Quick Baja Shrimp Tacos (Not Fried!)
These Quick Baja Shrimp Tacos are an easy, flavorful & light dinner perfect for weeknights! The shrimp are coated in asmoky, Mexican-inspired seasoning blend, then pan-seared instead of fried. A homemade Baja sauce made from greek yogurt keeps things tangy and creamy while doubling as the dressing for your slaw. Top them off with some cotija cheese & cilantro for a delicious, healthy meal!
Equipment
- medium bowl
- whisk
- small bowl
- large pan
- squeeze bottle or ziplock bag
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
- 1 lb small raw shrimp peeled, deveined & tail-off
- ½ tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp oregano
- cayenne optional, for extra spice
For the Baja Sauce:
- ½ cup full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp sriracha (or a Mexican-style hot sauce)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
For the Slaw:
- 8 oz coleslaw mix
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- ⅓ cup baja sauce (from above)
- kosher salt to taste
For the Tacos:
- 6 small corn tortillas
- crumbled cotija cheese
- finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- First, pat shrimp dry and then add them to a medium bowl along with the oil and spices. Toss until evenly coated. Set aside while you prepare the baja sauce and slaw.1 lb small raw shrimp, ½ tbsp avocado oil, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp oregano, cayenne
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the baja sauce ingredients until combined & smooth. Taste and adjust the amount of hot sauce, lime juice & salt as needed.½ cup full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 ½ tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tsp sriracha, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Add coleslaw mix, cilantro and 1/3 cup of the baja sauce to a large bowl. Toss to combine, and then season with more salt as needed.8 oz coleslaw mix, ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, ⅓ cup baja sauce, kosher salt
- Optionally, transfer the remaining baja sauce to a squeeze bottle or ziplock bag with the corner cut off, to use for drizzling on the finished tacos.
- Bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add a bit of oil. Then, add marinated shrimp and spread out so that there's no overlap. Let cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Warm up your corn tortillas on an open flame, or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave. Then assemble your tacos starting with some of the slaw, shrimp, a drizzle of the baja sauce, crumbled cotija and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!6 small corn tortillas, crumbled cotija cheese, finely chopped cilantro
Video
Notes
NUTRITION INFO: The nutrition info listed below is for 1 taco and does not include the cotija cheese garnish.
Nutrition
Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg