Baja Shrimp Tacos

  • By KJ

Baja Shrimp Tacos are a fun twist on the classic taco! Spicy shrimp are piled onto a crispy corn tortilla and topped with crunchy cabbage, creamy sauce, and bright cilantro. Each taco is packed with summer flavors and loaded with lean protein.

The shrimp are grilled, giving them added flavor. This healthy meal is easy enough for a weeknight, but delicious enough for a crowd. Give the classic taco bar a makeover, complete with tasty toppings, the best guacamole, and strawberry smash peach margaritas.

Baja shrimp tacos with toppings ready to eat.

Baja Shrimp Tacos are a fun twist on the classic taco! Spicy shrimp are piled onto a crispy corn tortilla and topped with crunchy cabbage, creamy sauce, and bright cilantro. Each taco is packed with summer flavors and loaded with lean protein.

The shrimp are grilled, giving them added flavor. This healthy meal is easy enough for a weeknight, but delicious enough for a crowd. Give the classic taco bar a makeover, complete with tasty toppings, the best guacamole, and strawberry smash peach margaritas.

Baja shrimp tacos with toppings ready to eat.

Why KJ Loves Baja Shrimp Tacos

The obsession with Baja Shrimp Tacos started earlier this year at a local taco spot, and I knew I needed to re-create my own version! I love how easy but yet SO flavorful these tacos are. Plus, shrimp cook up pretty darn quick, so you can have dinner on the table in no time! The perfect option for a fun taco night, healthy dinner option, or for a little fiesta!

A close-up photo of the grilled shrimp inside the Baja Shrimp Tacos.

What’s in Baja Shrimp Tacos?

Shrimp

Try to find wild-caught shrimp if you can. Our local Target had some bags of wild-caught shrimp in their freezer section for under $10! 

Frozen shrimp is perfectly ok to use. I live in the Midwest, so this is usually my best option! You’ll want to defrost the shrimp before you begin the recipe. 

You can also use fresh shrimp. I recommend buying it peeled and deveined—it will save you a lot of time. Otherwise, you will have to do it on your own with a small paring knife. 

Don’t buy pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe. Even if it’s frozen, you still want to buy raw. 

Baja Shrimp Tacos Seasoning blend

This flavor lineup includes garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 

If you want to simplify things, you can buy Jamaican Jerk seasoning at the store. The flavors will be slightly different, but still *chef’s kiss.*

Olive oil

This gives the shrimp a little extra fat while they are cooking, since they are so lean. The oil also keeps the shrimp from sticking to the grill.

Tortillas

You’ll want to go with yellow or white corn tortillas. White corn is my favorite! Toast or char them over a burner or on the grill for a little added crispiness.

Cabbage

These tacos are topped with finely shredded green or red cabbage for vibrant colors and a nice crunch. Or just use a coleslaw mix!

Cilantro

A Baja shrimp taco would not be complete without cilantro, the perfect herb to brighten the flavor. 

If you’re in the “cilantro-tastes-like-soap” camp, you can go with diced green onions instead. 

Baja Shrimp Taco Sauce

A spicy, rich sauce with mayo as its base. Drizzle this creamy topping over your Baja shrimp tacos to kick the flavor up a notch.

A bowl of raw shrimp prior to being seasoned.
Baja seasoned shrimp before being grilled.

Cooking the Baja Style Shrimp

Grill

Grilling the Baja shrimp adds flavor and a tasty char to this dish. 

But you’ll have to modify your approach based on the size of the shrimp. If the shrimp are large and don’t fall through the grates, they can go directly on the grill. Otherwise, you may need to push the shrimp onto metal skewers or use a grilling basket. No shrimp left behind. 

Sauté 

Add all the ingredients into a sauté pan and cook over medium heat until the Baja shrimp are cooked through. 

When are the shrimp done? 

Shrimp turn pink when they are cooked. It’s that easy. Once the shrimp turn pink and start to curl up, they are done! 

Over-cooking shrimp makes them tough—not what we’re looking for.

Official sources say shrimp should be cooked to 120 degrees.

Grilled Baja shrimp on metal skewers.
Baja shrimp taco sauce in a bowl.
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A close-up photo of the grilled shrimp inside the Baja Shrimp Tacos.

Baja Shrimp Tacos


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  • Author: KJ & Company - Kate Poskochil
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x

Description

Baja Shrimp Tacos are a fun twist on the classic taco! Spicy shrimp are piled onto a crispy corn tortilla and topped with crunchy cabbage, creamy sauce, and bright cilantro. Each taco is packed with summer flavors and loaded with lean protein.

The shrimp are grilled, giving them added flavor. This healthy meal is easy enough for a weeknight, but delicious enough for a crowd. Give the classic taco bar a makeover, complete with tasty toppings, the best guacamole, and strawberry smash peach margaritas.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Baja shrimp:

  • 16 oz large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Baja sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

For the Baja shrimp:

  1. Preheat your grill to high heat (about 450-500 degrees) and clean the grates.
  2. Add the shrimp to a medium-sized bowl. Evenly coat with the olive oil. Season with the garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and gently toss to evenly combine and coat.
  3. If your shrimp are large enough to not fall through the grates of the grill, place them directly onto the grill. Or use metal skewers or a grill basket to help you grill your shrimp.
  4. Grill the shrimp for 3-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. The shrimp will turn pink and should be perfectly grilled.

For the Baja sauce:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, chili powder and paprika and stir to combine.

For serving:

  1. Immediately serve the grilled Baja shrimp with white or yellow corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, cilantro and the Baja sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Large or colossal shrimp can be used. Pre-cooked shrimp is not recommended.
  • If sautéing, pour the olive oil into the bottom of a large skillet instead of coating the shrimp with it. Cook the seasoned shrimp over medium-high heat until cooked through.
  • Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 196
  • Sugar: 1g
  • Sodium: 441mg
  • Fat: 12.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.9g
  • Fiber: 0.4g
  • Protein: 17.7g
  • Cholesterol: 138mg

Keywords: Baja Shrimp Tacos

Baja shrimp tacos.

Share the love!

If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures 🙂

Thanks for following and cooking along with me!

 

Affiliate Links

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that KJ & Company would receive a small commission if anything is purchased. Thank you for supporting KJ & Company in all the ways that you do!

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