These Shrimp Tacos are an absolute flavor explosion! Loaded with spicy shrimp, tomatoes, fresh avocado and THE BEST Shrimp Taco Sauce they get rave reviews every time!
Who doesn’t love tacos? To me they just scream summer time. Perhaps it is all of the bright flavors or the fact that they go so well with a cold bottle of beer. Either way, these shrimp tacos are definitely the perfect summer time supper.
They are quick, easy and tasty. They also showcase some of my favorite flavors: cumin, chili powder, cilantro and lime.
The combination of spices in this seafood tacos recipe can make the shrimp a little spicy. Have no fear though; the coolness of the cilantro-lime sour cream sauce balances out the flavor nicely.
DES’ TIP: If you do want to tone the spice down a little bit, you can cut the amount of chili powder in half and omit the cayenne pepper.
Finally, let’s talk about THAT SAUCE shall we? The cilantro lime sour cream that graces the top of these tacos is scrumptious. It is simply sour cream, cilantro, cumin and a little lime. It couldn’t be easier to make and is the PERFECT sauce for shrimp tacos.
Follow the step by step photos and instructions below to see just how easy these are to make!
STEP 1: Season shrimp. Toss to make sure that all shrimp is coated in seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
STEP 2: Sauté shrimp until pink and opaque. This will take about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or it will be rubbery.
STEP 3: Make cilantro lime sour cream by mixing together all ingredients in a bowl.
STEP 4: Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook corn tortillas until soft. About 30 seconds per side. Fold into taco shape.
DES’ TIP: You don’t need a lot of oil to fry the tortillas, just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Cooking them this way gives a subtle crunch.
To assemble the tacos, I layer the shrimp and cilantro cream sauce with lettuce (you could top with with cabbage too for some extra crunch!), diced tomatoes and diced avocado. It really helps make these tacos the perfect summer time meal.
I have been making this easy tacos recipe for years, and they are a hit with the whole family and friends each and every time. A quick glance at the comments section and you’ll see even more rave reviews like this one from Donna:
“This was so delicious! Family loved it..the sauce is divine. Thank you..will definitely be a family favorite.” – Donna
If you want to add even a little more summer flare, you could grill the shrimp in these tacos and make grilled shrimp tacos. It wouldn’t take long to do. Just a few minutes on the grill and you’re good to go.
While these tacos are pretty hearty, if you’re looking for a full on taco party, I mean who isn’t? You’ll want to serve some sides. Chips, salsa and guacamole are always a must.
If you want to spice things up, you could drizzle some habanero hot sauce over the top. And of course, any good taco party is going to have beans. Black beans are one of our favorite options. Or if you have a little extra time, you could try these slow cooker refried beans.
Finally, you’ll need something to wash it all down with, right? How about some Strawberry Jalapeno Margaritas!
Don’t forget to save this recipe for when Cinco de Mayo comes around. It’s not Cinco de Mayo without them!
If you like seafood tacos, be sure to check out my recipe for Crispy Fish Tacos with Spicy Slaw too. You’ll love them!
Note: This recipe was originally published in 2009. It was updated with new photos, tips, nutrition facts and a video in 2020.
Suezq
April 7, 2023 at 3:23 pmI haven’t made this in years and it is still great ! One of my favorite recipes. I’m very glad it came across my radar again. It’s a hit for sure!
Mary
June 3, 2022 at 6:18 pmThe shrimp are excellent! Made in the air fryer- didn’t preheat; 400° 4 minutes.
The sauce was a bit thick and heavy on the lime. Going to try a jalapeno cilantro sauce next time. For now, going to munch on my extra shrimp. 😋
Nolo
January 22, 2020 at 8:39 amSimply Delish!
Deseree
January 22, 2020 at 12:12 pmThank you!!
JOSEFINE
September 3, 2019 at 7:05 amI LOVE how simple and delicious these recipes are! My mouth is watering just thinking of making them again 🙂
krishna khunt
December 4, 2018 at 1:43 ami just love this delicious food, Thanks you!!
Raj
December 4, 2018 at 1:07 amSuch a Delicious food! Perfect to eat with enjoy
Sandra | A Dash of Sanity
September 17, 2018 at 1:21 pmThis looks perfect for our next taco night! Will definitely give this a try!
Meghan
September 14, 2018 at 8:37 amThese tacos remind me of the ones I got in California earlier this year! I can’t wait to make them!
Jamielyn
September 14, 2018 at 7:51 amDelicious! Perfect for taco Tuesday!
Katerina @ diethood .com
September 14, 2018 at 7:29 amMy family would love this!! It’s fantastic!!
Dan Zehr
September 14, 2018 at 1:51 amThat looks so warm and comforting! Yummy! Cannot wait to try this. Thank you for a great recipe!
Amanda
September 13, 2018 at 2:01 pmThis looks like the perfect combination, thank you so much for sharing!
Krista
July 19, 2018 at 8:02 amThis looks SO good! I have to make it asap!
Jacque Hastert
July 19, 2018 at 5:36 amYes, I love a good spicy dinner. These shrimp tacos sound fantastic!
Jamielyn
July 19, 2018 at 4:37 amYum, perfect for taco night!
Dee
July 18, 2018 at 9:37 pmThese look great! I love a dish that’s both yummy AND colorful!
Delaney
July 18, 2018 at 7:16 pmI love a good shrimp taco!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
July 18, 2018 at 5:17 pmI love shrimp and fish tacos. I am so excited about the cilantro and lime sour cream!
Amanda
July 18, 2018 at 2:06 pmShrimp tacos are my all time favorite, I cannot wait to try these!
Samantha Dawn
March 27, 2018 at 1:00 pmThis crema is SO good!! Lime and sour cream make a delicious team.
Alli
March 27, 2018 at 12:02 pmWe adore fish tacos, this looks so easy and seriously tasty!! Can not wait to try it!
Jennifer Blake
March 23, 2018 at 8:28 amI love how light and fresh this is! I love these flavors together. Can’t wait to have this on taco night!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
March 22, 2018 at 6:32 amShrimp tacos are one of our favorite dinners!
Carolyn
March 22, 2018 at 6:04 amShrimp Tacos are always welcome!
gerry speirs
March 21, 2018 at 4:58 pmYes for all the shrimp tacos, these are my fav!
Lauren Taylor
March 16, 2018 at 5:11 pmI love some shrimp tacos! Can’t wait to try!
Carolyn
March 16, 2018 at 2:35 pmThis look delicious!
Shinee
March 15, 2018 at 11:45 amSuch fresh flavors, and I can’t wait to make this!
Shelby
March 14, 2018 at 6:29 pmI love all the flavors here. I am a huge cilantro fan! Looks delicious.
Laura
March 13, 2018 at 7:32 amLove me some shrimp tacos!
Ryan
November 27, 2017 at 10:03 pmI made these for “Taco Tuesday” and they were a hit!
Rachel Page
December 12, 2014 at 4:42 amThese
tacos look extra amazing
Jerry Emery
July 13, 2014 at 5:29 pmGood stuff, but I recommend 1/2 the lime juice as the sauce might be a little runny with more. Also try Crema Mexicana instead of regular sour cream for a more authentic flavor. Lastly, don’t pair it with Corona! Blech! Bohemia or one of the emerging Mexican craft beers, like Agua Mala Sirena.
Dee Licious
June 16, 2014 at 12:13 pmLove how fast, fresh & delicious these are!
Nate Washington
May 11, 2014 at 5:31 pmMade this for my family tonight. It was a big hit. My wife enjoyed it and it was my little gift for Mother’s Day. Even my 5 year old ate it. I grilled the shrimp and it turned out amazing. And I also used cabbage, carrots, and broccoli as a topping. Thank you for posting this.
Deseree
May 12, 2014 at 10:28 pmI am flattered that you chose one of my recipes for such a special day and even happier to hear your family enjoyed it! I love the idea of grilling the shrimp and using a cabbage/carrot/broccoli topping. Sounds delicious!
Alli-cat
April 14, 2014 at 3:27 pmSO yummy!!!! I made them for my Recipe Club gals and they were a hit! For 5 of us, I got 2lbs prawns, each person got 2 and there was some left over! I just served on warm white corn tortillas instead if frying-saved calories and really not necessary to fry because the seasoning on the prawns is delish!!!! Thank you for this recipe! Will be making it all summer…
Deseree
April 14, 2014 at 7:22 pmYou’re welcome! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it. We’ll be making it all summer too! :)
Leanna Kay Terry
February 23, 2014 at 8:27 pmFamily loved it.
Deseree
February 24, 2014 at 11:09 pmSo nice to hear! Thank you!
Dominique .M.
February 10, 2014 at 8:46 pmAbsolutely loved this recipe. i didnt have any olive oil so i used canola oil instead and it was still delicious. thanks for the recipe.
donnafiore
December 23, 2013 at 12:28 pmThis was so delicious! Family loved it..the sauce is divine. Thank you..will definitely be a family favorite.
Zsuzsa
August 24, 2013 at 1:27 pmThis is a good recipe. I’d specify no more than 1 tbsp lime juice in the sauce, though. I followed your recipe and used all the juice from a lime and – even though I ended up doubling the sour cream – it made the sauce too runny and the flavor was overpowering.
Gayle
August 11, 2013 at 8:06 pmWe doubled the spice amounts and added 1/2 tsp of chipotle powder. Spicy but not too hot. Good recipe, will make again!
Monte Crysto
July 24, 2013 at 7:08 pmI made these with fresh Asian Tiger prawns. Quality ingredients equal a quality shrimp taco.
Megan
July 16, 2013 at 6:39 pmI made these tonight and they were deliscious. I added fresh pico to them. Amazing!!!!
Michie
June 20, 2013 at 8:50 amWhat would the amounts be if I’m cooking for 15 ppl?
Deseree
June 20, 2013 at 10:40 amMichie- Testing my math skills! Since this recipe serves 2 and you want to serve 15, you’ll need to multiply everything by 7.5. So for the tacos 150 prawns, 7 1/2 cloves garlic, 1 1/4 tbl chili powder and cumin, about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and cayenne pepper, 7.5 tablespoons olive oil, 30 corn tortillas. For the sour cream, about 2 cups of sour cream, 15 tbl chopped cliantro, about 2 teaspoons cumin, juice from about 7 limes. Again my math may be a bit rusty but this should get you very close, just be sure to taste before serving. I’d even cook up a few shrimp before and taste them to make sure everything tastes right to you. Hope this helps!
John Stanfield
May 24, 2013 at 6:14 pmI love this recipe. I made it for dinner tonight and have shared your URL with others. Going to try some of your other recipes.
Deseree
May 25, 2013 at 6:27 pmThank you John! And thank you for sharing my blog with others :)
Dani Marie
April 5, 2013 at 8:38 pmJust made for dinner tonight, came out perfect!!!!
Sherry
March 26, 2013 at 3:19 pmDelicious- a keeper recipe. My husband loves it
Zanna
February 11, 2013 at 8:29 amThese are the best tacos!! Thanks so much for sharing it.
Heide M.
January 24, 2013 at 7:19 amThanks for posting this recipe.
Rasha
January 3, 2013 at 5:20 pmi just mad it , it is very good ..thank you.
Jarrod
December 13, 2012 at 5:57 pmLove shrimp and fish tacos, but being Cajun I prefer to blacken the shrimp.
Rey
September 14, 2012 at 6:15 pmI’m fairly new to cooking, and I was leery about trying this, even though it’s not really complicated. These are delicious. One thing that I messed up was I forgot to add the chili powder. Following the directions, I didn’t see where it said to add it, I’m assuming in the mixture that you put the shrimp in. Thank you for this recipe. They are awesome.
hayley
September 11, 2012 at 12:31 amAnd also….. cabbage. Is hot option instead. Of lettuc
hayley
September 11, 2012 at 12:29 amFish tacos r always a fav in my house so I know they will love this…. I think I will use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream! I am so excited for dinner tomorrow night!
Ann
June 18, 2012 at 6:19 amOutstanding!
Karen M.
June 7, 2012 at 10:24 amJust wanted to say that my husband and I tried these in January (yes, we grilled out in Missouri January weather) and they were so good – I mean REALLY good – that I almost started crying….no kidding – I hadn’t eaten solid food in three days due to a medical procedure and THIS recipe was what I wanted! :) We make these for company every chance we get and we still have them once a week for our regular menu item on Taco Tuesday…don’t skimp on the cilantro lime sauce, people, it adds just the right compliment to the spicyness of the shrimp – SO GOOD!
Sierra
May 24, 2012 at 7:11 amDelicious! My whole family absolutely loved this recipe, and the best part was it took less than 30 minutes to make! Thanks for this wonderful recipe :)
Deseree
May 24, 2012 at 9:08 amThanks Inspired Dish! That is awesome! :) Sierra- I’m glad you and your family enjoyed it!
The Inspired Dish
May 23, 2012 at 6:50 pmHiya! I have returned to announce that your shrimp tacos received the most likes on The Inspired Dish’s Facebook Page this week and I would like to give you our Tasty Blog Award! I have posted the award to your facebook page. Please feel free to use it on you website if you like! Loved the lime, cilantro sour cream!
The Inspired Dish
May 17, 2012 at 5:14 pmHi Des,
Theses look super yummy! I am so hungry for shrimp tacos and these are making my mouth water! I have featured them on my FB page so my readers can have a drool! Stop by and see me! -Cathy
Amanda Escajeda
April 18, 2012 at 5:48 pmSo good!! Husband said it was like eating at a restaurant & I outdid myself! :) Couldn’t stop eating the leftover cilantro-lime sourcream with chips! Thanks so much for recipe.
Veronica
March 20, 2012 at 7:54 pmThis was so good. The lime was a little strong and I only used half of the juice. Definitely making this again!
Craig
March 4, 2012 at 1:47 pmDes, this shrimp taco recipe was outstanding!! Yum! I look forward to trying your other recipes. Do you have a cookbook?
Ann
January 28, 2012 at 1:51 pmHad these for dinner last night! I used fresh Maine shrimp and I used the white tortillas instead of corn…very yummy!!! I will be making these again and again!!
apple
December 11, 2011 at 10:31 pmso yummy. but my husband and I made a biggggg mistake- we added a freshly chopped, whole jalapeno to the recipe…. we love spicy things, but this was burn-your-face-off spicy. we couldnt stop eating them because they were sooo good, but we downed a gallon of milk afterwards =p
shrink on the couch
November 16, 2011 at 6:37 amThis shrimp taco recipe was out of this world! Loved the lime cilantro sauce so much, enough to blog about it, actually! Stop by and see my shout out.
Karen
October 30, 2011 at 5:33 pmI made them for my husband and two teenaged boys tonight. I used a whole package of frozen salad shrimp, which came out to two small tacos apiece. Next time I’ll be doubling the recipe to make the tacos a bit fatter. The boys (including Dad) loved them. I didn’t have any cilantro, so left it out of the sour cream, but added some southwestern seasoning, and it was still delicious. Thanks for sharing this delightful recipe!
Marina
October 23, 2011 at 7:49 pmThese turned out great! My 84 year old grandma, 6 year old nephew, and 30 year old fiance’ all want these again, soon! I used fat free sour cream, and no one had a clue.
ruby goodwin
September 21, 2011 at 10:04 amhere is the shrimp taco recipe I told you about real good
Nicole
September 1, 2011 at 3:19 pmMy husband hates shrimp tacos… but he LOVED these! My 7 year old even ate seconds. Good work!
Sharon
August 3, 2011 at 4:43 pmBig hit at dinner tonight! I scraped the cooked kernels from a corn on the cob and added it to the sauce. Also substituted finely shredded red cabbage for the lettuce. That extra crunch was so good!! Will make these again and again for sure!
Towanda
May 6, 2011 at 12:15 pmI made this dish, and it was easy and DELICIOUS!!!
Julia
March 22, 2011 at 1:05 pmI made these last night…OMG! YUM!! Soooo good! Even the hubby loved them!
Gabacho
March 12, 2011 at 5:41 pmOutstanding! I substituted tartar for sour cream, and I mixed in a little chipotle paste instead of cayenne, and used LOTS of Garlic. OMG…I’m now back in my wife’s good graces. Thanks!
stacy
February 18, 2011 at 2:43 pmthe whole family love, love, loved them. Thanks so much.
Justdorkin
February 3, 2011 at 10:53 pmwe made this 2 nights ago and it was a big hit. i used greek yogurt instead of sour cream. great stuff Des
Sabinka
December 19, 2010 at 7:59 amMade it last night, absolutely delicious ,even my too young kids loved it! Served it with spanish rice and beans.Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
Shannon
November 17, 2010 at 7:21 pmYou won’t be disappointed! These were AMAZING! We ate them in mid-November, served with homemade spanish rice!
Deseree
November 19, 2010 at 8:58 amShannon- Thank you! I like the sound of homemade spanish rice. How did you make it?
Olson
September 5, 2010 at 7:51 pmWOW. We made this recipe for dinner last week and it was absolutely delicious. I rank it up there with some of the best mexican restaurant shrimp tacos around. We will probably cut back on the lime juice and zest next time – but this is truly an A+ recipe!
tony marini
August 3, 2010 at 10:49 amYou can make this a little healthier if you want to use yogurt instead of sour cream…Just sayin
Wenderly
April 29, 2010 at 4:12 pmO.k.- My mouth is watering! I don’t believe I can rest until I’ve made and enjoyed this delish dish!
Wenderly
mary
April 4, 2010 at 8:48 pmi’ve made shrimp tacos 3 times in 2 weeks, and your recipe is the best one….so delicious!!! thank you for sharing your awesome recipe and beautiful photos, cant wait to see what else you have on your blog
Deseree
April 6, 2010 at 8:37 pmThank you Mary!
Melissa
October 16, 2009 at 12:17 pmREALLY excited to try this one tonight!
Deseree
October 16, 2009 at 7:07 pmI hope you enjoy them Melissa!
Sadia
July 29, 2009 at 2:27 pmI just made this for dinner – loved the tasty shrimp, and the sauce was a nice touch! thanks!
Deseree
July 29, 2009 at 5:21 pmYou’re welcome Sadia! I am glad that you liked them :)
Tanya
July 22, 2009 at 4:48 amLooks so tasty – of all the things I never had in a taco … now I have to try it.
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer
July 20, 2009 at 1:19 pmThis is a perfect meal in my book!! Cannot get enough of these flavors!!
Teanna
July 20, 2009 at 10:23 amWow look at that photo! That is one gorgeous dish!
Indigo
July 20, 2009 at 1:38 amOhmygosh, could this look more attractive? I’ve never eaten anything like this (British girl, here!) but wow, do I want to. I adore seafood in any format!
BAKING is my ZeN
July 19, 2009 at 8:30 amlooks delish!
The Leftoverist
July 18, 2009 at 7:42 pmDarn! We might have run into one another at Pike Place and talked blogging!
This is a really mouthwatering photo. I was thinking about tacos today myself. And I bought shrimp at the market!
Marta
July 18, 2009 at 2:06 pmOhhh grilled seafood in a tortilla, it’s like all my cravings wrapped into a cute parcel!
I LOVE what you’ve done to the site. It looks so fresh and dynamic! Good job!
Manage business
February 16, 2019 at 10:58 pmthat’s very cool option for me.