Weeknight meals have never been easier thanks to these flavorful Shrimp Tacos served with a quick and simple sesame slaw.
Weekly Taco Night
At our house tacos is one of those meals that are in heavy rotation because they are easy, quick and everyone likes them. Not an easy task at times to check all three of those boxes.
We love them so much that we created a post about our “Build Your Own Taco” style dinner. An easy way to let everyone create their own balanced meal without fuss.
In an effort to mix it up every so often, these Shrimp Tacos were made one weeknight based on some items I had leftover in the fridge. They came out so good that we had the again the following night. And then again the week after. And then again. You get the idea.
It Starts with the Slaw
The shrimp themselves are lightly seasoned with simply salt, pepper and garlic powder. I. kept the seasoning simple since the sesame slaw is packed with flavor.
There are two options for the slaw –
- Option #1 – shred your own cabbage and carrots
- Option #2 – buy a bag of pre-made cabbage and carrot slaw
- I typically save time and go for this option. I find cabbage and carrot slaw at Trader Joe’s
From there the slaw gets flavored with soy sauce (or liquid aminos is you are going gluten free), lime, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, salt, garlic and hot honey. Everything gets mixed together and forms the flavor base for the shrimp tacos. It’s tangy with a hint of citrus and a touch of heat from the hot honey.
I like to make the slaw first and then let the flavors marinade while I prep the toppings and cook the shrimp. I’ve never had enough left over to see if it holds up the next day, but I would assume that it would last in the fridge for a day, although it may be a bit less crunchy.
Selecting the Shrimp
We chose shrimp for this recipe because they cook so quickly. They also have some great Nutritional Benefits, including the goal of trying to incorporate Seafood Twice a Week into your diet.
This recipe calls for frozen, raw, deveined and peeled shrimp. That is my favorite kind to cook with but you could also use non-frozen shrimp. You just want to make sure they are deveined and raw. Since they are being added to the tacos, getting the already peeled version saves you from having to remove the shell yourself.
Shrimp Taco Toppings
Since the sesame slaw is already added to the tacos, I didn’t find a need for too many toppings. We kept it simple with cilantro, sesame seeds and avocado. The tacos are finished off with a sriracha and greek yogurt drizzle. You could also add whatever toppings you like.
If you are looking for more great taco ideas, check out our Taco Recipe Pinterest Board for all kinds of recipes.
The Easiest Shrimp Tacos with Sesame Slaw
The Easiest Shrimp Tacos with Sesame Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 pound Frozen Shrimp, raw, peeled, deveined
For the Slaw
- 12-14 oz Bag of Shredded Cabbage and Carrots (if you can't find a preshredded bag, you can just buy shredded cabbage and shredded carrots and combine)
- 3 Scallions, sliced (both green and white parts)
- 2 tbsp Liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Mike's Hot Honey
- Pinch Salt (to taste)
For the Shrimp
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
The Toppings
- 1/2 tbsp Sriracha (or hot sauce of your choice)
- 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 Avocado, diced
- 4-6 Small Tortillas (flour or corn both work well)
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp either under running or water or overnight in the fridge
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and carrots with the diced scallions.
- In a small bowl or cup, combine whisk together the liquid aminos (or soy sauce), lime juice, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and hot honey. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. Set aside for now
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once warm, add the shrimp, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir to mix and then cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until shrimp is fully cooked and no longer translucent in color.
- In a small bowl, quickly combine the sriracha and greek yogurt .Place some sesame slaw on each tortilla, top with shrimp and then garnish with cilantro, sesame seeds and avocado. Lightly drizzle with a bit of the sriracha greek yogurt sauce.
More Great Seafood Recipes
If you love tacos and/or seafood, check out some of our favorites from each category below –
