Grilled Shrimp Tacos are the perfect quick and easy dinner for busy weeknights. Juicy seasoned shrimp cook in just minutes on the grill and are piled into warm tortillas with creamy avocado salsa for a fresh, family-tested meal everyone loves.
This affordable seafood dinner is ready in less than 15 minutes, making it perfect for taco night, summer cookouts, or an easy last-minute meal.
If you love shrimp as much as my family does, make these Grilled Shrimp Tacos. They are light, healthy and taste amazing topped with this easy Avocado Salsa. You can easily have this dinner done in less than 15 minutes.
This is a family favorite seafood recipe. Check out these other shrimp taco recipes – Blackened Shrimp Tacos, The Best Shrimp Tacos Recipe, and 5 minute Baja Shrimp Tacos Recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This recipe has become one of our go-to seafood dinners because it uses simple ingredients and cooks so quickly. Pair it with rice or chips and salsa for an easy meal that works great for weeknights or casual summer dinners.
- Ready in under 15 minutes
- Easy to customize with toppings
- Great way to use frozen shrimp
- Perfect for summer grilling
- Budget-friendly seafood dinner
- Family-tested and picky eater approved
Ingredients
- Shrimp – Large or jumbo shrimp works best because it is easier to grill and less likely to overcook. Fresh or frozen shrimp both work, just make sure frozen shrimp is completely thawed first.
- Olive Oil – Helps the seasoning stick to the shrimp and keeps it from drying out on the grill.
- Seasoning – The simple spices add smoky, savory flavor. You can also use taco seasoning or blackened seasoning for a different flavor.
- Avocado Salsa – Adds creamy, fresh flavor to the tacos. Make it right before serving so the avocado stays bright and fresh.
- Flour Tortillas – Flour tortillas are soft and easy to fold, but corn tortillas work great too for a more traditional taco.
- Red Cabbage – Adds crunch and helps balance the tender shrimp. Bagged coleslaw mix is a great shortcut.
- Cojita Cheese or Feta – Cotija, queso fresco, or shredded Mexican cheese all work well. You can also leave it off to keep the tacos lighter.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Step 1 – Marinade Shrimp – In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Allow the shrimp to marinade while the grill is preheating.
Step 2 – Prepare Grill – Preheat the grill over medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees F).
Step 3 – Thread Shrimp on Skewers – Place the shrimp on the wooden skewers. Then place shrimp on grill grates and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until the shrimp is cooked through.
Step 4 – Make Avocado Ingredients – In a separate bowl, combine all the avocado salsa ingredients.
Step 5 – Warm the Tortillas – Then it’s time to assemble the tacos. Warm the tortillas. You can heat them in the microwave or place them on the grill for a few seconds to heat them through.
Step 6 – Make the Tacos – Place cabbage on the bottom of each tortilla. Top it with the shrimp, avocado salad and cheese.
Step 7 – Serve and enjoy – Serve warm with lime zest or lime juice and then enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Cooking Shrimp – I love grilling the shrimp directly on the grill gates. However, if your shrimp is smaller and you’re concerned that it will fall through the grate, you can cook the shrimp on a cast iron skillet, grill pan or grill basket on the grill.
- Overcooking Shrimp – It does not take long for shrimp to cook. Be careful that you do not cook it too long or it will be tough.
- Place the shrimp in a single layer on the grill. This will ensure even cooking and that each shrimp has those gorgeous grill marks.
- Serving Immediately – We recommend serving the shrimp as soon as your pull it off the grill. It is best served warm.
Variation Ideas
- Shrimp – This recipe can be made with raw or pre-cooked shrimp. If you use pre-cook shrimp, cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side to heat them through.
- Change the Seasoning – You can easily seasoning the shrimp with a packet of taco seasoning or make Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe or try this Homemade Blackened Seasoning Recipe. We even have added cayenne pepper for an extra hint of spice and flavor. Try this Grilled Shrimp Marinade for another delicious variation.
- Tortillas – We used flour tortillas in this recipe, but you can easily use corn tortillas.
- Skewers – We used wooden skewers but you can use metal or bamboo skewers.
Shrimp Taco Toppings
When making these shrimp tacos I love to top them with many different toppings. The avocado salsa is delicious but these are some of our other favorites. I like to put small bowls of topping option when we are hosting a party.
- Sour Cream
- Diced Avocado
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Fresh Cilantro
- Pineapple Salsa
- Mango Salsa
- Slaw
- Cotija Cheese
Frequently Asked Questions
Heating up the tortillas on the grill is so easy to do. We love the the way the tortillas get crispy edges and it heats up perfectly. Simply place the tortillas on the grill for about 1 minute or less and then flip. Place the warm tortilla on a platter and immediately began filling the tortillas with your shrimp and toppings.
You can also heat the tortillas up in the microwave or on your gas stovetop.
The perfect shrimp to grill is the large, jumbo or colossal size shrimp. In this recipe we bought the precooked shrimp that is already peeled and deveined. But you can grill shrimp with the peel on.
I like to keep things easy, so I look for the shrimp that is already peeled and cooked.
This recipe can be made with raw or pre-cooked shrimp. The seasoning can be used for both and makes a delicious meal.
These tacos are best served fresh but you can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Since the shrimp we made this recipe with is already cooked, it didn’t take long to heat them up. You want to make sure to stand close by as it only takes about 2 minutes on each side to heat the shrimp.
Overcooked shrimp can become chewy and not flavorful. So grilling them on a hot grill should only take a few minutes.
More Taco Recipes
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make this Grilled Shrimp Tacos Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1 lb Shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Lime juiced
For the Avocado Salsa:
- 1 Ripe Avocado diced
- ¼ Red Onion diced
- ½ Jalapeño deseeded and diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro finely chopped
- ½ Lime juiced
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Garlic Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
For the Tacos:
- Wooden Skewers
- 12 Flour Tortillas 6 inch
- Red Cabbage chopped
- 1 cup Crumbled Cojita Cheese or Feta
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and the juice from 1 lime.
- Preheat the grill over medium high heat (approximately 400 degrees F).
- Place the shrimp on the wooden skewers and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until the shrimp is cooked through.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 diced ripe avocado, ¼ diced red onion, ½ deseeded and diced jalapeño, ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, the juice from ½ lime, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Then it’s time to assemble the tacos. Warm the tortillas. You can heat them in the microwave or place them on the grill for a few seconds to heat them through.
- Place cabbage on the bottom of each tortilla. Top it with the shrimp, avocado salad and cheese.
- Serve warm and then enjoy!
Hello Carrie, my name is Elaine and I ran across your recipe post in my email. ALL your recipes look absolutely amazing! The shrimp tacos look delicious! I can’t wait to try some of them! Thanks so much for sharing.?
Sincerely,
Elaine
I hope you enjoy the recipe Elaine. Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you try some of the recipes!