Cajun Lime Shrimp Tacos
Quick skillet shrimp tacos with Cajun spice, lime, and a crunchy cabbage slaw that tastes like a beach-town roadside stop.
Prep: 12 · Cook: 8 · Total: 20 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.8/5 (211 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Think of the kind of shrimp tacos you grab at a roadside shack, then recreate that punchy flavor with pantry Cajun spice and fresh lime.
Story
I have eaten shrimp tacos in some questionable parking lots, leaning on the hood, grinning like an idiot because the first bite was so good. This is that energy, fast shrimp, loud seasoning, and a cool slaw to keep it all together. Get the skillet screaming hot, let the shrimp get kissed with color, then stack those tortillas like you mean it. Dinner is smashed in twenty.
By Theo
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (tails off)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 8 small corn or flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija or feta
- Hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Pat shrimp dry. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and half the lime juice plus the lime zest.
- Make the slaw: in a bowl, toss cabbage with mayonnaise, yogurt, honey, cilantro, and the remaining lime juice. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a low burner flame, then wrap in a towel to keep soft.
- Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through.
- Assemble tacos: add slaw, then shrimp, then cotija. Add hot sauce if you want it spicy.
- Finish with an extra squeeze of lime and serve right away while the shrimp are hot.
Chef Tips
- Do not overcook shrimp, pull them as soon as they turn opaque and curl into a C shape.
- If your Cajun seasoning is salty, hold back on extra salt until the end.
- Bagged coleslaw mix is the ultimate weeknight shortcut.
- Leftover slaw is great on sandwiches the next day.
Cook's Notes
- **Heat control:** Medium-high is your friend, you want quick sear without rubbery shrimp.
- **Slaw balance:** Add more lime if it tastes flat, add more honey if it bites too hard.
- **Tortilla move:** Warm them, always, cold tortillas turn into heartbreak.