Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cream

Next month will mark four years of creating recipes and publishing them to this site. Wow! Sometimes I still marvel at how I’ve managed to continue to come up with more creative ways to feed our family with easy to find ingredients. Throughout these past four years, one recipe continues to be the source of so much traffic. My fish tacos! When I first decided to begin a website where I could share my own recipes, this one was one of the first I’d planned to share. It was an absolute favorite in our house, and we could never get enough of all that flavor!

I actually have a funny story to share about those fish tacos! My mom and her best friend from high school had their first children within just a few months of each other. Her best friend had a son “J” and my mom had me! Well fast forward to just a few years ago and J realized he had made my fish tacos months prior, without even realizing it was my website he had searched and found the recipe! Isn’t that amazing? Oh, and he and his wife loved them!

I absolutely love fresh ingredients and light flavors, especially in the summer months. These shrimp tacos are just as tasty and flavorful as my fish tacos without being too much of the same thing. I actually removed cheese completely, added a little bit of sweetness to the cabbage and the sauce with a touch of honey, and the shrimp are smoky and flavorful. They’re delicious, and would be a great alternative to their fish counterpart. Try for yourself!

These shrimp tacos are ready in thirty minutes or less and use many fresh ingredients. Pair with my slow cooker “refried” beans for a light and tasty feast!

Ingredients for Shrimp Tacos:

• corn tortillas
• shredded cabbage mix (recipe below)
• avocado corn mixture (recipe below)
• cooked shrimp (recipe below)
• cilantro lime cream (recipe below)
• cut limes
• cilantro (for garnish)

Ingredients for Shredded Cabbage Mix:

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt and pepper

Ingredients for Avocado Corn Mixture:

• 1/2 cup corn
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1/2 medium cucumber, diced
• 1/2 medium tomato, diced
• 1 green onion, chopped
• juice from 1/2 a medium lime
• salt and pepper

Ingredients for Cooked Shrimp:

• 3/4 lb fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
• juice from half a lime
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon salted butter

Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Cream:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Begin by shredding both colors of cabbage and mixing with the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Mix it up well in a medium bowl and set aside to allow the flavors to set while you prepare the rest of the meal.

In another medium bowl add the corn, avocado, cucumber, tomato and onion. Mix well, then season with lime juice, salt and pepper.

For the shrimp, lay them out flat (make sure the tails are removed and all shells are gone!). Season both sides with lemon pepper, garlic salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, marjoram and cilantro. Squeeze the lime all over the shrimp.

In a medium saute pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the pan is coated, add the seasoned shrimp. Continue to stir the shrimp every so often until golden with a light char (about 5 minutes). While the shrimp is cooking add all the ingredients for the cilantro lime cream together and set it aside to add to the tacos.

Once the shrimp has cooked through, heat the tortillas. Line them up on a serving platter or plate and fill them with a bit of the shredded cabbage mix.

Top it with a few spoonfuls of the avocado corn mixture.

Add a few pieces of that gorgeous shrimp to each taco.

Serve with the cilantro lime cream, a few limes and a sprig of cilantro for garnish!

Be generous with the cream, it sure is tasty. Enjoy!

What kind of tacos are your favorite?