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A flavorful, delicious dinner is only 15 minutes or less away with my Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos recipe! Perfectly air fried and seasoned shrimp and creamy cabbage slaw come together for the perfect combination of flavor and texture.
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Shrimp Tacos with Slaw
Without a doubt, shrimp is a top favorite of mine. I'm fortunate enough to live in Florida where getting fresh shrimp is as easy as taking a walk to the docks, and making easy shrimp recipes is practically a lifestyle at this point! My family has been going crazy over coconut shrimp lately, but this week I wanted to return to the classics: super easy air fryer shrimp tacos with creamy slaw.
It all starts, of course, with my 5 minute air fryer shrimp! This tried and true recipe has cooked up absolutely perfect shrimp for me day after day. I've tested this recipe with everything from frozen shrimp to all sorts of temperatures and I've settled on the perfect air fried shrimp. Then I topped the tacos with my crunchy, creamy coleslaw. (No dry slaw here, I like it creamy and luscious!)
This recipe is tuned to make it as easy as possible to make delicious, perfectly cooked shrimp whether you've got raw shrimp or frozen shrimp, plus all sorts of ideas for toppings with the best flavors to combine. Get creative- food is supposed to be fun!
Tools to Make Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
- An air fryer! I've included a link to my air fryer below, but any will work great.
- A mixing bowl for mixing up slaw.
- A sharp knife for chopping cabbage.
Yes, that's it! This is a super simple dinner recipe that has almost zero clean-up, making it perfect for weeknights!
Isabel's Air Fryer
It's amazing what you can cook with an air fryer! I love mine and highly recommend it. It even has a steaming function to re-hydrate stale bread!
photo courtesy of Our Place
Ingredients in Shrimp Tacos with Slaw
- Shrimp: Fresh or frozen shrimp will both work great. I like to use medium or large shrimp, as jumbo shrimp can be too big for the tacos.
- Olive oil: Shrimp aren't very fatty, so adding oil helps keep them crisp in the air fryer instead of drying out.
- Chili powder: Add a little cayenne pepper as well if you want some heat.
- Garlic powder: The mild, mellow flavor of garlic powder does well here as opposed to sharp fresh garlic.
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tortillas: You can use corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Small tortillas will work best for tacos! Either way, make sure to warm them first so they're flexible and soft. Using corn tortillas makes this taco recipe gluten-free.
- Limes: Fresh lime juice makes for an incredible splash of flavor. You can also use lemon juice.
Slaw for Shrimp Tacos Ingredients
- Shredded cabbage: You can shred your own cabbage, or use a coleslaw mix. If you're using a mix, you won't need to add extra carrots.
- Mayonnaise: I recommend a quality egg mayonnaise as the texture is truly incomparable. For a dairy-free option, use vegan mayonnaise.
- Apple cider vinegar: White vinegar will also be great.
- Sugar: White sugar adds a nice sweetness to balance the vinegar. Adjust to your tastes, as everyone is different.
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Carrots (Optional): Add only if you aren't using a coleslaw mix! I recommend shredding them with a cheese grater.
Optional Toppings
- Fresh cilantro
- Guacamole
- Mango salsa
- Cotija cheese
- Avocado crema
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Pickled red onions
Hi, I'm Isabel! I've been sharing my recipes online, in cookbooks, and in TV specials since 2012. The most important thing to me is Sunday supper with my family, and inspiring togetherness with my recipes!
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Shrimp and Slaw Tacos Detailed Instructions
Step 1: Season the shrimp. Place the thawed (or frozen) shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle the seasonings over top, then pour in the olive oil. Give it a good stir to coat all of the shrimp. If you're using frozen shrimp, I recommend skipping on this step until you've cooked the shrimp just enough for the outside to thaw, so the oil doesn't freeze on.
While seasoning the shrimp, preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
Step 2: Spread in air fryer. Spread out the shrimp in your air fryer basket or trays so they're evenly spaced and not overlapping. Cook in batches if you have too many shrimp!
Step 3: Air fry! Air fry at 400°F for 5-8 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque and starting to turn just a bit crispy. As they're cooking, move on to step 4.
Step 4: Heat the tortillas. Wrap your tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the oven set to 325°F. You just want to get them warm, so they can rest there until you're ready to serve dinner.
Step 5: Assemble coleslaw. Combine the coleslaw mix and ingredients into a large mixing bowl. If you're making your own shredded cabbage and carrots, shred them using a box shredder- it's so much faster and easier and results in thinner, juicier shreds.
Step 6: Toss and taste. Toss the coleslaw to combine it with the coleslaw dressing, then store in the fridge until ready to serve. Give it a taste to adjust the seasonings as you desire- I often like more sugar.
Step 7: Assemble and serve! Take your tortillas out of the oven, top them with slaw and shrimp, squeeze on lime juice, add any desired optional toppings, and enjoy!
Stovetop Shrimp Tacos
You can also make shrimp for shrimp tacos on the stove. Coat the shrimp with the dry seasonings, then heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, pan-fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until opaque pink and cooked through.
Expert Tips
- For smaller shrimp, you'll need to cook the shrimp for less time. Similarly, larger shrimp will take longer.
- Cooking out? Try this recipe with grilled shrimp for a BBQ shrimp taco you'll never forget!
- Make the coleslaw a day ahead and let it rest in the fridge for best results.
- Change up the flavors by adding lime and cilantro to the coleslaw for a refreshing, flavorful cilantro lime slaw!
- Shrimp are best served warm, so I recommend serving them right away.
- You can change up the seasonings any way you'd like! I sometimes serve these with homemade taco seasonings on the shrimp.
- Check out my guide on how to peel shrimp if you're using fresh, whole shrimp!
FAQ
Yes! Season the shrimp, then preheat the air fryer. Air fry them very briefly - only for about 1 minute, until they're heated. Alternatively, you can toss the shrimp in a good sauce in a skillet until heated.
Yes, but similarly to using precooked shrimp, you'll want to be careful with how long they're heated. Heat them only until warmed through, or else they can get tough.
Yes! To prevent small shrimp (such as salad shrimp) from falling through the grates, place them on a piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides to make a small dish.
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