp, and sour cream.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Season the slaw: I love adding a little extra seasoning to the slaw. I do this by tossing 3 cups (or more) of slaw with a table spoon olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, salt and pepper.
- Soft Tortillas: Use soft corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or whole wheat tortillas. I used whole wheat and charred them slightly over a gas burner.
- Slaw Swap: You can swap the slaw for shredded lettuce if you prefer.
How to thaw frozen shrimp:
The ideal way to thaw shrimp is to move it into the fridge to thaw the night before you plan to cook it. I recommend placing the shrimp in still in the package on a plate lined with paper towels on a shelf in the middle of the fridge.
Of course if you’re like me then you might not be the best at planning ahead with meal time. So you’ll need to thaw the shrimp in a hurry. Here’s the best way to thaw shrimp quickly:
- Remove shrimp from packaging and transfer it into a zip top bag.
- Then fill a large bowl with cold water.
- Place the bag of frozen shrimp in the bowl of water making sure the shrimp are fully covered by the water. You might need to cover the bowl with a lid to keep the shrimp submerged.
- Let the shrimp thaw for 20-30 minutes then transfer shrimp over to a paper towel lined plate or tray and pat dry.
I know it seems like to thaw something frozen you should use hot water rather than cold but hot water can have two negatives effects. The first is that if can begin cooking shrimp leaving you with tough rubbery shrimp once it’s cooked though in the skillet. The second is that leaving the shrimp in hot water could encourage bacteria to grow which could make you or your family sick.
What to serve with these shrimp tacos:
I hope you and your family will love this recipe as much as we do! If you do try this recipe please come back and leave a comment letting me know how much you liked it!
Happy Cooking Y’all!
Susanne
Looking for more FAST dinner recipes? Check out these 15 minute dinner ideas:
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Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro minced
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lime juice
- 3 cups Cole slaw mix
- Sour Cream optional
- 8 tortillas corn or flour
Instructions
-
In a large bowl stir together the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic, and cilantro.
-
Add shrimp to the seasoning mix. Then squeeze the juice of a lime over shrimp then toss to coat.
-
Heat remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat when skillet it hot lower temperature to low. Then in a hot skillet cook shrimp in a single layer until pink and it forms a “c” shape.
-
Remove shrimp from skillet and cook remaining batches of shrimp in same manner. It may be necessary to add more oil to skillet if shrimp begins to stick as it is cooking.
-
In a tortilla or taco shell layer cole slaw, red onion, shrimp, and sour cream.
Recipe Notes
Notes:
1 To add extra flavor to the tacos season the slaw mix by tossing 3 cups (or more) of slaw with a table spoon olive oil, 1/4 cup lime juice, salt and pepper.
2 Nutritional information is estimated. Amounts will vary based on ingredient choices and serving sizes.
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