Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

A fast main-course taco dinner built around shrimp cooked with lime, garlic, and cilantro, then tucked into warm corn tortillas with a crisp cabbage slaw and avocado. The recipe keeps the components simple so the shrimp remains the centerpiece and the full meal fits the thirty-minute series limit.

By Julienne

Cook time: 12 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 300 g green cabbage thinly sliced
• 60 g red onion thinly sliced
• 120 g sour cream for slaw dressing
• 1 each lime 1 zested and juiced, 2 cut into wedges
• 15 ml olive oil divided
• 1 g chili powder divided
• 1 g ground cumin divided
• 2 g kosher salt divided
• 0.5 g black pepper divided
• 15 ml water for loosening the slaw dressing if needed
• 680 g raw shrimp, peeled and deveined pat dry
• 3 each garlic cloves minced
• 7 ml olive oil divided
• 3 g chili powder divided
• 1 g ground cumin divided
• 5 g kosher salt divided
• 0.5 g black pepper divided
• 1 each lime 1 zested and juiced, 2 cut into wedges
• 20 g fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems chopped
• 1 each lime 1 zested and juiced, 2 cut into wedges
• 12 each corn tortillas warmed
• 2 each avocado sliced

Instructions

1. Make the slaw in a medium bowl: combine the cabbage, red onion, sour cream, 10 ml lime juice, 15 ml olive oil, 1 g chili powder, 1 g cumin, 2 g salt, and 0.5 g black pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Add up to 15 ml water only if the dressing seems too thick to coat the cabbage lightly. The slaw looks lightly creamy and evenly seasoned, with no dry cabbage pockets.
2. Season the shrimp with the remaining 3 g chili powder, 1 g cumin, 5 g salt, 0.5 g black pepper, the garlic, and the lime zest. Toss with the remaining 7 ml olive oil. The shrimp are evenly coated and smell aromatic from garlic and lime zest.
3. Heat the large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until opaque and just curled. Remove to a plate, then cook the remaining shrimp in a second batch the same way. Return all shrimp to the pan, squeeze over the remaining lime juice, and stir in the cilantro. The shrimp are opaque, pink, and just firm; the pan has a glossy lime-cilantro coating.
4. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a low flame, working in batches if needed. The tortillas are hot, pliable, and lightly toasted at the edges.
5. Assemble the tacos with shrimp, slaw, and avocado slices. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. Each tortilla holds shrimp, crisp slaw, and avocado, and the tacos are ready to eat while warm.