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blackened shrimp tacos
Emily Hart

Best Blackened Shrimp Tacos – The Most Flavorful 20-Minute Dinner

Quick, bold, and irresistibly easy—these blackened shrimp tacos are the ultimate weeknight fix. Packed with smoky flavor, topped with creamy sauce, and ready in just 20 minutes!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 tacos (Serves 4)Dinner, Main Course
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican-American, Seafood
Calories: 310

Ingredients
  

For the Shrimp:
  • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
For the Tacos:
  • 8 small corn or flour tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija
  • Lime wedges for serving
For the Garlic-Lime Crema:
  • ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, mix all blackening spices together.
  2. Pat shrimp dry and toss with lime juice, olive oil, and spice mix.
  3. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil.
  4. Cook shrimp in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, until blackened and opaque.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together all crema ingredients.
  6. Lightly char or warm tortillas.
  7. Assemble tacos with shrimp, cabbage, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and cheese.
  8. Drizzle with garlic-lime crema and serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacoCalories: 310kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 20gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 480mgFiber: 3.5gSugar: 2g

Notes

Make it dairy-free by using dairy-free yogurt in the crema.
Reduce cayenne for a milder version.
Use frozen shrimp, fully thawed and dried, if fresh isn’t available.

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