Baja Shrimp Taco Recipe

These easy Baja shrimp tacos are loaded with ancho chili spiced blackened shrimp, crunchy honey lime slaw, and a creamy and spicy Baja sauce, all tucked into warm charred tortillas. They’re ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight taco night or build-your-own taco bar.

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As a recipe developer who loves easy family-style dinners, I built this Shrimp Tacos recipe around quick-cooking and flavorful shrimp, easy make-ahead sauce, and a crunchy slaw that holds up well for the ultimate taco night.

What readers are saying

"The Baja sauce is the winner in this recipe for me. It takes the tacos over the top with flavor." -Carrie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jump to:

• Ingredients for Baja Shrimp Tacos
• How to Make Baja Shrimp Tacos
• Baja Shrimp Taco Recipe
• Shrimp Tips
• Swaps and Additions
• Make-ahead and storing leftovers
• Reheating Guidance
• Serving the Baja Shrimp Tacos
• Great Sides for the Baja Shrimp Tacos
• Baja Shrimp Taco FAQs

Ingredients for Baja Shrimp Tacos

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. They’re done when they turn pink, become opaque, and curl into a loose C shape. Remove from the pan right away when done so they don’t become rubbery.

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 Cream Sauce: The Reader-Favorite Taco Sauce

This sauce is creamy, smoky, tangy, and just a little spicy. It can easily be made-ahead, and the flavors become more pronounced as it sits in the fridge.

Sour cream. Serves as the creamy base for the sauce. For a lighter version, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

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 and lime zest. The acid in the lime juice makes gives this sauce it's tangy flavor, and helps loosen up the sour cream and mayonnaise. The zest adds bold tangy lime flavor.

Smoked paprika and Ancho chili powder. Smoked paprika adds subtle smokiness, and Ancho chili powder adds a warming kick and earthy flavor. For extra heat, add extra ancho chili powder, or a dash of Mexican style hot sauce.

Fresh garlic, to add a warm background note and kick up the flavors in the sauce.

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. Broccoli slaw is especially good here because it stays crunchy longer than softer cabbage coleslaw blends, making it ideal for prepping ahead. Alternatively, you could also do your own thin sliced cabbage mixture, using red cabbage, green cabbage and grated carrot.

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. Corn tortillas make these tacos naturally gluten-free, while flour tortillas make for a softer, more flexible taco. For the best flavor, lightly char either option before serving. You can char 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!

How to Make Baja Shrimp Tacos

1. Whisk together the Baja cream sauce, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Toss the honey lime slaw a bit ahead of cooking the shrimp to help it soften slightly.
3. Char the tortillas, and keep them warm.
4. Pat the shrimp dry, then coat with the ancho chili spice blend.
5. Sear the shrimp in a hot skillet, until blackened and just cooked through.
6. Assemble tacos with shrimp, sauce, slaw, cotija, avocado, cilantro, and lime.

Shrimp Tips

For the best texture, thaw frozen shrimp completely, pat them very dry, and cook them in a hot skillet in a single layer.

Avoid seasoning them too far ahead of time, and remove them from the pan as soon as they turn pink and opaque to prevent them from overcooking.

Swaps and Additions

Cheese swaps	Use queso fresco or feta cheese in place of cotija.
Slaw swaps	Use shredded cabbage and carrots instead of bagged broccoli slaw or coleslaw mix.
Topping ideas	Add pico de gallo, mango salsa, diced pineapple, or avocado.
Lighter sauce option	Use plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream in place of full-fat sour cream.

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.

Store the sauce, slaw, shrimp, and tortillas separately for the best texture. Cooked shrimp are best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Reheating Guidance

To reheat the cooked shrimp, warm them gently in a skillet over medium-low heat just until heated through. Avoid high heat and longer cook times, which can make shrimp rubbery.

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! For the best texture in each taco, start building with the slaw, add the hot shrimp, drizzle with Baja cream sauce, then finish with cotija cheese, avocado, cilantro, and a bit more fresh squeezed lime.

Great Sides for the Baja Shrimp Tacos

Serve these with Mango Habanero Salsa for a sweet and spicy twist, Cuban Style Black Beans for a heartier meal, or Mexican Street Corn Salad for a full taco-night spread.

Baja Shrimp Taco FAQs

Can I use frozen shrimp for Baja shrimp tacos?

Yes. Be sure to thaw the shrimp completely, then pat them very dry before seasoning so they sear instead of steam.

How do I keep shrimp from getting rubbery?

Don't season them too far ahead, cook them in a preheated hot skillet, and remove them as soon as they turn pink and opaque.

Can I make the Baja sauce ahead of time?

Yes. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The flavor gets even better as it sits!

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?

Sure can! Plain Greek yogurt works as a lighter substitute for sour cream in the Baja cream sauce.

What tortillas are best for Baja shrimp tacos?

Charred corn tortillas add a earthy, savory flavor and keep the tacos gluten-free, while flour tortillas are softer, milder and more flexible.

What can I use instead of cotija cheese?

Queso fresco (milder) or crumbled feta cheese (tangier) are good substitutes. You can also leave the cheese off, if preferred.

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