Spicy shrimp tacos with avocado salsa and sour cream cilantro sauce are simply the BEST tacos you will ever have! These healthy & delicious tacos are packed full of FLAVOR and texture and are ready in under 30 minutes too.

I simply couldn’t find the words to explain how delicious these tacos are, but I guess the title basically says it all. I shared a sneak peek photo on my Instagram last night and began getting tons of emails and comments from people wanting the recipe ASAP. So here I am publishing it at 5 am!

These shrimp tacos are spicy and delicious. They are served with my favorite avocado salsa and topped with a creamy sour cream and cilantro sauce. The sour cream sauce is the perfect sauce for these tacos because it helps balance the heat and add a delicious flavor.

I used my simple all-purpose spicy skillet shrimp recipe to make these tacos. This recipe never fails me and is the secret key to these tacos. You can marinate the shrimp for just a few minutes or for up to 24 hours, but obviously, the longer you marinate the shrimp, the more flavorful it will be.

Recipe Tip

The trick to getting this shrimp perfectly cooked is to heat your skillet until it’s very hot. I like to use a cast-iron for this because it retains the heat but any heavy-duty skillet will work well. Just be sure to heat it on high for at least 2 minutes before adding the shrimp. The heat will cook the shrimp and give them a nice exterior while keeping all the juice locked in to keep them nice and moist.


For the crunchy element, I almost always use this spicy avocado salsa. It’s made with avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Don’t forget to salt and pepper!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa & Sour Cream Cilantro Sauce

Now all that’s left is to assemble the tacos. To do so heat a few small tortillas over your stovetop flame to give them a nice charred edge. Next top the tortilla off with some of the avocado salsa and then some shrimp.

The last and final step is the sour-cream cilantro sauce. To make this sauce simply combine 1/4 sour cream with 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Drizzle over the tacos and you’re done!

4.86 from 121 votes

Shrimp Tacos

By: Layla
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa and cilantro sour cream sauce are packed full of flavor and texture. This delicious and healthy 30 minute meal is a family favorite and one of the best ways to enjoy shrimp!
Prep10 minutes
Cook5 minutes
Total15 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients 

Avocado Salsa

  • 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from half a lime
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Cilantro Sauce

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 8 small flour tortillas, corn tortillas can also be used

Instructions 

To cook the shrimp

  • In a medium bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili and onion powders, and salt. Add in shrimp and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 24 hours. Heat a large heavy-duty or cast iron skillet on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the olive oil and shrimp. Cook shrimp in a skillet over medium-high heat until pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and finish with a squeeze of lime (optional).

To make salsa

  • Combine tomato, avocado, jalapeno, salt, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. (If not using right away, place a piece of plastic wrap inside the bowl and directly over salsa to prevent discoloration and refrigerate.)

To assemble

  • Stir the sour-cream with cilantro and lime juice in a small bowl; set aside. Grill tortillas on stovetop over the flame until lightly charred (this step is optional). Spoon avocado salsa generously over warm tortillas, then top with 3 shrimp and drizzle with sour cream sauce. Serve tacos with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!!

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacos, Calories: 476kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 191mg, Sodium: 1028mg, Potassium: 731mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 578IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 191mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: fish tacos, mexican,, shrimp
like this recipe? Rate & Comment below!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa & Sour Cream Cilantro Sauce


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170 Comments

  1. Made this RECIPE but used baked won tons and layer The ingreDients. Was am little bires

  2. Who the hell charS tortillas? Bet those tacos taste horrible and bitter. Use some damn oil for god sake.

    1. Charring tortillas is healthier and gives them a nice smoky flavor and texture!

    2. Wow! This comment is incredibly rude, not to mention ignorant. The answer to your question is that many people “char” flour tortillas. It’s very traditional. They don’t get bitter, the edges just caramelize a bit and get slightly crisp. How do you rate a recipe you didn’t try as 1 Star?

    3. Wow James, How sad – you have never been in a real Mexican home!?! Tortillas are charred right on the gas burner, one at a time, and kept warm in foil. BTW, This is done by Hand! We tease all our Mexican friends about having asbestos fingers. I’m a wimpy gringa who uses tongs.

    4. JAMES: pERHAPS INSTEAD OF “BETTING” ON THE LIKELY TASTE, YOU COULD TRY THE RECIPE USING YOUR TORTILLA METHOD AND REPORT BACK. wE MAkE THIS RECIPE FREQUENTLY AND DON’T HAVE A GAS STOVE TO CHAR WITH. wE WARM THE FLOUR TORTILLAS INSTEAD. BUT i CAN SEE WHERE LIGHTLY FRYING WHITE CORN TORTILLAS IN OIL SO THEY’RE STILL PLIABLE BUT IT REMOVES THE RAW TASTE MIGHT WORK AS WELL.

      1. By the way, sorry for the all-caps but my “reply” box is only showing caps on this end.

  3. we made these last night for dinner and they are absolutely delicious, every single bite. Added chili lime seasoning to the sour cream sauce and pepper flake to the marinade to up the spiciness. We grilled shrimp and tortillas and it was a perfectly fresh tasting summertime dinner. keeper for sure. Thanks for sharing!

  4. Tacos are my favorite, and this certainly looks like a delicious and filling.

  5. I never comment on recipes. Never. These tacos are worth a million praises! So deliciOUS. I made the recipe with no changes, except I used corn tortillas because we didn’t have flour.

  6. These tacos are so flavorful. if you really want spice you can add a little cayenne pepper. other than that love this recipe is the best!!!

  7. These are to die for tacos. I used low carb tortillas for my diabetic husband and corn tortillas for me. Oh my they were heaven.

  8. I’m planning on making this tomorrow night. Could I go ahead and make the salsa and sauce tonight?

    1. Just saw this now. You can do that but I highly recommend making it fresh because the flavors (especially cilantro) change overnight.

  9. Are the nutrition facts including the tortilla shells? Looking for the Nutrition facts without the tortilla 🙂

    1. Yes, they include the shells. Without the shells, you would be looking at much lower carbs.

  10. Love these… I used creme friache with the sour cream, and added pickled red onion, it was excellent!

  11. Love this recipe! to the shrimp, i added cayenne pepper, ground red pepper, and paprika. when assembling, i added shredded cabbage.

  12. This was delicious! Packed with great flavors. I did add spicy coleslaw, this Just enhanced the flavors.

  13. Going to try this recipe. Thx for sharing. But How do you heat a tortulla over open flame to give it charred edges???????

    1. If your range is gas, you just place it directly on the flame (stove-top) for just a few seconds until it chars.

  14. i MADE these today They were delicious. I did add corn and black beans to the avocado salsa along with the zest from a whole lime . Made it special . I will be making these a lot . Love the sour cream sauce!!

    1. Corn and black beans sound like a great addition!

    2. Jerry,
      The corn and black bean addition sounds wonderful. These could also be made with gluten free homemade tortillas (many recipes are available online).

      1. i plan on making these as spicy shrimp taco boats using romaine lettuce leaves instead of corn or flour tortillas. even lower carb! maybe make with chicken älso.

  15. I made this recipe! It was very delicious!!

  16. First time making shrimp tacos and they were delicious. Will definitely will make them again.

  17. Wow!!! Just devoured these shrimp tacos. They are so good that they will be added to our weekly rotation!

  18. Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious but hadn’t made any sides so just barely enough for 2. Would love to hear some side recommendations

      1. Good call, Jimmy!! Yes, it’s about 2 tacos per serving but you can have as many as you want Karolyn 😀

  19. So fast and delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing.
    Thanks for this excellent recipe.

  20. I haven’t read through the comments but I did take this recipe to the grill. Seasoned the shrimp with the above mentioned seasonings and let it sit for about 4 hours. I then made another bowl with the exact seasoning measurements and added butter and olive oil. As the shrimp were grilled, I brushed this on periodically to keep that explosive flavor. The were really delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!

    1. Yum, basting the shrimp with more marinade sounds delicious! So happy to hear you enjoyed the tacos, Eric 🙂

  21. Wife followed the instructions but she used corn tortillas..fatal mistake!..If you put the vegetables at the bottom of the corn tortilla and the shrimps on top when you fold the taco to put it in your mouth, you will end up with some shrimps and salad in your hand…This is very messy…However, if you use a large tortilla, you may fold it like a burrito….Will never put the shrimps at the top.

    1. MY SHRIMP FREAKED AFTER COMING ALIVE IN THE SKILLET. after CHASING MY BASSET HOUND AROUNDTHEY ESCAPED OUT THE FRONT DOOR SHRIEKING WITH GLEE AND HEADING TOWARDTHE WATER.

  22. Those were the best shrimp tacos I’ve ever had! Thanks for sharing.