Shrimp Tacos (With Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce)

This recipe for shrimp tacos with spicy cilantro lime sauce is easy to follow and quick to make, so you can have restaurant-quality, spicy sauteed shrimp tacos in minutes.

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Table of Contents

Shrimp Tacos With Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Shrimp Tacos With Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe
How To Serve These Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These delicious and easy shrimp tacos with spicy cilantro lime sauce are perfect for a fun family dinner. The creamy homemade sauce tastes ah-maz-ing on top of your tacos, and you’ll wonder why you ever order in!

Shrimp Tacos With Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce Ingredients

shrimp tacos with spicy cilantro lime sauce raw ingredients that are labeled

If you’re looking for a satisfying, flavorful meal, look no further than shrimp tacos with spicy cilantro lime sauce. These tacos pack a punch with their bold and zesty flavors.

The shrimp is tender and perfectly cooked, while the cilantro lime sauce adds a kick of spice that is sure to excite your taste buds.

You’ll need:

For The Shrimp:

1 pound of medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of chili powder
½ teaspoon of dried basil
2 tablespoons of salted butter
2 tablespoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons of soy sauce

For The Shrimp Taco Sauce:

½ cup of sour cream
¼ cup of buttermilk
1 jalapeño, seeds removed
½ bunch of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon of lime juice
½-1 teaspoon of hot sauce (adjust based on spice preference)
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of salt

For The Taco Assembly:

7-9 (4-inch) flour or corn tortillas
Guacamole, optional
½ cup of green cabbage
¼ cup of feta cheese
Fresh lime juice
Additional chopped cilantro

Substitutions And Additions

BUTTERMILK: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, combine milk (2% or whole) with 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice to sour the milk. Buttermilk can also be substituted with milk or cream in the creamy sauce.

LIME JUICE: Use lemon juice if you don’t have lime juice for this easy shrimp taco recipe. You can use either fresh or from concentrate.

CABBAGE: You can either buy a head of cabbage and chop it yourself or buy a bag of crunchy cabbage slaw to top the tacos.

How To Make This Shrimp Tacos With Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe

The shrimp cook up in a few minutes on the stove while the sauce comes together quickly in the blender. Serve with all your favorite toppings.

STEP ONE: In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and dried basil. Use this mixture to thoroughly coat all the shrimp.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

If you’re not entirely a fan of spicy food, feel free to remove the spicy elements such as the chili powder, jalapeño, and hot sauce!

shrimp being placed into a skillet and seasoned

STEP TWO: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Cook the shrimp until pink on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside.

PRO TIP:

You will know when the shrimp is cooked when it is pink and no longer gray or translucent, and the shrimp curls slightly. Shrimp usually takes about 1 to 3 minutes to cook on either side depending on the size of the shrimp used. Don’t spend more than 4 to 6 minutes cooking the shrimp or it will be overdone and rubbery.

STEP THREE: Make your spicy cilantro lime sauce. In a food processor or blender, blend together the sour cream, buttermilk, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.

lime sauce ingredients being blended in a blender

STEP FOUR: To assemble the tacos, warm the corn or flour tortillas and then start with a layer of homemade or store-bought guacamole and spread it on the bottom center of each of the warm tortillas.

Then layer it with a small bunch of green cabbage, followed by the cooked shrimp. Drizzle some of the cilantro sauce over each taco and then top with a squeeze of lime juice, feta cheese, and chopped cilantro.

layer taco with garlic, cabbage, shrimp sauce, feta, lime, and cilantro

STEP FIVE: Plate your cilantro lime shrimp tacos and enjoy!

How To Serve These Spicy Shrimp Tacos

These spicy shrimp tacos are the perfect option for an easy weeknight dinner. Serve with all of your favorite toppings, and you’ll have a satisfied family. You don’t have to just stick to our recommended toppings, either. Try pico de Gallo, salsa, guacamole, or any other ones you like.

For an authentic Mexican night or Taco Tuesday, try adding our Mexican corn salad or our unbelievably delicious Mexican street corn!

For even more shrimp recipes that we think you will enjoy, check out our cajun shrimp and shrimp fried rice too.

Storage

If you have shrimp or sauce left over, you’ll, fortunately, be able to enjoy the leftovers.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store your shrimp and sauces in the refrigerator in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. It should also be noted that your ingredients will stay fresh longer when stored separately, to be assembled when ready to enjoy.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the shrimp taco filling for up to a month in an airtight container.

close up side shot of shrimp tacos with spicy cilantro lime sauce topped with cilantro and feta cheese

Each bite of these seasoned shrimp tacos with cilantro lime sauce will make you think you’re eating authentic Mexican street food! The flavors of cilantro and lime complement the spiciness of the perfectly cooked shrimp. Fabulously fast and easy to make, this can be a quick weeknight dinner or even a substantial lunch!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I store leftovers of these tacos?

If you have leftovers of these delicious shrimp tacos, you can store the filling and creamy sauce in separate containers in the fridge. Reheat the shrimp and assemble more tacos when you are ready to enjoy the rest.

Do I have to make this recipe spicy?

This easy shrimp tacos recipe has plenty of flexibility in terms of how spicy you make it. You can certainly adjust the spice and hot sauce based on your family’s preference.

Can I use frozen shrimp for this recipe?

Yes, you can use frozen shrimp for this great recipe. Just thaw the shrimp and add it to your recipe.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce

5 from 1 vote

This recipe for shrimp tacos with spicy cilantro lime sauce is easy to follow and quick to make, so you can have restaurant-quality, spicy sauteed shrimp tacos in minutes.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

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Ingredients

For the Shrimp

1 pound medium raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, and tails removed)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce

For the Sauce

½ cup sour cream
¼ cup buttermilk
1 jalapeño, seeds removed
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (adjust based on spice preference)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Taco Assembly

7-9 flour or corn tortillas, 4-inch
guacamole, optional
½ cup green cabbage
¼ cup feta cheese
fresh lime juice
cilantro, chopped (additional)

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and dried basil. Use this mixture to thoroughly coat all the shrimp.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp, lime juice, and soy sauce. Cook the shrimp until pink on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, blend together the sour cream, buttermilk, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Set aside.
To assemble the tacos, warm the corn tortillas and then start with a layer of homemade or store-bought guacamole and spread it on the bottom center of each tortilla. Then layer it with a small bunch of green cabbage followed by the cooked shrimp. Drizzle some of the cilantro-lime sauce over each taco and then top with a squeeze of lime juice, feta cheese, and chopped cilantro.
Plate and enjoy!

Notes

You will know when the shrimp is cooked when it is pink and no longer gray or translucent, and the shrimp curls slightly. Shrimp usually takes about 1 to 3 minutes to cook on either side depending on the size of the shrimp used. Don’t spend more than 4 to 6 minutes cooking the shrimp or it will be overdone and rubbery.
If you’re not entirely a fan of spicy food, feel free to remove the spicy elements such as the chili powder, cayenne pepper, jalapeno, and hot sauce!

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant