Description
A quick, self-care dinner featuring smoky blackened shrimp served in warm corn tortillas with a rich, tangy avocado lime sauce. This forgiving recipe is perfect for tired evenings and comes together in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen or fresh)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt (plus more for shrimp)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat or 2%)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 1 tbsp oil (avocado or olive oil)
Instructions
- Thaw frozen shrimp in cold water if using, then drain and pat very dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- In a blender, combine avocados, Greek yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, minced garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper to create the blackening spice mix.
- Heat a large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil.
- Toss the dried shrimp in the spice mix until evenly coated.
- Add shrimp to the hot pan in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding). Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes until the bottom is pink and opaque.
- Flip shrimp and cook for another 1-2 minutes until opaque, pink, and curled into a loose ‘C’ shape. Remove from heat.
- Warm tortillas in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side or microwave wrapped in a damp towel for 30 seconds.
- Assemble tacos by placing warm tortillas on a plate, adding shredded cabbage, topping with blackened shrimp, and drizzling generously with avocado lime sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pat shrimp dry thoroughly to ensure they sear rather than steam. Avocado sauce oxidizes quickly; press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to keep it green. Shrimp cook very fast, so remove from heat as soon as they turn opaque to avoid rubberiness. This recipe is naturally gluten-free if using corn tortillas.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos per serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 22
Keywords: blackened shrimp tacos, avocado lime sauce, quick dinner, self-care meal, healthy tacos, seafood tacos, easy weeknight dinner