Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos Recipe

These cilantro lime shrimp tacos are fresh, tangy, spicy, and replete with the flavors of Mexico's coastal region. If you like your lunch to feel like a relaxing meal by the Gulf of Mexico, then this recipe might be the one you're looking for.

According to Ksenia Prints from At the Immigrant's Table, there are plenty of seafood dishes from Mexico you simply must try, but these cilantro shrimp tacos might be in our top 3 favorites. We start by marinating the shrimp in a bright, spicy, cilantro-laden and pico de gallo-inspired marinade. Then we pan fry the shrimp, and heap it in tortillas with a refreshing cabbage slaw and more homemade pico de gallo. The whole dish feels light, zesty, and perfect with a cold Michelada.

You can store these, divided into components, for a few days in your fridge — they make for excellent lunches on the go. That way, you can be transported to a beach in Mexico while never leaving your office desk.

To make these shrimp tacos, you'll need fresh cilantro, garlic cloves, limes, jalapeños, diced tomatoes, and purple onions for the marinade and pico de gallo. For the shrimp, grab your favorite peeled and deveined large shrimp (or simply peel and devein your shrimp). For the slaw, you'll need a small head of green cabbage, olive oil, and salt and pepper. For assembly, corn tortillas, more jalapeno slices, and whole cilantro leaves.

Mix 1 cup cilantro, 1 minced garlic clove, the juice of 2 limes, 1 minced jalapeño, 2 cups diced tomatoes, and 1 diced purple onion.

Marinate the shrimp in the mixture for 30 minutes in the fridge.

To make the slaw, toss the cabbage with ½ cup cilantro, 2 minced garlic cloves, juice of half a lime, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

To make the pico de gallo, combine the remaining diced tomato, ½ jalapeno, and remaining diced onion. Season with the remaining lime juice, salt, and pepper, then set aside.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.

Cook the shrimp mixture in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes per side, until opaque. Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet.

Fill each tortilla with shrimp. Top with cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, jalapeño slices, and cilantro leaves.

Serve immediately.

• Super Easy Chipotle Crema Recipe
• Mexican Rice Recipe
• One-Pot Instant Pot Refried Beans Recipe
• Super-Garnished Michelada Recipe
• Classic Frozen Margarita Cocktail Recipe

Though these cilantro lime shrimp tacos are simply perfect exactly as the recipe is written, there's always room for experimentation, particularly with a taco recipe. And we do have some ideas for how to keep them feeling fresh and different each time.

One change we love making is to transform these tacos into lettuce wraps or cups. To make this change, you just need to grab some romaine or Boston lettuce leaves and arrange the filling in them to your taste. The meal still feels fresh and exciting, and you don't dim the flavor with a bunch of tortillas. Another change we enjoy is adding some creaminess in the form of avocado slices, a dollop of sour cream, or even a Mexican crema drizzle. While we found that just sprinkling cheese on top didn't work as well with the flavors, a bit of creaminess from the avocado or crema was a welcome addition.

Finally, another thing we love to do is to turn these into a surf and turf taco by adding some diced chicken breast or steak bites. This way, we can add extra protein without changing the essence and flavors of this recipe too much.

We love ceviche any time of day, and if you're like us, then using these tacos as a vehicle for eating more raw shrimp is a very good idea. However, there are some important things to keep in mind when making ceviche, and we're here to break them down for you.

First, do keep in mind that eating raw seafood is not recommended for everyone, and should be practiced with caution. If you're going to turn this into ceviche, you have to make sure you're using raw, sushi-grade shrimp that's never been frozen, and that you're giving the citric acid from the lime juice enough time to "cook" the shrimp through marination. You'll need to use at least 1 full cup of lime juice for the recipe, and give it at least 4 hours in the fridge. The rest should work as specified in the recipe, with one little extra tip.

One thing we love when making ceviche is adding a bit of rice vinegar. This secret ingredient is unexpected and bold, and plays really well with the lime and cilantro in this marinade. So give this recipe a try next time you're craving a ceviche.

• Easy Ground Beef Street Taco Recipe
• Plant-Based Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos Recipe
• Tri-Tip Steak Tacos Recipe
• Cuban-Style Picadillo Tacos Recipe
• Beer-Battered Fish Tacos Recipe