Mouthwateringly delicious tacos in 25 minutes? Count me in! These tacos feature spicy sautéed shrimp combined with a light and flavourful cilantro-lime cabbage slaw and an easy sriracha mayo, all served in soft taco shells. The result? Fresh and flavourful shrimp tacos with delicious textures and a little kick! Serve with avocado, tomato, and a little cheese for a healthy dinner meal for any night of the week.

Shrimp tacos on a serving board

Looking for a healthy dinner recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes or less, but still boasts delicious flavours and textures like the ones you’d get at a restaurant? You’ve come to the right place!

These spicy shrimp tacos are made with juicy shrimp, crunchy (and nutritious!) cilantro lime slaw, crumbled cheese, and sweet and spicy sriracha mayo. It doesn’t sound so simple, but I promise you, it is!

Just like my 30-Minute Healthy Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas and my Easy Vegetarian Tofu Fajitas, this recipe packed with flavour AND nutrition. Don’t be intimidated by the long ingredient list, it’s very simple to make and will be ready to eat in 25 minutes.

Are Shrimp Tacos Healthy?

As a Registered Dietitian, I’m a firm believer in building balanced meals that are not only nutritious, but delicious and satisfying to your taste buds, too.

These tacos check all of the boxes!

They’re nutritionally balanced, offering a high-quality source of protein (fish and shellfish are great sources of lean protein), carbohydrates, healthy fats, and thanks to the veggies and cabbage slaw – lots of fibre!

When we aim to add these components to our meals and snacks, we increase the likelihood of meeting our nutrition needs for the day AND we feel full and satisfied for longer after eating.

Close-up of shrimp tacos on a serving board

Ingredients for These Spicy Shrimp Tacos:

To Make Spicy Sautéed Shrimp:

  • Frozen peeled shrimp
  • Oil for cooking
  • Fresh garlic
  • Chilli powder
  • Chipotle powder
  • Cumin
  • Paprika
  • Salt
  • Pepper

For the Healthy Cilantro-Lime Cabbage Slaw:

  • Cabbage coleslaw mix
  • Cilantro
  • Lime juice

For the 3-Minute Sriracha Mayo:

  • Plain Greek yogurt
  • Light mayonnaise
  • Sriracha
  • Maple syrup

Optional Toppings:

  • Avocado
  • Tomato
  • Red onion
  • Cojita/feta cheese
Shrimp tacos on a serving board

How to Make 25-Minute Shrimp Tacos with Healthy Cabbage Slaw:

Step 1: Defrost the shrimp

Defrost the frozen shrimp according to package directions. Most recommend defrosting the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator, so don’t forget to take it out of the freezer the night before!

Step 2: Prep your toppings

In this recipe, the prep will take up most of your time. Measure out your spices into a dish, chop cilantro, dice any toppings like avocado, red onion and tomatoes, and crumble the cojita/feta cheese. This will make it easy to assemble your tacos once the shrimp is cooked!

Step 3: Make the Cilantro Lime Slaw

Once the toppings are prepped, toss together the packaged coleslaw mix, chopped cilantro (saving a few leaves to garnish the tacos), lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

Step 4: Make the Sriracha Mayo

Next, whisk together plain greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, sriracha, maple syrup and lime juice in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

Sriracha mayo in a small bowl

Step 5: Cook the Shrimp

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until it starts turning pink. Then add the garlic, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and chipotle powder and continue to stir another 3-5 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.

Step 6: Assemble the Tacos

To each tortilla, add cilantro lime slaw, cooked shrimp, avocado, tomato, red onion, cheese and sriracha mayo. Optional: Add a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro for garnish. Enjoy!

Two shrimp tacos served on a plate

Storing Leftovers:

If you have leftovers, I recommend storing the tortillas, shrimp, cabbage claw, and toppings all separately. This way, you can reheat the shrimp before assembling the tacos with the remaining slaw and toppings.

The cooked shrimp will keep in the fridge up to 4 days in an airtight container, as will the slaw and toppings.

Substitution Suggestions:

  • For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
  • If you are dairy-free, omit the cheese or use a dairy-free alternative. And omit the greek yogurt and instead use double the mayo in the sriracha mayo recipe.
  • Feel free to add or omit any toppings to suit your preferences.

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you try it, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and a review in the comments below.

Oh, and be sure to take a photo and tag me at @hannahmagee_rd so I can re-share on my stories!

25-Minute Shrimp Tacos with Healthy Cabbage Slaw

Mouthwateringly delicious tacos in 25 minutes? Count me in! These tacos feature spicy sautéed shrimp combined with a light and flavourful cilantro-lime cabbage slaw and an easy sriracha mayo, all served in soft taco shells. The result? Fresh and flavourful shrimp tacos with delicious textures and a little kick! Serve with avocado, tomato, and a little cheese for a healthy dinner meal for any night of the week.
4.50 from 2 ratings

Ingredients

For the Shrimp:

  • 1 lb. frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
  • 1 tbsp oil, for cooking
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

For the Healthy Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw:

  • 4 cups coleslaw mix
  • 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoons lime juice, or to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste

For the Sriracha Mayo:

Toppings:

  • 1-2 medium avocados, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup cojita/feta cheese, crumbled

Other

  • flour or corn tortillas, for serving

Instructions 

  • Defrost the frozen shrimp according to package directions. Note: Most recommend defrosting the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator, so don't forget to take it out of the freezer the night before!
  • In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, chopped cilantro (saving a few leaves for garnish), lime juice, salt and pepper until well combined. Set aside.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together plain greek yogurt, mayonnaise, sriracha, maple syrup and lime juice until combined. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add shrimp and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until it starts turning pink. Add garlic, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and chipotle powder and continue to stir another 3-5 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.
  • To each tortilla, add cilantro lime slaw, cooked shrimp, avocado, tomato, red onion, cheese and sriracha mayo. Optional: Add a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro for garnish. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?Be sure to take a photo and tag me at @hannahmagee_rd so I can see!

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