*originally published on June 21, 2018 | recipe + photos updated on August 17, 2021 | post updated April 12, 2026*
Servings: 4 tacos / Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 10 minutes
These spicy shrimp tacos are really good, and really easy to make! They’re the perfect shrimp taco in my opinion, and a quick meal for busy weeknights any day of the week. The shrimp is seasoned with a homemade seasoning blend, then cooked with bacon and fresh jalapeños for an awesome hit of flavor and heat.
I’m all about easy, small batch recipes that deliver a lot of flavor in a short amount of time. This spicy shrimp tacos recipe comes together in about 30 minutes and makes four tacos total, which is perfect for two people. Feel free to double the recipe if you need to!
Ingredients
For the Tacos:
- 8 oz. raw Medium Shrimp (peeled and deveined; I used 41/50 size)
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 fresh small Jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 strips thick cut Bacon
- 1 tsp. each of Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Mexican Oregano, & Onion Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 flour tortillas (or 8 corn tortillas – double them up for each taco)
- 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved (for topping)
- 1 ripe Avocado, sliced (for topping)
For the Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw:
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp. Hot Sauce (like sriracha – or your favorite)
- juice from 1/2 medium Lime (about 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice)
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups thinly sliced Red Cabbage
- handful of fresh Cilantro, chopped
Ingredient Notes & Recommendations:
- Shrimp quality matters, and I use smaller shrimp for this recipe. When I first created this recipe, I used North Carolina shrimp because that’s where we lived. I highly recommend supporting local / regional companies and people whenever possible, so source seafood that is readily available near you. If you are not near fresh shrimp, seek out a quality grocery store that gets shipments of fresh seafood. Succulent shrimps make a world of difference! I like medium shrimp for this recipe because they’re nearly bite-size, which is perfect for shrimp tacos. You can use large shrimp or jumbo shrimp for instead, but I would recommend cutting them into bite-size pieces once they’re cooked so they’re easier to stuff into the tacos and eat.
- Thick cut bacon is best! To start, I would first recommend bacon from your local butcher. If you’re into small batch recipes like me, you can buy it in smaller quantities so you don’t have a ton of bacon sitting in the freezer. If you prefer pre-packaged bacon, look for thick cut slices that have as much meat as possible on them!
- Warm tortillas are the way to go! Pop the tortillas in the microwave for about 15 seconds before building the tacos. A warm tortilla makes the taco taste that much better! Keep them warm by wrapping them in a slightly damp kitchen towel if you’re heating them ahead of time. And if you’re looking to make this a low carb meal, substitute the warm tortillas with crunchy lettuce wraps.
- Swap sour cream for Greek yogurt. I recommend the full-fat version of either one.
- Start with a pinch of salt, and add more until the sauce tastes delicious. I use about 1/2 teaspoon total, so start with a small quantity and build it until you taste the sauce and you’re like. “dang, that’s GOOD.”
- Get chopped red cabbage from the salad bar. Unless you plan on using an entire head of red cabbage for other recipes, I suggest grabbing a small to-go container of it from the salad bar so it doesn’t go to waste! Green cabbage totally works if you can’t find red, too.
These are such a fun twist for Taco Tuesday, or just an easy dinner for any taco night at home. It’s also a great recipe for two people, but it can easily be doubled (or tripled!) to fit your needs. The sauce is more of a sour cream sauce, and I love mixing it into the cabbage to create a shrimp taco slaw. It’s the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy, and totally transforms these into the most delicious shrimp tacos!
Toppings for Spicy Shrimp Tacos:
Add any other toppings that sound good to you! Avocado and cherry tomatoes are so delicious on these tacos. Here are some of my other favorite toppings:
- Green Onions
- Extra Lime Wedges
- Chopped White Onions
- Pickled Red Onion
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Fresh Jalapeños
- Crumbled Cotija Cheese (or Queso Fresco)
- Fresh Pico de Gallo with Garlic
- Cilantro Lime Sauce
There were a couple of important factors in creating this baja shrimp taco recipe. First of all, my homemade shrimp tacos had to be spicy. Secondly, they needed an easy, crunchy slaw with a creamy sauce to add another level of crunchy coolness, as I love the combination of cool sour cream with spicy foods. Finally, I wanted to throw in some tomato and avocado, because those two ingredients just scream summer to me. I also threw in some bacon, because bacon loves shrimp. Bacon also loves tomato and avocado! Clearly, they all had to come together for the best spicy shrimp tacos recipe. I also wanted this to be an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in 30 minutes (which may be the best part, right?).
How to Make Spicy Shrimp Tacos for Two:
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and sliced jalapeños with olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, and onion powder. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (A quick marinade for the shrimp adds more flavor!)
2. In a separate large bowl, mix sour cream, hot sauce, fresh lime juice, and garlic powder. Season with salt to taste, then stir in cilantro and red cabbage.
3. Chop the raw bacon into small pieces. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until it is just over HALFWAY cooked to your liking. (It will continue to cook with the shrimp and jalapeños.) Toss the marinated shrimp and jalapeños in with the bacon, along with a pinch of salt & freshly cracked black pepper. Cook until shrimp is firm and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes per side). As the shrimp cooks, pop the tortillas in the microwave or oven to warm them.
4. Spoon some slaw onto a warmed tortilla, then top with five shrimp, some of the bacon and jalapeños, more slaw, tomatoes, and avocado.
More Taco Recipes to Try:
- fish tacos with crunchy cabbage slaw
- spicy salmon tacos with avocado sauce
- pork carnitas tacos
- buffalo chicken tacos
Another resourceful way to keep your foods fresh is to start your own herb garden! It will save you so much money in the long run. I currently have parsley, oregano, chives, mint, basil, lavender, and sage growing out on our patio, which is a pretty big feat for me. If I can do it, you can too! It’s completely achievable, and if it’s something you’ve been considering – I say go for it! If you ever have any questions about how I started my herb garden, never hesitate to reach out to me! (Obviously, if you ever have any recipe questions, please feel free to do the same!)
Wine Pairings for Spicy Shrimp Tacos:
Easy Choice: Rosé (France / anywhere) :: Rosé is so freaking good with shrimp. Anytime we pair rosé with food, we want to use a dry rosé. Grenache-based rosé (like the ones from Provence) are so good with food! They typically have some cool red fruit flavors (think strawberry and watermelon), and lower acid so it doesn’t compete with spicy food. Ask for a rosé from the Provence region in France, and you could snag a bottle for around $10! (Racine is a great option for this price.) For a great option from the U.S., look for Quady North or Summerland Grenache-based rosés for around $15.
If You’re Feeling Adventurous: Pinot Gris / Grigio (France / Italy / USA) :: Pinot gris (or pinot grigio) can be an excellent wine to pair with food! is like a Pinot Gris from the Alsace region of France is about as good as it gets. They can tend to be a little expensive ($20), but absolutely worth it. For pinot grigio, Antonutti makes one of my favorites for around $20. But ask for a food-friendly pinot grigio, preferably from Italy, and you’ll easily find one for around $10.
Another Fun Option: Dry Riesling (Germany / USA) :: Just like I said with rosé, whenever we pair riesling with food, we want to use a dry riesling. Dry German rieslings are awesome for food pairings, and there’s some great rieslings that also come out of New York and the Pacific Northwest (Washington & Oregon). Look for Kung Fu Girl Dry Riesling for around $10 from Charles Smith out of Walla Walla, Washington.
Make this a Meal:
If you make this spicy shrimp taco recipe and you love it, a comment and star rating below would be amazing! Tag me on Instagram if you post a photo to social media, too. As always, feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions!
xx Sara
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Cabbage Slaw (for 2!)
Ingredients
For Creamy Red Cabbage Slaw:
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 1 Tbsp. Hot Sauce sriracha or your favorite one!
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Lime Juice freshly squeezed
- handful Cilantro chopped
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups thinly sliced Red Cabbage
For Spicy Baja Shrimp Tacos:
- 20 Medium Shrimp
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Mexican Oregano
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 2 slices Thick Cut Bacon chopped into small pieces
- salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 4 Taco-Sized Tortillas
- 1 Avocado sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
Instructions
For Spicy Baja Shrimp:
- Add shrimp, jalapeños, olive oil, and all spices to a bowl or small zip-top bag. Toss to coat the shrimp evenly. Place the bag in the refrigerator, and allow the shrimp to marinate for 20 minutes.
For Creamy Red Cabbage Slaw:
- Combine sour cream, hot sauce, garlic powder, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl. Add salt to taste. Toss thinly sliced cabbage in the sauce, and refrigerate until ready to use.
For Spicy Baja Shrimp Tacos:
- Chop the bacon and cook over medium heat in a skillet until about halfway crisp. Toss marinated shrimp and jalapeños into the skillet, and stir into the bacon and fat. Add a pinch of salt & freshly cracked pepper, and cook until shrimp is done, about 5 minutes.
- Warm your tortillas in the microwave or oven.
- Build the tacos with a couple spoonfuls of creamy red cabbage slaw, followed by five shrimp per taco, then some bacon, jalapeños, more slaw, tomatoes and avocado!
- Add any additional toppings if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Pinterest @aflavorjournal and on Instagram @aflavorjournal
Comments & Reviews
This is the best recipe for shrimp tacos! And thank you for making a small batch!
Thank you so much, Leslie! I LOVE small batch recipes; our household will never be more than two people, and we are not good with leftovers. I always like to have something hot and fresh for dinner! I hope you get to try these tacos soon!
This has everything I love! Taco Tuesday will never be the same after next week.
I LIVE for Taco Tuesday! This is a solid contender on our rotation; I can never pass up spicy tacos and crunchy slaw!
I think I just heard my tummy growl. lol! Must print the recipe.
Haha! I hope you get to try it soon! It’s definitely one of my favorite summertime dinners, for sure.
I love Shrimps and this looks like a perfect snack option. Tasty and delicious.
I love shrimp, too! Especially when they’re spicy! Thank you so much for stopping by, Veena!
There’s nothing wrong with being obsessed with tacos, especially when they look as good as these tacos! I’m loving that sour cream sauce too, yum!
Thank you so much, Michelle! I loooove the tangy sour cream sauce on top of the spicy shrimp!
Shrimp and bacon? Sign me up! These tacos look and sound amazing and I love that the recipe is fit for two!
The shrimp looks so good in these tacos. Absolutely amazing Sara!!
All the tacos, all the time please!! Shrimp tacos are just screaming my name for some easy summer dinners and these are so perfect! I love a saucy taco, cant wait to give these a try!
Hi Sara,
This looks absolutely amazing! Will be trying your recipe this week 🙂 a quick question, can I substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt instead? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Brenda!! I think Greek yogurt would be a totally acceptable substitute for the sour cream! Let me know how it turns out!
It’s nearly impossible to find recipes for just two people! These tacos will be going down tomorrow and I can’t wait!
I can’t wait, either!! <3 I LOVE making recipes for two people because they are honestly so hard to find! My household is always going to just be two of us, so I have my collection of small batch recipes for everyone to make, too!
Thank you for the recipe! I used Argentinian shrimp, and combined it with cod and the additional ingredients from the fish taco recipe. It was amazing! Definitely adding it to the rotation!
You’re so welcome, Tina!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Your ingredients sound so amazing – and adding ingredients from the fish tacos recipe is so smart! 😍😍
We loved these shrimp tacos so so much. Doubled the recipe so we could have leftovers and WOW theyre just as good a couple of days later! Thank you for an awesome recipe!
I’m so glad you liked them, Giselle! Thank you for making them!