shrimp tacos EXPLODING WITH juicy, flavorful cilantro lime shrimp complimented by sweet refreshing mango salsa and silky avocado crema!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos are the BEST light, flavorful and fillings shrimp tacos that rival any restaurant and on your table in 30 minutes!  You can prep the toppings ahead of time for a super quick and easy weeknight dinner that tastes wonderfully gourmet.

Thank you McCormick® for sponsoring this Shrimp Tacos post.  All opinions are my own

Taco Time!  I love tacos in every from from my from Taco Spaghetti to Taco Soup to nontraditional tacos such as Teriyaki Chicken Tacos and Asian Caramel Pork Tacos to straightforward tacos such as my Baja Fish Tacos and Chili  Lime Chicken Tacos. It just doesn’t get better than taco with their symphony of flavors and textures all in one bite – and in each and every bite.  There is a reason there is a day of the week dedicated just to this food group and now you have a new reason to celebrate taco Tuesday with these Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos!

Shrimp Tacos

These Shrimp Tacos join my long list of favorite taco recipes but are my first shrimp taco recipe!  I don’t know what took me so long but these beauties are worth the wait. They are brimming with bright garlicky, fiestalicious cilantro lime shrimp, piled with sweet, refreshing, juicy Mango Salsa, and drizzled (or doused) in silkilicious Avocado Crema for mouthfuls of spicy, savory, sweet, tangy, creamy all in one mouthful.  These Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos are unintentionally healthy and intentionally sensational.  Wellness never tasted so good.

As we emerge from the depth of winter, I’m excited to share more better-for-you options that make keeping your healthy eating goals easy WITHOUT sacrificing flavor. You all know I am big on seasonings because that is the difference between boring and bodacious.  McCormick is my favorite brand of spices with their robust flavors and uplifting ingredients.  They can transform simple healthy recipes into restaurant tasting healthy recipes without packing on the calories.  Like all my recipes, we are using quite a few McCormick spices in this Shrimp Recipe and you will be able to taste the difference!

For more simple, healthy, flavorful dinner ideas, check out McCormick.com

How to Prep Shrimp Tacos in Advance

I love shrimp because it’s so convenient, you don’t have to chop any raw meat, and it cooks super quickly. The most time consuming part of these Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos is the other components of the tacos.  But you can 1) Defrost your Shrimp 2) Toss you Shrimp with Spices and 3) Make Mango Salsa all in advance so your shrimp tacos come together lighting fast at dinner time:

How to Defrost Shrimp 

If you keep frozen shrimp on hand, then you can make these Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos any night of the week!  Once your shrimp is defrosted then it will cook up in minutes – literally!

• There are two options for defrosting your shrimp. To quickly defrost, place the frozen shrimp in a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Place this sieve in a large bowl of cold tap water for 10 minutes.   After 10 minutes, replace the water in the bowl with new cold tap water and resubmerge the shrimp.  Let shrimp sit an additional 10- 20 minutes.  At this point the shrimp should be completely defrosted.
• The easier way to defrost your shrimp if you remember in advance is to remove your frozen shrimp to a covered bowl and let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
• Whatever you do, resist the urge to use warm tap water (and definitely NOT the microwave) as this will cause the shrimp to defrost and cook unevenly.

Toss Shrimp with Spices

You can toss your defrosted shrimp with all the spices in the morning then come home to cook your shrimp tacos!

• Once your shrimp is defrosted, all that’s left is to combine your shrimp with garlic, lime zest and fiestalicious spices of McCormick® Chili Powder, McCormick® Ground Cumin, McCormick® Smoked Paprika, McCormick® Dried Oregano, McCormick® Onion Powder,McCormick® Cayenne Pepper, McCormick® Salt and McCormick® Pepper.
• These spices infuse the shrimp with kicking flavor through and through so the flavor isn’t just surface level. You can combine the shrimp and spices, garlic and lime zest in the morning, cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
• Once the shrimp is cooked, we toss it with cilantro and fresh lime juice to achieve our fresh, zesty, citrusy cilantro shrimp with just the right amount of kick.
• If you are sensitive to heat or want to make these extra kid friendly, then you can omit the cayenne pepper although I don’t find the shrimp very spicy once loaded with sweet Mango Salsa and bright Avocado Crema.

Make Mango Salsa for Shrimp Tacos

This simple, colorful, juicy Mango Salsa is super easy to make! Its, sweet, refreshing and cuts through the heat of the Cilantro Lime Shrimp.  If you are intimidated by cutting mangos – do’t be!  I just posted How to Cut A Mango that teaches everything you could ever want to know about mangos!

• Your Mango Salsa can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Although the Mango Salsa is just a quick chopping of fresh mangos, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro and a splash of lime juice, sometimes it’s nice not to have any chopping at all. I also think the flavors of the Mango Salsa get better over time.

Make Avocado Crema

If you’ve been following me for long at all, you know my love for Avocado Crema.  I use it in practically every taco recipe and both Patrick and I prefer it hands down to guacamole or just avocados. It’s soooo creamy with just the right hint of lime, cumin, garlic and cilantro.   Its coolness balances out the robust Mexican seasonings of the Shrimp Tacos and its silky texture can’t be beat.

• Your Avocado Crema can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can make it earlier and store it for longer but you might notice a little discoloration.

EAT Shrimp Tacos!

Now all that’s left to do is pile your soft tortillas with juicy, cilantro lime shrimp, fresh Mango Salsa and cooling Avocado Crema  and eat and eat and eat!

Looking for more shrimp recipes?

• Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp and Asparagus
• Thai Sweet Chili Shrimp
• Kung Pao Shrimp
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine
• Sheet Pan Teriyaki Shrimp, Pineapple and Snap Peas
• Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Shrimp Pasta
• Old Bay Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce
• Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls
• Honey Lemon Shrimp with Chili Butter Sauce
• Coconut Cashew Shrimp with Pineapple Dip
• Coconut Honey Lime Shrimp with Sriracha Mango Dip
• Lemon Garlic Cream Ravioli with Shrimp and Asparagus
• Roasted Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
• Avocado Shrimp Salad with Caribbean Dressing

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Print Recipe

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Cilantro lime shrimp tacos EXPLODING with tangy, punchy flavor complimented by sweet refreshing Mango Salsa and silky Avocado Crema! Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos are the BEST light, flavorful and fillings shrimp tacos that rival any restaurant and on your table in 30 minutes!  You can prep the toppings ahead of time for a super quick and easy weeknight dinner that tastes wonderfully gourmet.

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Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

7 minutes

Servings

-10 tacos

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

• 1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp peeled and deveined
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon Lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Dried Oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® cayenne pepper optional for a kick
• Add later:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Mango Salsa

• 2 large mangos, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 jalapeno seeded, deveined, diced
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® salt more or less to taste

Avocado Crema

• 1 medium avocado
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder
• Milk as needed to reach desired consistency

Tacos

• 8 taco size tortillas
• Cotija cheese optional
• hot sauce optional
• shredded cabbage optional

Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 7 minutes Servings -10 tacos Ingredients Cilantro Lime Shrimp 1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp peeled and deveined 4 garlic cloves minced 1 teaspoon Lime zest 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® chili powder 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cumin 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® salt 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® pepper 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Dried Oregano 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® onion powder 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® cayenne pepper optional for a kick Add later: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1-2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons minced cilantro Mango Salsa 2 large mangos, chopped 1 medium red pepper, diced 1/4 cup diced red onion 1 jalapeno seeded, deveined, diced 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® salt more or less to taste Avocado Crema 1 medium avocado 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lime juice 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® salt 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cumin 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder Milk as needed to reach desired consistency Tacos 8 taco size tortillas Cotija cheese optional hot sauce optional shredded cabbage optional

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Instructions

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

1. Add all of the Shrimp Ingredients (except the “Add Later" ingredients) to a bowl and stir to combine. Let sit 15-30 minutes at room temperature. You can use this time to prepare your Mango Salsa and Avocado Crema. Instructions Below.
2. To cook shrimp, melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and let cook 1 minute without touching then continue to cook and stir for approximately 3-4 minutes or just until shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Scrape shrimp and garlic/juices to a plate. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons lime juice and cilantro. Once cool enough to handle, you can chop off shrimp tails.*

Mango Salsa

1. Add all of the Mango Salsa ingredients to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate.

Avocado Crema (optional)

1. Add all the Crema ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth, scraping sides down as needed. May make 4 hours ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Assemble:

1. Add shrimp followed by Mango Salsa, Cotija Cheese then Avocado Crema. Add additional lime juice and hot sauce if desired.

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