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Weeknight style Chipotle BBQ Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Ranch Slaw…and mango avocado salsa too. Because loaded shrimp tacos are just better. Quick cooking shrimp seasoned with a smoky chipotle chili spice mix. Then pan-seared and stuffed into charred tortillas for the quickest cooking weeknight seafood taco. Serve each taco with a creamy, cooling cilantro lime ranch slaw and mango salsa. These come together in minutes and are so delicious…the perfect weeknight dinner. Bonus, the chipotle shrimp makes for a great leftover Mexican inspired salad.
Say hello to the quickest cooking weeknight taco that’s also incredibly delicious. These might sound a bit odd, with that creamy ranch slaw and mango salsa, but trust me, these tacos are the best. They’re smoky, spicy, creamy, and balanced with a touch of sweetness. All the flavors I love most.
With the days becoming nicer and nicer (excluding the full day of snow we had this past Sunday), I’m left wanting to create simpler recipes that cook up fast. Yesterday I shared a quick pizza topped with garden produce. Today we’re switching up flavors, and going with a Mexican inspired recipe.
The details on these chipotle BBQ shrimp tacos.
As I said, these tacos come together fast, but the ingredient list looks long. Please don’t let that scare you off. Most of the ingredients are spices and or ingredients that end up repeating themselves throughout the recipe.
Since the shrimp cooks so quickly, you should prepare the slaw first. I’m not going to lie, up until this year I was never someone who cared much for slaw. I always found it to be bland, boring, soggy, and honestly just flavorless. I never understood why people would happily enjoy slaw. Then I made my own slaw with crunchy cabbage and a homemade sauce that actually has flavor.
And when I say homemade sauce, I mean cilantro lime ranch, which I am in love with. It’s creamy, made with plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), has plenty of fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of both onion and garlic powder. You could certainly add chopped fresh chives too. That would be great! This ranch sauce is the creamy, cooling factor to these tacos. You need it, so don’t skip.
Once you have the ranch mixed up, toss it together with the slaw ingredients. And done. That’s your sauce and slaw all in one.
Now, cook that shrimp.
The thing I love most about shrimp is just how quick and easy it is to cook. Toss it with spices or a sauce, then pan cook…or even toss it on the grill. Deliciously cooked shrimp, ready to eat in ten to fifteen minutes flat.
The other thing I love? You can keep frozen shrimp in the freezer and have it thawed in a matter of minutes. So you see? Shrimp is the perfect seafood to always have on hand for quick meals.
And aside from how easy it is, it’s almost always delicious. This chipotle “BBQ” style spice rub is one of my favorite seasoning blends to toss with shrimp. It’s a simple mix of chipotle chili powder, smoky paprika, a touch of garlic powder, and salt. All spices I hope you have in your spice cabinet. Just toss the shrimp with the seasoning blend and pan sear until crispy and charring on the edges.
Simple.
And lastly…that salsa!
Yes, the salsa might seem like an unimportant extra step, but I do think you need it. It’s just too good to not include. It adds a really fresh finish and a sweet bite to each taco.
If you don’t love mango, try using pineapple. Both are great additions.
And guys…that’s all I have for you today! A quick post for a quick dinner!
To sum this up real fast…in just about 30 minutes you’ll have loaded chipotle shrimp tacos, with creamy ranch slaw, and really delicious mango salsa.
All these shrimp tacos need are a Watermelon Rosè Paloma.
Looking for other quick shrimp recipes? Here are some favorites…
15 Minute Cajun Hot Honey Butter Shrimp
Cajun Pepper Shrimp with Creamed Corn Orzo
20 Minute Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp
Lastly, if you make these chipotle BBQ shrimp tacos with creamy ranch slaw be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chipotle BBQ Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Ranch Slaw.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 369 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Cilantro LIme Ranch + Slaw
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- juice from 2 limes (about 3-4 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Chipotle Shrimp
- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2-3 teaspoons chipotle chili powder use to your taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- warmed corn or flour tortillas, for serving
Mango Avocado Salsa
- 1 mango, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 jalapeńo, seeded and chopped
- juice and zest from 1 lime
Instructions
- 1. Make the ranch. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or stir until creamy. 2. To make the slaw, add the cabbage to a bowl with a few spoonfuls of the ranch and toss to combine. Add the cilantro and chives, and season with salt.3. To cook the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry, then toss with the chipotle chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt.4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly charring, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat.5. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. 6. Stuff the slaw into the warmed tortillas. Top with shrimp, salsa, and additional ranch. Enjoy!Â
So so good. I ended up adding ranch powder to the sauce to give it more flavor. I’m all about sauce options so I also made a chipotle cream sauce to go on top of the tacos. Did without the mango salsa and went with pico instead. Made a black bean corn salad and rice for sides and it was a hit. We will definitely make this again.
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Caitlin! xTieghan
Update: Turns out i didn’t have any chipotle chili powder, so i substituted one diced up chipotle pepper and added a couple heaping teaspoons the adobo sauce…. definitely amped the heat up but really delightful. Awesome recipe. Homerun! Has 100% made it into home rotation! Thanks again!
Thank you so much Lauren! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So quick to make, and delicious!!
Love that! Thank you Bethany! xTieghan
Would you advise against throwing any diced chipotle in adobo sauce with the shrimp? Or just the adobo sauce?
Hi Lauren,
You could absolutely do that! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious!!! Cut back on the chili powder a little and omitted the jalepeno because I have a 4 year old but she liked them too! So yummy!
Aw that is so great!! Thank you for trying this Lindsey! xTieghan
So flavorful, light yet filling, and fun to make! Although super spicy (and I love spice) so maybe I did something wrong? Will try and make it again, but cut down on the chipotle.
Hi Liz,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! For less spice next time I would reduce the amount of chipotle chili powder. xTieghan
Another winner! Made these for dinner last night and my bf and I enjoyed them so much we are having them again tonight. 🙂 The combination of flavors is amazing!
Thank you so much Rachel! That is really great to hear! xTieghan
I made this with 1 lb of shrimp and it was about 8 tacos (3-4 shrimps per taco). It was my first time making a slaw or a mango salsa, and everything was soooo easy. The combination of flavors was so spot on! This meal turned out better than I could have ever hoped for! My boyfriend wouldn’t normally ever order a shrimp taco at a restaurant, but he could NOT stop eating these!!! He wants to make these every week now!
I’ve been following your Instagram for a very long time and make your recipes frequently. Every recipe has been delicious but this is the first time I’ve felt the need to leave a comment because this shrimp taco one just blew me away!! Thank you so much for this easy and delicious recipe, Tieghan!! Please don’t stop creating amazing recipes!!
Wow that is so amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this Shannon! xTieghan
I made this recipe last night and it was so easy and delicious! Light and refreshing meal for the warm weather
Thank you so much Christa! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was superb! Every individual part of it was so tasty, and even more delicious when all together. Only had red cabbage, but that made for a colorful presentation. This is a keeper!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Molly! xTieghan
Made last night! Absolutely perfect for a warm evening! So refreshing! Thanks!
Thank you so much Lisa! xTieghan
A medley of beautiful flavours! And a super easy prep
Thank you Sabina! xTieghan
I made these shrimp tacos tonight with our local shrimp and it was delicious! Thanks for the fabulous recipe.
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Julia! xTieghan
So tasty! Loved the spicy shrimp 🙂 Found an elote corn salad to serve as a side dish. Thank you!
Thank you so much Amy! xTieghan
I made this on the weekend and it was incredibly delicious! I have just discovered your site and have made two recipes this past week from it. I am once again inspired to cook! thank you so much. And thank you for your words today. Much respect.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Lori! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan