These easy Baja Shrimp Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw and Spicy Baja Cream Sauce come together in a flash for a fast and delicious weeknight meal that's ready in under 30 minutes! This Baja shrimp tacos recipe makes a great meal for any day of the week, or fun addition to a taco bar!
JUMP TO RECIPETaco Tuesdays just got even better! These Baja Shrimp tacos are loaded with succulent seasoned and blackened shrimp, spicy Baja sauce, and homemade honey and lime slaw for a taco night the whole family will love!
This easy weeknight meal is a family favorite, and comes together in under 30 minutes from prep to plate!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- Quick Guide
- Shrimp Tips
- Swaps and Additions
- Make-ahead and storing leftovers
- Serving the Baja Shrimp Tacos
- Great Sides for the Baja Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these easy weeknight Baja Shrimp Tacos:
Shrimp
Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined. If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure to fully thaw and pat them dry with paper towels before spicing and cooking. Any excess moisture from them being partially frozen or wet will make them steam when cooking. You want blackened, flavorful shrimp- so be sure to dry them well!
Ancho chili powder. Unlike traditional chili powder, which is usually a blend of various spices, Ancho Chili Powder is pure dried ancho chilis, ground into powder. Ancho Chili powder is very flavorful, but packs only a mild amount of heat at about 500 Scoville heat units. This spice adds a sweet and earthy flavor to the shrimp!
Dried cumin. Cumin gives you that warming, spiced taco flavor, and pairs perfectly with the ancho chili powder.
Dry oregano. The earthy, pungent flavor of dried oregano packs a serious punch, and adds a great background note to the spice blend. If you like, you could also use Mexican oregano, which has a unique flavor profile, and adds a bit of of a citrus note to the shrimp.
Garlic powder, for a mild garlic flavor to round out the spice blend.
Salt and pepper, to make sure the shrimp are well seasoned, and bring out the flavors of the shrimp and spices.
Smoked paprika, which adds a great little burst of smokiness to the spice blend.
Cooking oil, such as avocado, vegetable or peanut oil, for cooking the shrimp. A little goes a long way for this recipe!
Spicy Baja Sauce:
This easy sauce can be made ahead, and the flavors become more pronounced as it sits in the fridge.
Sour cream. You could also use light sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt. This will serve as the base for the sauce.
Mayonnaise. Adding a bit of mayo to the sour cream creates a creamier, richer, and smoother texture for the taco sauce.
Fresh squeezed lime juice. The acid in the lime juice makes gives this sauce it's tangy flavor, and helps loosen up the sour cream and mayonnaise.
Lime zest, for an extra kick of tangy lime flavor.
Smoked paprika, for a subtle smokiness, and to bring out the flavors in the shrimp.
Fresh garlic, to add a warm background note and kick up the flavors in the sauce.
Ancho chili powder, for a little kick, and a bit of an earthy note.
Honey Lime Slaw:
The lime in the 2 ingredient dressing for this slaw works to break down the broccoli slaw or cabbage in the coleslaw mixture. If making ahead, be sure to give the slaw a good stir before serving.
Broccoli slaw or coleslaw mix. Alternatively, you could also do your own thin sliced cabbage mixture, using red cabbage, green cabbage and grated carrot. I love using the pre-made bags of broccoli slaw, since they are so convenient, and stay super crunchy, even when you make the slaw ahead. Plus, it's a great way to sneak in extra veggies and fiber!
Diced red onion, for a sweet and tangy onion flavor. These get a little pickled as they sit in the lime juice and are super yummy!
Fresh squeezed lime juice, and honey. The honey and lime are whisked until homogenous, and serve as the simple (and delicious!) dressing for the slaw. It's an easy, light, and refreshing dressing that pairs perfectly with the slaw!
For serving:
Cotija cheese, crumbled. This adds a nice texture and saltiness to the tacos.
Fresh cilantro leaves, for a pop of herby freshness. I can't get enough cilantro, so I add plenty to my tacos!
Tortillas. I prefer charred corn tortillas for these tacos, but you could also use flour tortillas. You can char them right on your stove burner to give them extra flavor and make them easier to work with.
Sliced avocado and lime wedges. Set these out with the taco fixins and let everyone help themselves!
Quick Guide
To make the tacos, start with prepping your Baja sauce and Honey Lime Slaw first. You can set these aside, or refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day or so ahead to save time, too!
Next up, char your tortillas on the stove, and keep them warm until ready to use. And last but not least, you'll quickly cook your seasoned shrimp. Then it's time to eat!
Baja Shrimp Taco Recipe
Ingredients
Baja Shrimp
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ tp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or peanut oil , (for cooking shrimp)
Baja Cream Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonaise
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
- the zest of 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
Honey Lime Slaw
- 8 oz broccoli slaw mix or coleslaw mix
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1 tablespoon honey
For Serving
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
- fresh cilantro leaves
- charred corn or flour tortillas
- sliced avocado
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the Spicy Baja Cream Sauce: 1. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl, and whisk well to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Make the Honey Lime Slaw: 1. Add broccoli slaw or coleslaw mix to a large bowl. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and honey. Until fully incorporated. 3. Toss with slaw, and store in the refrigerator until, ready to use. May be made up to 2 days in advance) Cook the shrimp: 1. Thaw shrimp if frozen, and peel and devein. 2. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, and transfer to a medium to large or medium bowl. 3. In a small bowl, whisk together ancho chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. 4. Toss shrimp in spice mixture until fully coated. 5. Heat oil in a large skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until its nice and hot. 6. Add shrimp in a single layer, and cook for 3 minutes per side, flipping once. 7. Once cooked, transfer shrimp to a platter immediately to stop cooing, and serve. To Char Tortillas: 1. Heat a gas stove burner on medium high and place corn tortilla directly on the burner. Watch carefully and flip with tongs once the tortilla begins to brown/bubble (this will be FAST). Once both sides are charred, remove to a serving platter and repeat with remaining tortillas.
Shrimp Tips
You could thaw the shrimp a day ahead of time, but I would recommend spicing and cooking those right before serving for best results. Seasoning your shrimp too early will make them dry and rubbery.
Swaps and Additions
- Try Queso Fresco instead of Cotija cheese.
- Make your own slaw with red cabbage, green cabbage, and shredded or matchstick carrots!
- Use some pico de gallo or mango salsa in place of (or in addition to) the slaw!
Make-ahead and storing leftovers
The Baja sauce and Honey Lime Slaw are easy to make ahead, and only deepen in flavor as they sit- making them great candidates for whipping up the night before to make the next night's dinner a breeze! Both will keep in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving the Baja Shrimp Tacos
Aside from the Honey Lime Slaw (aka Mexican Coleslaw) and Baja sauce, these tacos go great with a nice squeeze of lime juice, some crumbled Cotija cheese, sliced avocado, and some fresh cilantro leaves. I love to serve my tacos on charred corn tortillas, but you can use any tortillas you like!
I like to set up the table family style, and let everyone build their own tacos!
Great Sides for the Baja Shrimp Tacos
Add a little sweetness and spicy kick to the tacos and make some of my Mango Habanero Salsa to go with!
Make a batch of my easy Cuban Style Black Beans, made with canned beans so they are super quick and easy to whip up on a weeknight!
Make it a full blown fiesta with a side of my Mexican Street Corn Salad!
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Janice Pendergrast says
The Baja cream sauce was amazing! Very tasty. I liked the slaw but felt like it needed a bit more flavor. Will definitely make this recipe again.
Sharon Farnell says
Thanks, Janice!
Tonya says
Loved the recipe, our local store just had regular Cole slaw can’t wait to make it again with the broccoli Cole slaw. Thanks for sharing!
Sharon Farnell says
Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review, Tonya! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! The broccoli slaw is my fave 🙂
C says
I’ve made this 3 times, and we will make it again and again. The slaw, the spices, they are all TOP NOTCH!
Sharon your better than Bobby Flay’s tacos!
Sharon says
Thank you so much! So happy you enjoy the recipe!!!! 🙂
Carrie says
The Baja sauce is the winner in this recipe for me. It takes the tacos over the top with flavor. The Cole slaw is pretty basic, but adds great texture. We like to serve diced pineapple as a topping. It goes really well with the shrimp and cilantro.
Sharon says
Thanks Carrie! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!