This sweet & spicy mango salsa is the perfect compliment to chips and guac or…
make these shrimp tacos with spicy lime slaw your next obsession
These shrimp tacos with spicy lime slaw will treat your taste buds to perfectly harmonious flavors and textures! Eating healthy should never be about deprivation—it’s about incorporating flavorful whole foods into your daily diet.
Case in point: shrimp tacos!
Extra bonus—you can enjoy this Mexican-seasoned shrimp paired with a spicy, tangy slaw in a crispy shell in less than 30 minutes!
what’s in shrimp tacos?
One of the things that I love about tacos or fajitas is the opportunity to get creative! Because this shrimp taco recipe has bold flavors with the shrimp and slaw, I find that it’s not necessary to add much more. Some suggestions:
- smashed avocado
- cojita or feta cheese
- julienne carrots (love the orange pop of color!)
- cilantro
- mango salsa
how to make shrimp tacos
buy the shrimp
You have options with the shrimp. Most common are:
- Uncooked, peeled, deveined, tail removed: this my preference for the recipe.
- Uncooked shrimp: slightly less expensive than above because you will need to peel, devein and remove the tail yourself.
- Cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined: You may have to remove the tail and because these are already cooked, only cook them for a minute or 2 to warm them.
prep the shrimp
Depending on the shrimp you bought, you may have to peel, devein and remove the tail of the shrimp. Once that is complete, pat the shrimp dry and add them to a bowl.
Mix the spices and add that to the shrimp. Coat well.
cook the shrimp
Place a skillet or cast-iron pan on medium-high heat. Add oil to the pan. I like to use avocado or refined coconut oil because it has a higher smoke point. Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp to the pan and after about 2 minutes, flip the shrimp (they should have a nice brown on each side).
In total, the shrimp should only take about 5 minutes to cook. Cook in multiple batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
how to make spicy lime slaw
Before getting into the cabbage shredding directions, I should mention that you can make your life easier by simply buying bagged coleslaw mix (I recently discovered this). You can find this in the grocery store near the bagged lettuce.
If you want to use a whole cabbage, you can use green or purple. Personally, I think the purple makes the taco prettier so I lean towards that 😉
how to shred cabbage
I find the easiest way to shred the cabbage is to use my food processor with the shred component. I core the cabbage and cut it into large chunks that will fit through the food processor “shoot”. The food processor makes it really easy to shred carrots for the taco too!
You can also use a mandolin and slice the cabbage very thin.
You can also use a chef’s knife. This is a great step-by-step tutorial on shredding cabbage.
Lastly, you can purchase cabbage already shredded.
how to use leftover cabbage
I always have shredded cabbage left over so I place it in a plastic bag or tightly sealed container and add it to salads or sauté it with other veggies for my morning scrambled eggs!
make the slaw dressing
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until combined.
If you would like to make the dressing Whole30 compliant, add 2 or 3 dates instead of honey.
dress the cabbage
Add the dressing to the shredded cabbage and stir. I like to leave a small amount of dressing out to drizzle on top of the taco.
The slaw can be made a day or 2 ahead of time and stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.
assembling shrimp tacos
You can use corn, flour or brown rice tortillas. I personally like to use cassava or almond flour tortillas found in the freezer section of the grocery store.
I’ll pull 2 from the freezer, brush olive oil on both sides, add sea salt and then brown them in a skillet (2-3 minutes).
My family prefer white flour tortilla shells (without browning).
Once you have your shell ready, add smashed avocado or guacamole to the shell, add the slaw, followed by the shrimp. Top with with cheese, salsa, or a drizzle of the spicy lime dressing.
what to serve with shrimp tacos
Add a side salad or a veggie soup like vegan broccoli soup or butternut squash soup for a complete meal!
other healthy dinner recipes you’ll enjoy:
- sesame chicken with “fried” cauliflower rice
- easy white chicken chili
- bacon cheeseburger soup
- copycat in-N-out burger (whole30, paleo)
- steak fajita stuffed sweet potatoes
- sloppy joes on crispy sweet potatoes with pickled onions
This recipe has been adapted from Pinch of Yum and food52.com.
what if you could…
enjoy desserts without feeling guilty afterward?
shrimp tacos with spicy lime slaw
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10-15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Take your tastebuds on an adventure with Mexican-seasoned shrimp paired with a spicy, tangy slaw in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Spicy Cabbage Slaw:
- 4 cups cabbage, shredded or very thinly sliced (or 2 14-oz bags of bagged cole slaw mix)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, sour cream or vegan sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey*
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- zest of 1 lime
- sea salt
Shrimp taco rub:
- 2 teaspoons each chili powder and cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- fresh cilantro (optional)
Stuff for the Shrimp Tacos:
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 8 small tortillas (corn, flour)*
- avocados, Cotija cheese, and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
For the spicy slaw:
- Combine the olive oil, vinegar, yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, honey and cayenne. Mix well. Gradually stir in the cabbage and season with salt to taste.
- Set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
For the shrimp
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss the shrimp in a small bowl with the spice mix to get it coated. Heat a drizzle of oil a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and saute for 5-8 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through.
- To assemble in the prettiest & easiest way to eat, go in this order: guac or smashed avocado, spicy slaw, shrimp. Finish with cheese, lime juice and extra sauce.
Notes
*To make these tacos Whole30/paleo compliant, use cassava or almond flour tortillas. For Whole30 only, replace the honey with 2 or 3 dates (taste and add more if necessary).
To make these Isagenix strict 30 compliant, you could use cassava, almond flour or brown rice tortillas.
To make these Keto-friendly, replace the honey with a low-carb sweetener like Swerve. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.
To make these dairy-free, use a vegan cream cheese like Kite hill, miyokos or violife.
Keywords: shrimp tacos, healthy shrimp tacos, paleo shrimp tacos
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