Baja Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage

Baja Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage are made with cooked shrimp seasoned with spices and then topped with cabbage and green sauce. These tacos only take a few minutes to make (basically enough time to heat up the shrimp) but make for a filling and satisfying summer meal!

I love tacos of all kinds. And in the summer especially when you want a quick dinner and the produce is fresh and cheap, I'm looking for all taco recipes. I love venison tacos, spicy chicken tacos, anything on a taco, really!

These Baja Shrimp Tacos have close to no prep time, just enough time to heat up the shrimp and tortillas and throw everything together. They pair perfectly with a Classic Margarita!

First things first…

What makes a dish "baja?"

Originating from Baja California, Mexico, the method of baja style food has come to mean anything fresh, Mexican, and full of flavor. Seafood is common, but I have seen chicken dishes labelled "baja" as well. It has become somewhat of a blanket term.

When a taco is "baja" it generally refers to fish tacos. The tacos are often fried and then garnished with cabbage and a white sauce.

I did a slight variation on fish tacos here by using shrimp, but they are still topped with cabbage for freshness and crunch. If you have never added cabbage to your tacos before, I highly recommend it. It has become one of our household's go to toppings!

Ingredients

• shrimp
• oil
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• chili powder
• cumin
• salt
• lime
• Southwest salad mix / coleslaw mix / shredded cabbage
• Green salsa (Try this avocado lime ranch dressing if you would like to make a delish green sauce at home! Otherwise, use your favorite salsa or hot sauce).
• corn tortillas or flour tortillas

How to make Baja Shrimp Tacos

In a small bowl, combine spices, oil, and thawed shrimp. Let sit for 5 minutes.

If desired, heat up shrimp in a skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until just heated through.

Warm tortillas over stove grates, watching carefully so that they do not burn.

Assemble tacos by topping a tortilla with seasoned shrimp, shredded cabbage, green salsa, and a squeeze of freeze lime.

Enjoy!

Recipe Tip

Heat up the tortillas right on the stove top grates for an authentic warm tortilla with a little bit of char to it! If you don't have a gas stove, a few seconds in the broiler will do the job, but you will want to watch the tortillas very carefully so they don't burn!

Variations/Substitutions

• If using raw shrimp instead of cooked, saute in the pan for 5-7 minutes until cooked through and pink. Just make sure they are tail off shrimp since they will be going directly into the tacos!
• If you want to make this dish low carb, you can omit the tortillas and use more cabbage or salad mix and simply top that with the seasoned shrimp. A baja shrimp salad would be delish, similar to this Bang Bang Shrimp Salad.

Topping ideas for shrimp tacos

I kept these baja shrimp tacos pretty simple with just cabbage, green sauce, and seasoned shrimp. But they are amazing loaded up with your favorite taco toppings. Here are some ideas.

• cilantro
• salsa
• tortilla strips
• fresh jalapenos
• pickled jalapenos
• pickled red onions
• green onions
• queso fresco or cotija cheese
• chipotle mayo
• lime juice

Storage

Store any leftover shrimp in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep the shrimp separate from the toppings and tortilla shells so that everything stays fresh and just reheat when ready.