Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

Dinner comes together in a snap with these Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema. Easy shrimp tacos are topped with a flavorful crema for the ultimate taco recipe. There is no excuse to not have a homemade meal on the table when dinner is this easy!

If you love shrimp tacos, you also need to check out these Coconut Shrimp Tacos and these Crispy Shrimp Tacos.

Believe it or not, even though I’m a food blogger, and even though I love to cook, getting dinner on the table lately has been a huge struggle. Days get busy, and way too often, dinner time comes around and I’m either too tired, or too unmotivated, or I forgot to pick up an ingredient at the grocery store.

When I’m feeling unmotivated or crazy, that is when I heavily rely on fast meals. And this shrimp taco recipe is not only fast, but it’s packed with flavor, as well.

I was actually craving shrimp tacos one day, which is how this recipe was born. I knew that I could make something in my kitchen that was way better than anything I could pick up on my way home. These shrimp tacos have quickly become a quick dinnertime staple at our house!

Ingredients

• Lime Juice and Zest: You’ll need both zest and juice from a few limes for the marinade as well as the crema. I also like to have a few slices of lime to squeeze over the tacos when serving.
• Olive Oil: I love the flavor the olive oil brings, but you could sub in another more neutral flavored oil, if desired.
• Honey: This will give the shrimp just a little bit of sweetness.
• Chipotles in Adobo: You need chipotles in adobo for both the marinade and the crema. I like to remove the seeds from the peppers, as it can be pretty spicy if you leave them in.
• Garlic: Again, the garlic goes in the marinade and the sauce. I like to grate the garlic to make sure it is super fine for the crema.
• Salt and Pepper: It is always important to season well with salt and pepper.
• Shrimp: I like to use a larger shrimp. Mine was 21-25 per pound, and each taco fit 3 shrimp. Feel free to use smaller shrimp if that is what you have, though.
• Sour Cream: The sour cream is the base for the crema. I use full fat.
• Tortillas: I love these tacos with corn tortillas, but you could easily use flour tortillas instead.
• Toppings: You can get as creative as you want, but we eat these with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, cilantro, and queso fresco cheese.

How to Make Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

Step 1: The shrimp gets a quick marinade in lime juice, oil, honey, chipotle in adobo, garlic, and lime zest.

Step 2: While the shrimp is marinating, make the sauce by combining all of the ingredients

Step 3: Heat a large skillet. I like to use a nonstick skillet so that I don’t have to add any additional oil. Add the shrimp and cook until no long opaque and pink on both sides.

Step 4: Assemble the tacos, and serve!

Tips and Tricks

Do not over-marinate your shrimp. It really only needs about 20 minutes. Because of the lime juice, if you leave the shrimp to marinate too long, the shrimp will start to break down.

I like to blister or blacken the tortillas before using. You can do this in a clean, dry skillet, or if you have a gas stove, you can hold the tortilla over the flame.

You can also use flour tortillas instead of corn.

More Taco Recipes

Black Bean Tacos
Greek Tacos
Migas Tacos
Brisket Tacos
Baja Fish Tacos

Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 37 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Print Pin SaveSaved!

Dinner comes together in a snap with these Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema. Easy shrimp tacos are topped with a flavorful crema for the ultimate taco recipe.

1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Chipotle Lime Shrimp:

• ▢ 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup honey
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced chipotle in adobo*
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ Zest of 1 lime
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 pound shrimp deveined, peeled, and tails removed

For the Chipotle Lime Crema:

• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobo*
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ▢ Zest of 1 lime
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced

For the Tacos:

• ▢ 8 corn tortillas
• ▢ Shredded cabbage
• ▢ Sliced avocado
• ▢ Cilantro
• ▢ Queso fresco

Instructions

• In a large ziplock bag, combine the lime juice, olive oil, honey, chipotle in adobo, garlic and lime zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and marinate for about 20 minutes, squishing the bag every few minutes to make sure the shrimp are thoroughly covered in the marinade.
• While the shrimp is marinating, make the crema by combining the sour cream, chipotle in adobo, lime juice, lime zest, and garlic. Mix well.
• When the shrimp is finished marinating, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the shrimp and add it to the hot skillet. (You don’t want to overcrowd the skillet, so cook in 2 batches, if needed.)
• Cook until the shrimp are no longer opaque on the bottom side, about 3-4 minutes.  Flip the shrimp over and cook the second side for about a minute. Remove the shrimp to a plate.
• To assemble, top each of the tortillas with some of the shrimp, cabbage, avocado, cilantro, and queso fresco. Drizzle some of the cream on top of each taco and serve.

Recipe Notes:

*If you don’t like the flavor of raw garlic, substitute in 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.

*Remove the seeds from the chiles for less heat.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutritional information is figured with half of the marinade, as some of the marinade is discarded. The toppings (cabbage, avocado, cilantro, and queso fresco) have not been included.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tacos, Calories: 345kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 34g (11%), Protein: 19g (38%), Fat: 15g (23%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 168mg (56%), Sodium: 830mg (36%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 13g (14%)

Keywords: shrimp tacos, taco recipe