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Asian Shrimp Tacos

ByLindsey Jenkins Updated on
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Asian shrimp tacos are made with marinated fresh shrimp that’s cooked until tender and served on warm tortillas with a crunchy slaw. This recipe is dairy free and gluten free.

Looking for more taco recipes? Try my jerk shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa, adobo chicken tacos, or roasted cauliflower and chickpea tacos.  

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

  • Quick & Easy – These easy shrimp tacos require no complicated steps and only require 15 minutes of marinating.
  • Great weeknight meal – Serve these at your next taco night or any day of the week.
  • Simple steps – This easy recipe comes together in only a few steps.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these Asian tacos:

  • Olive oil – to cook the shrimp.
  • Marinade ingredients – low sodium soy sauce or tamari, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, coconut sugar, gochujang paste, toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger.
  • Raw shrimp – use fresh or frozen. If using frozen, thaw first.
  • Flour tortillas or corn tortillas – these are also delicious with plantain tortillas.
  • Korean slaw – for serving.

How to Make Asian Shrimp Tacos: Step By Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

1. Make the marinade. Whisk the marinade in a small bowl then toss the shrimp in. Let the shrimp marinate for at least 15 minutes.

2. Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, arrange the saucy shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.

Helpful Tips

  • Use a cast iron skillet instead of a nonstick skillet to cook the shrimp. This will help the marinade caramelize nicely on the outside of the shrimp.
  • Serve with taco fixings such as a creamy sauce like my 2 minute kimchi mayo or Japanese spicy mayo sauce and a crunchy cabbage slaw, or fruit salsa such as corn mango salsa
  • If using corn tortillas, warm them up in a skillet first to make them more pliable.

Quick Tip: If your shrimp are small, cook them for 1-2 minutes on each side, otherwise they’ll overcook and become tough.

Storage

Store tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assemble just before serving.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this Asian shrimp taco recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

  • No lime juice? – use rice vinegar (also called rice wine vinegar).
  • No coconut sugar? – brown sugar is great.
  • No fresh garlic? – sub garlic powder.
  • Add-ins – bell pepper, cabbage slaw, sesame seeds, fresh herbs such as fresh cilantro, or top with sliced green onion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could I use a different type of protein than shrimp?

Yes, you can also use chicken, beef, or fish such as cod or halibut, but the cooking times will vary depending on the type of protein used.

Is there any way to make this recipe even quicker?

You can use a storebought slaw and/or storebought spicy mayo. 

More Taco Recipes

I hope you love these Asian Shrimp Tacos! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating so I know how you liked it!

Asian Shrimp Tacos

5 from 1 vote
Asian shrimp tacos with korean slaw and fresh lime wedges on an oval plate.
Asian shrimp tacos are made with marinated fresh shrimp that's cooked until tender and served on warm tortillas with a crunchy slaw. This recipe is dairy free and gluten free.
Author: Lindsey Jenkins
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Marinating Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

Shrimp Marinade

  • 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger

Serve With Tacos

Instructions

  • Make the marinade. Whisk the marinade in a small bowl then toss the shrimp in. Let the shrimp marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  • Cook the shrimp. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, arrange the saucy shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
  • Assemble the tacos. To a warm tortilla, add a smear of sauce of choice (optional) followed by the shrimp, then top with slaw.

Notes

See the blog post for helpful tips, storage, and FAQs.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No lime juice? – use rice vinegar (also called rice wine vinegar).
No coconut sugar? – brown sugar is great.
No fresh garlic? – sub garlic powder.
Add-ins – bell pepper, cabbage slaw, sesame seeds, fresh herbs such as fresh cilantro, or top with sliced green onion.

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Oh man was this ever so good! And fast! And I always appreciate the substitutions. I didn’t have any limes so I used rice vinegar and it worked perfectly. These were delicious!!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review, Frannie! So glad you loved the Asian tacos!

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

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