Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Baja Sauce

Name: Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Baja Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound large shrimp (defrosted peeled and deveined); 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 Lime (zest and juice); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 8 corn tortillas; 1 cup shredded cabbage; ¼ cup fresh cilantro (minced); 1 avocado (sliced); lime wedges and cotija cheese (optional for serving); ½ cup mayonnaise; ¾ cup sour cream; ⅓ cup cotija cheese; 2 Tablespoons lime juice; 1 Tablespoon honey; 1 Tablespoon hot sauce (or more to taste); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon cumin; salt (to taste)

5 from 6 votes

Updated: Jun 9, 2024 by Jen Wooster

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These grilled shrimp tacos are the perfect summer weeknight meal. Smoky shrimp is combined with fresh toppings and a creamy and zesty sauce for a delicious bite. It's light, refreshing, and easy to make in less than 20 minutes!

grilled shrimp tacos drizzled with Baja sauce resting on the table.

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I love making this taco recipe in the summer when I have some friends and family over and they're looking for something a little different for dinner. It's packed with fresh ingredients and big flavors from the creamy Baja sauce.

Trust me, these are the best shrimp tacos you'll make. Pair it with BBQ chicken nachos and grilled corn ribs, and you'll have everyone coming back for more!

📖Why My Recipe Works

Big Flavor- These tacos are packed with flavor all around-from the marinade, veggie toppings, and zesty Baja sauce!
Marinade- Letting the shrimp sit for a few minutes in the marinade helps infuse flavor, but not so long that we turn it into ceviche. For another flavor, you can try my pollo asado marinade in its place.

Showcasing the ingredients needed for Shrimp tacos being displayed on the table.

🧾Ingredient Notes

Raw Shrimp- Use fresh or frozen shrimp. Be sure to remove the shells, tails, and devein before marinating.
Lime- You'll need both the zest and the juice, so use fresh.
Seasonings- Use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper.
Tortillas- Use corn tortillas (gluten-free!) or flour tortillas.
Shredded Cabbage- Adds crunch. You can also try my spicy avocado cabbage slaw for extra veggies on top.
Avocado- Use fresh avocado slices.
For Serving- Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and cotija cheese.
Baja Sauce- My homemade Baja sauce is the perfect condiment for all types of shrimp and fish tacos.

⏲️How to Make Grilled Shrimp Tacos Recipe

Marinated and grilled shrimp in a wooden skewers and a bowl of purple shredded cabbage and spices.

Step 1: Make sure the shrimp is evenly coated with the marinade. It's important to marinate the shrimp for at least 15 minutes to infuse all the flavors. It also helps to keep them moist and tender once cooked.

The process of making Baja sauce in the food processor.

Step 2: Whisk by hand or add to a food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust the seasonings as needed, and refrigerate while you cook the shrimp.

Grilled shrimp in a wooden skewers and shrimp directly in the grill.

Step 3: You can use a grill basket or shrimp skewers to ensure they don't fall through the grates. Grill the shrimp in a single layer for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Step 4: Warm the tortillas on the grill for 30-45 seconds on each side. After grilling, stack them under a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft until ready to serve.

Ingredients needed for the shrimp tacos with Baja sauce.

Step 5: Assemble tacos by adding cooked shrimp, crunchy cabbage, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro to each tortilla. Drizzle it with taco sauce and serve with fresh lime and cotija cheese on the side. These tacos are best served fresh off the grill!

🥗What to Serve with Shrimp Tacos

While any seafood taco is perfect for outdoor dinner parties, you can easily make them for dinner any day of the week. Start with a platter of sweet potato nachos and a blood orange margarita.

The Baja taco sauce gives them a delicious, zesty flavor, but you can also serve these tacos with different dipping sauces, like fresh garden salsa, avocado pico de gallo, mango habanero salsa, and cilantro lime avocado crema.

You can customize the toppings and add tomatoes, corn, or beans. My recommended side dishes are Asian coleslaw, gluten free Spanish rice, elote in a cup, or avocado corn salad. Add mangonada posicles for dessert.

Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?

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