2-Ingredient Crispy Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp Taco Ingredients

1. Uncooked and Cleaned Shrimp
2. Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal
3. Homemade Taco Seasoning OR Store-Bought
4. Avocado Oil (for cooking)
5. Tortillas
6. Favorite Toppings
   1. Pico de Gallo
   2. Avocado
   3. Shredded Cabbage
   4. Pickled Jalapenos
7. Quick Shrimp Taco Sauce
   1. Homemade Mayonnaise OR Store-Bought
   2. Hot Sauce
   3. Lime Juice
   4. Ancho Chili Powder
   5. Ground Cumin
   6. Garlic Powder
   7. Kosher Salt

How to make Shrimp Tacos

1. When I said that this was stupid easy, I wasn’t joking.
2. Mix cornmeal and taco seasoning in a shallow bowl. Dredge rinsed shrimp in cornmeal mixture to cover and set aside on a plate or baking sheet.
3. Set out all of your toppings, shrimp taco sauce, and warmed tortillas.
4. Heat a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Add avocado oil and cook shrimp 3 minutes per side in batches until all are done. Serve and Enjoy!

Tips to make Perfect Shrimp Tacos

• Make the sauce first or ahead of time. It only takes 2 to 3 minutes but it just makes things easier if that is already done.
• Get your toppings ready. I always have a container of my easy pickled jalapenos on hand but if that is new for you, make them a few days (at least) ahead of time or just pick up a jar when you are food shopping.
• If you can, buy already cleaned shrimp – this is a major time saver! If not, make sure to peel and devein (the backside of the shrimp) with a paring knife, rinse underwater, and set aside in the fridge until ready to coat. When it comes to fresh shrimp or defrosted shrimp, I always recommend using them within 24 hours of defrosting or purchasing.
• I used LARGE Shrimp so my total cook time of 6 minutes (3 min per side) is based on that. If you use smaller shrimp, you may need to reduce the time OR larger shrimp, you may need to increase. I recommend testing 1 by itself to make sure you have the correct total cook time before cooking the shrimp in batches so that you can ensure they do not overcook.
• I recommend leaving the tails on the shrimp. You don’t have to but it makes it a lot easier to flip them in the frying pan and pick them up (by the tail) so that you don’t disturb the breading. We just pull the tails off as we build our tacos and discard.
• To save time, buy a bag of pre-shredded green or red cabbage.
• I use fresh avocado but have also made these shrimp tacos with homemade and store-bought guacamole and they are fantastic with all three so use what is easiest for you!
• You can use any type of tortilla for these shrimp tacos – corn, flour, gluten-free. I recommend very lightly heating them before serving. Wrap in a moist kitchen towel to keep the heat in!
• When it comes time to bread the shrimp, give them a quick rinse under cold water (in a strainer). This will make the cornmeal breading adhere much better.

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Crispy Shrimp Tacos

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

 

Crispy Shrimp Tacos made with ONLY two Ingredients! You will love this easy hack to make shrimp tacos in just minutes. Just add your favorite toppings.

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: cornmeal crusted shrimp, crispy shrimp tacos, easy shrimp tacos recipe, how to make crispy shrimp tacos, what to do with cornmeal

Servings: 12 Tacos

Calories: 336 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

Crispy Shrimp:

• 2 pounds large Shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal
• 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
• 4 Tablespoons avocado oil divided

Shrimp Taco Sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 Tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Toppings:

• 12 tortillas slightly warmed
• 1 large avocado peeled, pit removed, and diced
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
• 1 cup pico de gallo
• 2 cups shredded cabbage green or red

Instructions

Shrimp Taco Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients for sauce in a small container or mason jar. Cover and refrigeratie until ready to use.

Shrimp:

1. Mix cornmeal and taco seasoning in a shallow bowl until well combined. Grab a large plate or baking sheet. Rinse cleaned and deveined shrimp in cold water and dredge each shrimp is completely coated. Transer each coated shrimp to baking sheet and repeat until all shrimp are coated.

2. Heat a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 T of the avocado oil and approx. 1/4 of the breaded shrimp. This will depend on the size of your frying pan (I use a 12" cast iron).

3. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, flip and cook an additional 3 minutes

NOTES:

Note that the nutrition facts assumes consuming ALL of the cooking oil and ALL of the Shrimp Taco Sauce and Toppings listed. 

If you are counting macros, you may want to adjust the input to reflect your individual portion.

Nutrition Facts

Crispy Shrimp Tacos

Amount Per Serving (1 Taco)

Calories 336 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 194mg65%

Sodium 1135mg49%

Potassium 229mg7%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 194IU4%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 148mg15%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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More Easy Shrimp Recipes:

Old Bay Shrimp

Poached Shrimp Avocado Salad

Pesto Cauliflower Rice with Shrimp

Brown Sugar Bourbon Shrimp Skewers

Gluten and Dairy Free Pesto Pasta Salad with Shrimp

DISCLOSURE:  This post is part of a series of posts sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Bob’s Red Mill has compensated me for my time to develop this recipe and share my experiences with their products. Thank you for supporting the brands that make EverydayMaven possible. All opinions are my own.