Easy Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw (4 Cooking Methods)

Modified: May 22, 2025 · Published: Jul 25, 2022 by Angela Lietzke · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

These shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw are perfectly seasoned with bold taco spices and drizzled with a creamy jalapeno sauce. They come together in 20 minutes, which makes them a weeknight dinner win in my book!

Whether you're cooking shrimp in a skillet on the stovetop, in the oven, on the grill, or in the air fryer, this taco recipe gives you all the options.

Three shrimp tacos with slaw on a cutting board with an avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges.

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With just a handful of simple ingredients and multiple cooking methods to choose from, I'll show you how to make the best shrimp tacos with no breading needed.

These come together just as easily as my beer battered shrimp tacos, BBQ brisket tacos, and crockpot chicken tacos, and they're just as big a hit. And don't skip the extras! These pair so well with a few of my go-to shrimp taco sides to make it a complete meal.

Notes on Ingredients

Shrimp and cabbage in a bowl, a jalapeno, tortillas, halved avocado, and cilantro are on a wooden cutting board.

Shrimp: I always have frozen shrimp in the freezer ready to thaw, but you can use fresh shrimp as well. Thaw frozen shrimp quickly by running cold water over them for a few minutes in a colander in the sink.

Cabbage: I like using freshly shredded red or green cabbage for that crisp bite, but when I'm short on time, a bag of premade coleslaw mix gets the job done.

Jalapeno cream sauce: The ribs and seeds are spiciest parts of a jalapeno. For a spicy shrimp taco, leave the ribs and seeds in the jalapeno when making the sauce, or you may want to remove them for a milder flavor.

Shrimp taco toppings: Load these tacos up however you like! Some of my favorites include skillet charred corn, sliced avocado, crumbled cotija cheese, black beans, pickled red onions, sautéed peppers, or a drizzle of jalapeno chimichurri to top it off. I make mango pico de gallo when I want to add a tropical twist.

I love doing a taco night with drinks-a pitcher of frozen limeade margaritas or a bright, refreshing Aperol margarita keeps things fun and low-effort.

4 Cooking Methods

I want this shrimp taco recipe to work for everyone, no matter what kind of kitchen setup you have-so I tested the recipe four different ways: stovetop, oven, air fryer, and grill.

No matter how you cook the shrimp, these tacos will be fresh, flavorful, and super easy. You'll find details for each method in the recipe card so you can choose what works best for you.

Cooking Method	Why I Love It	Best For
Stovetop	Fast, no preheat needed, gets a quick sear	Weeknight dinners
Air Fryer	Crispy edges, low oil, easy cleanup	Small batches and minimal mess
Oven	Hands-off, consistent results, fits lots of shrimp	Feeding a crowd or batch cooking
Grill	Smoky, charred flavor, tender texture	Summer meals and outdoor cooking

Step by Step Instructions

Sour cream, cilantro, a chopped jalapeno, two garlic cloves, lime juice, olive oil, and salt are in a small food processor.

Make the jalapeno cream sauce in a small food processor.

Add desired amount of sauce to the shredded cabbage to make the creamy and crunchy cabbage slaw. Set aside to let the flavors meld.

Glass bowl containing raw shrimp seasoned with taco seasoning.

Pat dry the shrimp with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This helps the seasoning stick better and promotes crispiness.

Toss shrimp with olive oil and homemade taco seasoning and cook with your preferred method.

Three shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw, sliced avocado, cilantro, and creamy jalapeno sauce are on a cutting board.

To assemble tacos, start with warm a tortilla and add shrimp. Top with spicy cabbage slaw, pico de gallo, avocado slices, and any other additional toppings. Drizzle with more of the shrimp taco sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired.