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!
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.
Baja Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage
Baja Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage are a fresh summer meal that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and are full of flavor and crunch!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. cooked frozen shrimp, thawed
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 lime, for garnish
- 1 bag Southwest salad mix
- green salsa, for garnish
Instructions
- 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!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 243mgSodium: 1585mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 29g
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