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Easy Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Slaw {20 minutes}

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These Easy Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Slaw are healthy, delicious and on the table in about 20 minutes!  The shrimp are tossed in a spice mixture and when combined with the crunchy, sweet flavours of slaw, it’s one belly satisfying bite!

A close up shot of a shrimp taco garnished with slaw, avocado, cilantro and sriracha.

Shrimp Tacos Recipe with Pineapple Slaw

Don’t you just love tacos?  In recent years, I’ve become a bit obsessed with them.  I think it’s because they are so easy to whip up, the possibilities are endless and they are just so dang tasty! What I particularly love about this shrimp tacos recipe is that it comes together in about 20 minutes. Yes, 20 minutes, people.

If you know me, you know how much I love contrasting flavours, like sweet/savoury or sweet/salty.  One of my favourite chocolate bars has flecks of sea salt in it. That with some vino?  It’s the best Friday night treat!  So, it’s no surprise that I enjoy a pineapple coleslaw with these spiced shrimp.  I can’t take credit for the slaw, though. That’s all on my father.  He was telling me about this pineapple slaw that he whipped up so I had to try!  It provides a lovely crunch factor to these shrimp tacos.

Basically, to make these shrimp tacos –

  • Mix cleaned shrimp with spice mixture and bake.
  • While shrimp are doing their thing in the oven, make pineapple slaw.  Literally, chop and mix.
  • Assemble tacos.
  • Garnish to your little heart’s content.
  • Enjoy!

An overhead shot of ingredients for easy shrimp tacos and pineapple coleslaw.

How to Cook Shrimp for Tacos

Cooking the shrimp on a sheet pan makes things oh so easy for these shrimp tacos. While the shrimp are cooking away, you can prep the pineapple coleslaw and other garnish. To cook shrimp –

  • Firstly, ensure the shrimp are cleaned and shell removed.  Pat dry.
  • Toss shrimp with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper.
  • Place shrimp directly on a sheet pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. Don’t overcook or the shrimp will be tough.
  • As soon as the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the pan so they don’t overcook.
  • Use in tacos!

An overhead shot of a bowl of raw shrimp.

Raw shrimp tossed in spice mixture before going in the oven.

Look at all that deliciousness—->

A close up shot of cooked sheet pan shrimp.

What are the Best Shrimp to Use? What Does Shrimp Count Mean?

For the love of God, don’t use pre-cooked shrimp in these shrimp tacos and then reheat them.  Please.

I love to use frozen shrimp and defrost them.  I often find that the frozen shrimp are ‘fresher’ than ones you would find sitting in the counter at your fishmonger (and I was actually told this by a local fishmonger to opt for the frozen variety)….and this article by Bon Appetit confirms it. Ain’t no shame in the frozen food game! The frozen shrimp are most often frozen quickly after being caught so they are a better choice (unless you are bffs with a fisherperson who could hook you up). If you are, maybe hook me up too 😀 ??

I used 61-70 shrimp count.  What exactly does that mean? That simply means there’s 61-70 shrimp per pound. The smaller the shrimp count, the bigger the shrimp and vice versa.

How to Defrost Frozen Shrimp Quickly?

Oh no! You want these tacos, but you have a bag of frozen shrimp sitting in the back of your freezer! Think you can’t make these quickly? Think again, friends!  Frozen shrimp can be ready to use in no time at all.

Simply place the frozen shrimp in a sieve and run cold water over them.  Within minutes, they will be ready to use. Trust me, sometimes I’m not all that prepared and I speak from experience here.  Of course, you still need to take the shell off and devein if they aren’t already cleaned.

How do You Know When Shrimp are Cooked?

Shrimp can be tricky because obviously you want to cook them, but you don’t want to overcook. When they are overcooked, they’re rubbery, unpleasant and it’s like you’re chewing on the sole of a sneaker.  Feel me? They don’t need a whole lotta time, but you can tell when they are cooked when they are opaque, a tad pink-ish, plump (not mushy) and no longer translucent.

Do I Need to Warm the Tortillas? How to Warm Tortillas?

Of course, you don’t need to warm the tortillas for these tacos, but I like to.

To warm, you could place them directly over a low-ish flame if you have a propane stove top (or use your grill) for a minute or two and use some tongs to flip.  Alternatively, you could warm them for a minute or so in a dry pan on medium heat, flipping once.

An overhead shot of a healthy shrimp taco garnished with avocado, slaw, cilantro and sriracha.

Tips for Making These Easy Shrimp Tacos

  • Don’t have smoked paprika? Chipotle powder works too!
  • If your shrimp are smaller or larger than the variety I used (61-70 count), you will have to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
  • I used red cabbage for the pineapple slaw.  I just love the colour. However, it will ‘bleed’ into the pineapple.  If you prefer, you could use regular cabbage instead.
  • I used red onion in the pineapple slaw, but chopped green onion or chives would work lovely too.

What to Garnish Fish Tacos With?

  • Avocado
  • Jalapeno
  • Cilantro
  • Sour cream or Greek Yogurt
  • Salsa
  • Shredded Cheese or crumbled feta
  • Sriracha or your fave hot sauce

A close up shot of a sheet pan shrimp taco garnished with pineapple slaw, avocado, cilantro and sriracha.

Other Easy Mexican Recipes You May Enjoy

An easy shrimp taco in a holder, garnished with slaw, avocado, sriracha and cilantro.

Hope you love these healthy shrimp tacos as much as I do!

Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon:)

~Dawn

P.S. If you think these easy shrimp tacos will make your belly happy too, please be sure to Pin for later. Many thanks, you guys! XO

A garnished shrimp taco alongside some lime and avocado.
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5 from 18 votes

Easy Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Slaw {made in 20 minutes}

These Easy Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Slaw are healthy, delicious and on the table in about 20 minutes!  The shrimp are tossed in a spice mixture and when combined with the crunchy, sweet flavours of slaw, it's one belly satisfying bite!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword oven baked shrimp, pineapple slaw, shrimp taco recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 tacos
Calories 159kcal
Author Dawn Coombs

Ingredients

Shrimp Tacos

  • 3/4 lb shrimp -I used size '61-70 count'
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 8 small tortillas -warmed, if desired (see note below)

Pineapple Slaw

  • 2 cups red cabbage -thinly sliced
  • 1 cup pineapple -diced
  • 3/4 cup red onion -thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno -minced
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar -or lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Suggested Garnish

  • sliced avocado
  • cilantro
  • sriracha or hot sauce

Instructions

Shrimp Tacos

  • Preheat oven to 425 F.  Toss cleaned (and patted dry) shrimp in olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.  Place on baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from pan so they don't overcook.
  • Place some slaw on a tortilla, top with 4-5 shrimp and garnish, if desired.  Enjoy!

Pineapple Slaw

  • Toss all ingredients in a bowl, stirring to combine.

Video

Notes

  • Don't have smoked paprika? Chipotle powder works too!
  • If your shrimp are smaller or larger than the variety I used (61-70 count), you will have to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
  • I used red cabbage for the pineapple slaw.  I just love the colour. However, it will 'bleed' into the pineapple.  If you prefer, you could use regular cabbage instead.
  • I used red onion in the pineapple slaw, but chopped green onion or chives would work lovely too.
Tried this recipe? That's awesome!Mention @dawn.girlheartfood or tag #girlheartfood!

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9.3% | Vitamin C: 31.2% | Calcium: 6.8% | Iron: 8.6%

A photo collage of garnished shrimp tacos with text title.

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Kim

    February 21, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    Oh my gosh. These look amazing! I have been thinking about pineapple all the time over the past couple of weeks (I must be missing summer) and this just kicked that craving up another notch!

    Reply

  5. Sabrina

    February 20, 2019 at 2:05 am


    Yum! I too am obsessed with tacos but haven’t gotten around to doing shrimp tacos yet. I love the ease of baking them while you make up the slaw, super easy, efficient and so delicious! Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Haylie Abele

    February 18, 2019 at 12:09 pm


    Oh my gosh – these look amazing! The shrimp look perfectly seasoned and extra juicy and you just can’t go wrong with adding homemade pineapple slaw on top for that sweet/acid kick! YUM! Happy Monday, my friend!

    Reply

  8. Kelly | Foodtasia

    February 16, 2019 at 3:21 am


    Dawn, these shrimp tacos look incredible! We love tacos at our house. And with the spicy shrimp and that awesome pineapple slaw – Yes! Please! Love the sweet and spicy combo. It’s so refreshing!

    Reply

  13. Milena

    February 15, 2019 at 10:34 am


    I don’t make shrimp tacos nearly often enough and I should:) Thank you for the tasty reminder:) So much flavor in there and I’d definitely go for some warming chipotle heat with tacos. Pinned!

    Reply

  15. Ben|Havocinthekitchen

    February 14, 2019 at 8:45 pm


    I cannot say we eat tacos often. Let’s be honest: I certainly have not had any over the course of 5 years (At least). Also, I’ve never made tacos at home. Don’t get it wrong – I’m not against this food; I just never had an opportunity to give it a try. But I can tell you: this shrimp tacos look so good (Look at the shrimp roasted to perfection!), that I’m already in love 🙂 And this pineapple slaw? Lovely touch!

    Reply

  16. Valentina

    February 14, 2019 at 8:21 pm


    These tacos sound fabulous. If their beauty is any indication of how delicious they are, then I know they’re amazing. And smoked Paprika one of my “must-have-at-all-times spices”. Just scheduled this to pin on my taco board. 🙂

    Reply

  17. Katherine | Love In My Oven

    February 14, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    Dawn! These are totally my kind of taco. Plus, that pineapple slaw looks so, so good!! I’m all about the sweet and savory too – just hearing you mention the chocolate with the sea salt makes me want to go run and grab my own 😉 Happy Valentine’s and Happy Weekend!! XO

    Reply

  20. Leanne | Crumb Top Baking

    February 14, 2019 at 12:25 pm


    I always have a stash of frozen shrimp in the freezer. It is just so convenient for quick dinners. And coating them with spice and adding them to tacos is a delicious idea. We are also obsessed with tacos in our house, and it is absolutely because of the variety. I could eat tacos everyday and not get tired of them! Happy almost weekend Dawn!

    Reply

  21. David @ Spiced

    February 14, 2019 at 9:33 am


    We absolutely love our tacos around here, too! They’re such a versatile meal as you can go in a hundred different ways with the flavors. I love the smoked paprika on these shrimp! Oh, and we’ve started heating (“steaming”) our flour tortillas by wrapping them in a paper towel that’s been lightly patted with water. Then just microwave them for about 20 seconds. Give that a shot! Love the pineapple slaw on these, Dawn!

    Reply

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