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!
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Easy and delicious Baja Shrimp Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw and Spicy Sauce
Taco Tuesdays just got even better! The best baja shrimp tacos, these tacos are loaded with succulent shrimp, spicy baja sauce, tangy honey and lime slaw, and even more fixins' for a build your own 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!
Taco Ingredients
This Baja Shrimp Taco recipe is quick and easy to make! With quick cooked spiced shrimp, Baja Cream Sauce, Honey Lime Slaw, and a few add ons! Here's what you'll need to make them:
Shrimp
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined. If they are frozen, make sure to fully thaw and pat them dry with paper towels before spicing and cooking.
- Ancho chili powder.
- Dried cumin.
- Dry oregano.
- Garlic powder.
- Salt and pepper.
- Smoked paprika.
- 1 tbsp cooking oil, such as avocado, vegetable or peanut oil, for cooking the shrimp,
Spicy Baja Cream 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.
- Mayonaise.
- Fresh squeezed lime juice.
- Lime zest.
- Smoked paprika.
- Fresh garlic.
- Ancho chili powder, for smokiness and kick.
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.
- Diced red onion.
- Fresh squeezed lime juice.
- Honey. The honey and lime are whisked until homogenous, and serve as the simple (and delicious!) dressing for 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.
- Tortillas. I prefer charred corn tortillas for these tacos, but you could also use flour tortillas.
- Sliced avocado and lime wedges.
How to make Baja Shrimp Tacos
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.
Next up, char your tortillas on the stove (directions below), and keep them warm until ready to use.
To cook the Baja Shrimp
- Thaw shrimp if frozen, and peel and devein.
- Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, and transfer to a medium to large or medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ancho chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Toss shrimp in spice mixture until fully coated.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until its nice and hot.
- Add shrimp in a single layer, and cook for 3 minutes per side, flipping once.
- Once cooked, transfer shrimp to a platter immediately to stop cooing, and serve.
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 (see how to char them below), but you can use any tortillas you like!
I like to set up the table family style, and let everyone build their own tacos!
Swaps and Additions
- Try queso fresco instead of Cotija cheese.
- Make your own slaw with red cabbage, green cabbage, and shredded or matchstick carrots!
- Add some pico de gallo or mango salsa.
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.
You could thaw the shrimp a day ahead of time, but I would recommend spicing and cooking those right before serving for best results.
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Baja Shrimp Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw and Spicy Sauce
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
- 12/ 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.
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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!