These Grilled Shrimp Tacos are the perfect summer dinner! Made with a simple shrimp taco marinade, a refreshing slaw, and a creamy spicy mayo, they’re grilled to perfection and served on charred corn tortillas with lime wedges and fresh cilantro. So easy and so tasty – you’ll want to make them again and again!
One of my favorite things to cook on the grill is shrimp. It’s super quick to make, delicious, and healthy. Whether you want to use skewers or not, it’s always a matter of what marinade to use. Make these easy grilled shrimp tacos, or try my garlic grilled shrimp and these grilled shrimp kabobs with vegetables.
Looking for more grilling ideas? Find all of my Grilling Recipes here.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s Easy. The shrimp marinade is quick to whisk together, and the shrimp cook in just a few minutes on the grill. As you marinate shrimp, make the slaw and the spicy mayo, and your meal is done in under 30 minutes!
- It’s Healthy. Grilled shrimp tacos are a great source of lean protein, and they’re packed with flavor thanks to the delicious marinade that we’re making with just a few simple ingredients.
- They’re Perfect for Summer. These tacos are perfect for a summer dinner party or BBQ. Or make them for an easy weeknight dinner.
The Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Shrimp: Use fresh or frozen and thawed, raw shrimp. This recipe will work with any large shrimp, but I choose the 21-25 count size for mine. If your shrimp is too small, it will fall between the grill grates so I recommend either getting larger shrimp or threading the shrimp onto skewers. Don’t buy pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe, as we’ll be doing the cooking ourselves.
- For the Marinade: You’ll need extra virgin olive oil, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt. These are classic flavors of the Mexican taco.
- For the Slaw: Shredded red cabbage, fresh cilantro, diced jalapeno, and fresh lime are all you need to make this easy taco slaw. Use my Fish Taco Slaw if you want a milder version.
- For the Sauce: Whisk together mayonnaise (find my homemade mayo recipe here! It’s SO easy and tastes much better than the store-bought stuff!), hot sauce, and smoked paprika.
- Tortillas: You can either use corn or wheat tortillas, but I chose small corn tortillas here.
- Avocadoes: One medium ripe avocado that is diced is nice on these tacos, but totally optional.
How To Make Grilled Shrimp Tacos
- Marinate: In a medium bowl, combine shrimp with the marinade ingredients, mix to combine, and let it sit as you preheat the grill, and make the slaw and the sauce.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Make the Spicy Mayo Sauce: In a small bowl whisk the mayo with hot sauce and smoked paprika. Set aside.
- Make the Slaw: To a medium bowl, add the shredded red cabbage, cilantro, juice of 1 lime, jalapeno, and salt. Toss to combine.
- To Grill the Shrimp: Add the marinated shrimp to the grill grates and grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer opaque. Be careful not to overcook it. Remove from the grill.
- Warm up the Tortillas: Place the tortillas on the grill for 20 seconds to warm them up, or char them on the stovetop.
- Assemble the Tacos: To each tortilla, add slaw, shrimp, diced avocado, and a drizzle of creamy mayo.
Tip!
Don’t overcook the shrimp. Shrimp really only need a few minutes on a hot grill to cook, and they will continue to cook for a minute after you remove them from the grill as well. Pull them off just as soon as the color of the shrimp changes from translucent to opaque for best results. Overcooked shrimp is tough and rubbery, and not as flavorful as it could be.
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t want to fire up the grill, you can cook the shrimp in a skillet on the stove. Just heat up some oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until opaque.
- Threading the shrimp onto skewers before grilling will help them stay put on the grill grates and make flipping them a lot easier. Do this especially if you’re using smaller shrimp.
- If you don’t have all of the spices for the marinade, you can use a pre-made taco seasoning mix. Just use about 1 tablespoon of the mix in place of the individual spices.
- For a lighter version of this recipe, you can use Greek yogurt in place of the mayo in the sauce.
- Try my recipe for Salmon tacos too! Seafood tacos are so good.
Storing Tips
These tacos are best served fresh, but if you have leftovers they will keep in the fridge for a day or two. Just reheat the shrimp and tortillas before serving.
What to Serve With
I have so many taco sides that you can try! Serve these tacos with a side of chips and Salsa Verde or fresh Pineapple Salsa. Or go the classic route, and make Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, and sub the spicy mayo sauce with Lime Crema.
Cool down with these refreshing Agua Frescas, and for dessert, make this delicious Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips.
FAQs
You can use any large shrimp, but I choose the 21-25 count size for mine. If your shrimp is too small, it will fall between the grill grates so I recommend either getting larger shrimp or threading the shrimp onto skewers.
Keep these to serve with a cocktail sauce! For grilling, always start with raw shrimp.
No, you don’t have to use corn tortillas. You can use wheat tortillas if you prefer. Just make sure they are the small soft tacos size.
I would recommend marinating the shrimp and prepping the slaw and sauce ahead of time, but wait to cut up the avocado until right before you’re ready to eat.
More Shrimp Recipes To Try
Share this delicious shrimp taco recipe with your friends and family, trust me, they will LOVE it. Let me know in the comments below what you loved about them!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1 pound large (450 g) raw shrimp thawed, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Spicy Mayo:
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) hot sauce preferably Mexican like Cholula
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Slaw & Tacos:
- 2 cups (150 g) shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup cilantro lightly packed, chopped
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- 2 teaspoons diced jalapeno use less if preferred
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1 medium avocado for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add olive oil to the shrimp and season with chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt. Set aside as you preheat the grill and prepare the slaw and sauce.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Clean and oil the grill grates.
- Make the spicy mayo sauce, in a small bowl whisk the mayo with hot sauce and smoked paprika. Set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the shredded red cabbage, cilantro, juice of 1 lime, jalapeno, and salt. Toss to combine.
- To grill the shrimp, add the marinated shrimp to the grill grates and grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer opaque. Be careful not to overcook it. Remove from the grill.
- Place the tortillas on the grill for 20 seconds to warm them up, or char them on the stovetop.
- Assemble the tacos: to each tortilla, add slaw, shrimp, diced avocado and a drizzle of creamy mayo.
Notes:
- Threading the shrimp onto skewers before grilling will help them stay put on the grill grates and make flipping them a lot easier. Do this especially if you’re using smaller shrimp.
- If you don’t have all of the spices for the marinade, you can use a pre-made taco seasoning mix. Just use about 1 tablespoon of the mix in place of the individual spices.
- For a lighter version of this recipe, you can use Greek yogurt in place of the mayo in the sauce.
- These tacos are best served fresh, but if you have leftovers they will keep in the fridge for a day or two. Just reheat the shrimp and tortillas before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Monica | Nourish & Fete says
Whoa, these look terrific! We adore shrimp tacos but I feel like the use of saffron takes them up a notch – or ten! 🙂
Kavita Favelle | Kavey Eats says
Lovely use of saffron for both flavour and colour. I reckon one of the reasons it enhances mood must surely be that vibrant yellow it gives to the dish, so pretty.
DAHN says
It sounds like you got a really nice barbecue and I would be using it several nights a week if not at least once per week. These tacos look amazing, I haven’t tried cooking shrimp on the grill yet .. gotta do it.