25-Minute Shrimp Tacos with Healthy Cabbage Slaw

Name: 25-Minute Shrimp Tacos with Healthy Cabbage Slaw
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 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; 4 cups coleslaw mix; 1 cup cilantro (roughly chopped); 2-3 tablespoons lime juice (or to taste); salt and pepper (to taste); 1 batch 3-Minute Sriracha Mayo; 1-2 medium avocados (diced); 1 cup cherry tomatoes (diced); 1/2 cup red onion (diced); 1/2 cup cojita/feta cheese (crumbled); flour or corn tortillas (for serving)

by Hannah Magee, RD on Feb 15, 2021 (updated Jul 25, 2023) 3 comments »

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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.

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

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.

Cabbage slaw with cilantro and lime juice in a bowl with two mixing spoons

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.

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!

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!