Shrimp Recipes: 15-Minute Garlic Lemon Shrimp Tacos with Crunchy Slaw

Oct 22

3 min read

Updated: 15 hours ago

Shrimp tacos in warm tortillas with crunchy cabbage slaw, lime wedges and cilantro

15 minutes, one pan, pantry spices only

Shrimp need three minutes in a hot pan, which means the slaw has to be made first. Shredded cabbage with lime and a little mayo, tossed early so it softens slightly but stays loud and crunchy; then the shrimp get smoked paprika, garlic and butter, and everything goes into warm tortillas. Fifteen minutes, and it costs less than takeout.

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Why this one works

Make the slaw first, always. It needs ten minutes to sit, and the shrimp need three to cook.
Smoked paprika does the work of a grill here — it gives the shrimp a charred flavour from a regular skillet.
Warming the tortillas directly over a flame or in a dry pan takes thirty seconds and changes the whole taco.

At a glance

Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings, 8 tacos
Protein: 38g per serving
Calories: 512 per serving

Ingredients

Crunchy slaw

4 cups shredded green cabbage, or a bag of coleslaw mix
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Garlic lemon shrimp

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1.5 lb (680g) large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lemon

To build

8 small corn or flour tortillas
Lime wedges
Hot sauce

Instructions

Make the slaw first. Whisk the mayonnaise, lime juice, honey and salt in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, red onion and cilantro and toss hard. Leave it on the counter while you cook — it softens just enough to be eaten in a taco but keeps its crunch.
Season the shrimp dry. Pat the shrimp completely dry and toss them with the smoked paprika, cumin, salt and cayenne until evenly coated.
Warm the tortillas. Heat them directly over a gas flame for 15 seconds a side, or in a dry skillet for 30. Wrap them in a clean towel to stay soft.
Sear the shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook 90 seconds without moving them, then flip.
Add butter and garlic. Add the butter and garlic and toss for 60 to 90 seconds more, until the shrimp are pink and just curled and the garlic is fragrant. Pull the pan the moment they turn opaque — overcooked shrimp are rubbery within thirty seconds.
Finish with lemon. Squeeze the lemon over the pan off the heat and toss once.
Build the tacos. Pile slaw into each warm tortilla, top with shrimp and spoon over any garlic butter from the pan. Serve with lime and hot sauce.

Notes and swaps

Frozen shrimp: thaw under cold running water for 5 minutes and dry them very well, or they will steam.
For a lighter slaw, swap the mayo for Greek yogurt and add an extra squeeze of lime.
Leftover shrimp are excellent cold the next day over a salad.