Tajín Shrimp Tacos

As the weather starts to warm up I start craving light, fresh food, like these Tajín Shrimp Tacos. These tacos are so simple, with bright chili-lime flavored Tajín seasoned shrimp and a simple slaw made with homemade avocado dressing. They’re the perfect little bites to enjoy with the first warm rays of sun of the season! As always, I’ll list some substitutions and add-on ideas for you below!

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What is Tajín?

Tajín seasoning is a Mexican spice blend containing chili, lime, and salt. This super simple blend packs huge flavor and is incredibly delicious when sprinkled onto fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, or really just about everything. You can find this seasoning in the produce department of most major grocery stores in the U.S. Scroll down to the step-by-step photos below to see a photo of the bottle, so you know what to look for! :)

Can I Substitute the Shrimp?

If you’re not a fan of shrimp, you can also use Tajín to season white fish, like cod, tilapia, or Mahi Mahi instead. You could also use the Tajín to season some cubed or shredded chicken.

Can I Substitute the Avocado Dressing?

Yes, you have a few different options for dressing the slaw for these tacos. When I first made this recipe, I actually used a store-bought guacamole salsa mixed with a little bit of mayonnaise to make the slaw. You could also use something like an avocado ranch dressing, or make my Cilantro Lime Coleslaw.

Take a Short Cut with Coleslaw Mix

I had half a head of purple cabbage in my fridge that I used for this recipe, but you could also use fresh green cabbage, or even take a short cut by using bagged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots). Green cabbage may even work a little better here because the natural pigment of the purple cabbage turns kind of brown when mixed with the green avocado dressing.

What Else Can I Add to the Shrimp Tacos?

Tacos are great because they’re so flexible. There are so many things you could add to these tacos to make them your own. Here are a few ideas:

• Roasted corn
• Cotija cheese
• Pickled red onions
• Sliced avocado
• Cilantro
• Hot sauce (I suggest Cholula)
• Thinly sliced radish
• Pineapple or pineapple salsa

What to Serve with Tajín Shrimp Tacos

I suggest keeping your side dish light, with something like Charred Corn and Zucchini Salad, Cucumber and Black Bean Salad, or Warm Corn and Avocado Salad. Or you can go with some simple sides like Quick Seasoned Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice.

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Tajín Shrimp Tacos

4.91 from 11 votes

These bright and zesty tacos feature Tajín seasoned shrimp and a simple slaw dressed with a homemade avocado dressing. 

Author: Beth Moncel

Servings 4 three tacos each

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 15 minutes mins

Total 35 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Avocado Dressing

• 1 avocado ($0.89)
• 1/4 cup sour cream ($0.12)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.40)
• 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro ($0.20)
• 2 Tbsp lime juice ($0.50)
• 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)

Tajín Shrimp

• 12 oz. raw medium shrimp (41-60 size) ($4.99)
• 1/2 Tbsp Tajín Clásico Seasoning ($0.15)
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)

Other Ingredients

• 1/2 head red cabbage (about 4 cups shredded) ($0.93)
• 12 small corn tortillas ($1.20)
• 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.10)

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Instructions 

• Make the avocado dressing first. Add the avocado, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set the dressing aside.
• Finely shred the cabbage, so the slaw is ready to be mixed just before serving. Thinly slice the jalapeño (if using).
• Toast the corn tortillas. You can do this over the open flame of a gas stove, or in a very hot dry skillet. When the skillet is very hot, the tortillas only need to touch the skillet for about 10 seconds on each side to give it that toasty corn flavor. This also helps strengthen the tortillas a bit.
• If you shrimp are frozen, place them in a colander and run cool water over top until thawed. Remove the peel and tail, if attached. Allow the shrimp to drain well, then place them in a bowl and add the Tajín. Stir to coat the shrimp in Tajín.
• Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. When the skillet and oil are very hot, add the seasoned shrimp and sauté until the shrimp are opaque (this should only take about three minutes). If there is a lot of liquid in the bottom of the skillet, remove the shrimp and then allow the liquid to simmer until thickened. Turn off the heat and then toss the shrimp in the thickened sauce.
• Just before serving, combine the shredded cabbage with about ½ cup of the avocado dressing and stir until the cabbage is evenly coated. The rest of the avocado dressing will be drizzled over the tacos.
• To build the shrimp tacos, add a handful of slaw to the bottom of each tortilla then top with a few shrimp and a couple slices of jalapeño. Drizzle a little of the remaining avocado dressing over top, then enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

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Equipment

• Small Blender
• Chef’s Knife
• White Cutting Boards

Nutrition

Serving: 3tacosCalories: 420.35kcalCarbohydrates: 33.33gProtein: 19.63gFat: 23.88gSodium: 752.5mgFiber: 7.83g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

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How to Make Tajín Shrimp Tacos – Step by Step Photos

Make the avocado dressing first. Add one avocado, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 clove of garlic, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 Tbsp lime juice, and ¼ tsp salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Shred ½ head cabbage (about 4 cups) and slice one jalapeño.

Toast 12 small corn tortillas. You can do this over the open flame of a gas stove or in a very hot dry skillet. They only take about 10 seconds per side to toast. This gives them a deliciously toasty corn flavor and helps strengthen them a bit.

If your shrimp are frozen, place them in a colander and run cool water over them until thawed (it’s pretty fast). Remove the peels and tails, if still attached. Place 12oz. raw medium peeled shrimp in a bowl and add ½ Tbsp Tajín seasoning. Stir to coat the shrimp in seasoning.

This is what Tajín looks like. You can usually find it in the produce department of the grocery store (because it’s sooooo good sprinkled on fresh fruit, among other things).

Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium. When the skillet and oil are hot, add the seasoned shrimp. Sauté the shrimp until they are opaque (this should only take a few minutes). If there is a lot of liquid in the bottom of the skillet, remove the shrimp and let the liquid simmer a few more minutes to thicken. Turn off the heat and toss the shrimp in the thickened sauce.

Just before serving, prepare the slaw. Add about ½ cup of the avocado dressing to the shredded cabbage and stir to coat. The rest of the dressing will be used to top the tacos.

To build the tacos, add some of the prepared slaw to each tortilla, top with a few shrimp and a couple slices of jalapeño. Drizzle some of the remaining avocado dressing over top, then enjoy!

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