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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!
Fantastic! As always Tieghan scores 5 stars. The combination of flavors is perfect. We loved them!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Sandra! xTieghan
The chipotle BBQ shrimp tacos were amazing. The mango salsa and cilantro lime slaw really pulled the dish together. Very easy to make and packed with wonderful flavors and textures!!
Thank you so much Karen!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Yum! I usually don’t rate recipes but had to take the time for this one!
Thank you so much Becky! xTieghan
These tacos were fabulous!!
Thank you so much Kristie! xTieghan
Another amazing recipe from HBH! We loved this one. The shrimp had the perfect smokiness. We cut the recipe in half because it’s just two of us but I wish we hadn’t! We could have probably eaten the full 6 servings lol!
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you Casey! xTieghan
Hi if you wanted to sub chicken for shrimp. Would you recommend baking it in the oven or cooking it in the skillet?? Thanks!!!
Hi Nicki,
I would recommend coating the chicken in the seasonings and olive oil, baking in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes, and then shredding for the tacos. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was very delicious! I like to meal prep so, I made each part separately over the weekend. Then, mixed the coleslaw, dressing and salsa together when I was ready to eat it during the week. I also cooked the shrimp right before I ate it so it was nice and warm. The flavor was even better after a couple of days ! I love your recipes! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much Kerry! That is really amazing to hear! xTieghan
so easy and so tasty!
Thank you Melissa! xTieghan
This looks so delicious and I am a huge fan of homemade slaw for my tacos. But….I hate cilantro! Anything I can replace it with?
Thanks!!
Hi Elyse! Parsley or basil should work great! I hope you love this! xTieghan
I have made a ton of your recipes during quarantine. This one is incredible! I loved everything about it the shrimp is someone spicy and delicious with the cool ranch sauce. So very good!
Thank you so much Michelle! That is seriously so great to hear! xTieghan
I made the ranch with plain coconut milk yogurt to be dairy free and oh my gosh this is one of my favorite recipes! Also used lettuce to make it lower calorie. So yummy!
That is so great to hear! Thank you so much Gillian! xTieghan
These have become a regular dinner in my home! They’re really easy and super flavorful. The mango salsa is fantastic, love these for an easy weeknight meal!
Thank you so much Sophie! I am really glad you have been enjoying these tacos! xTieghan
Amazing! These are going on our “keeper” list to make again soon for sure!
Thank you so much Laura! xTieghan
It looks like you have a herb in your salsa, is that also some cilantro?
Hi Jess,
Yes I added cilantro to the salsa! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan,
What a fabulous recipe I loved it so amazing!! All the components are out of this world. I am a lot like you I’ve never been a big fan of coleslaw until I used this dressing. It’s a game changer that is for sure perfection!! Honestly, I can’t get enough shrimp so please keep those recipes coming. Do you ever shop at Trader Joe’s?? If you do I strongly recommend you try their Argentinian Red Shrimp peeled and deveined shrimp. It’s the best shrimp I’ve ever had the opportunity to try. What is the trick to getting your tortillas to fold over like that for your picture?? Are you using flour or corn tortillas or some of both?? I put my tortillas in the over to crisp up. If I’m not extremely careful they will break on me very easily. Thank you for the inspiring recipes everyday you are my favorite!!
Hi Mike! I am so glad you like this one!! It really is a game changer haha! And I wish I could shop at Trader Joe’s more often, but the closest one is about 1.5 hours away…bummer! But thank you for the suggestion! Also, I used corn tortillas for this recipe. They are all next to each other in the photo, so it keeps the tortillas up.. if that makes sense! xTieghan