Cajun Shrimp Tacos

July 12, 2021April 3, 2022 by Peter In Cooking 1 Comment

Spice up your next taco night with this healthy and delicious recipe!

The three cornerstones of my cooking are that meals be healthy, quick, and easy. These shrimp tacos are just that, and the Cajun seasoning turns the heat up with the flavorful and fiery taste of Cajun barbecue. Add some homemade guacamole and you have a mouthwatering meal!

Enjoy!

Beige colored taco wrap with green guacamole, grilled shrimp, and colorful vegetables — Cajun shrimp taco with homemade guacamole and cilantro!

Ingredients

Bell Peppers (baby/mini and sweet)
- I used 3 orange peppers, 3 red peppers, and 3 yellow peppers
Broccoli slaw
- The one I used had broccoli stalks, red cabbage, and carrots
Cajun seasoning
- I used McCormick Grill Mates Louisiana Cajun Seasoning
Chives
- Just a sprinkle to garnish the guacamole and tacos
Cilantro
- Also just a sprinkle to garnish the guacamole and tacos
Guacamole
- I make a quick and easy homemade guacamole that simply consists of 6 avocados, 2 limes (just the juice), 1 tomato, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Feel free to use any guacamole you want, or even a salsa verde!
Onion (1)
- I used a sweet Vidalia onion
Shrimp (four 12 ounce bags)
- I used salad-sized shrimp that were cooked, peeled, and tail-off
Tacos or tortillas
- A lot of store-bought tacos and tortillas are loaded with fat, calories, and added sugar – so be conscious of this and pick a healthy option!

The key to this recipe is using a great Cajun seasoning! I’ve tried several different styles, and my absolute go-to Cajun seasoning is:

McCormick Grill Mates Louisiana Cajun Seasoning

The tortillas I used are from a brand called Tumaro’s, who have a “Carb Wise” line of wraps. They have a variety of tasty flavors, such as multigrain, whole wheat, ancient grain, sundried tomato basil, garden veggie, nine grain and seeds, sriracha chili, and honey wheat. Each wrap is only 60-80 calories! Definitely worth exploring, so here’s a link to their multigrain wraps:

Tumaro’s 8 inch Carb Wise Wraps, Multigrain

This recipe will make enough for about 10 Cajun shrimp tacos.

Cookware

You’ll need two nonstick frying pans, such as this one from Anolon:

Anolon Nonstick Frying Pan, 12 Inch

Step 1: Thaw the shrimp

If your shrimp are frozen, like mine usually are, then you’ll need to thaw them. I personally take them out of the freezer, place them in hot water for a few minutes, then drain the water with a strainer.

Regardless of your method of thawing, thoroughly pat dry the shrimp! In order to get that grilled shrimp flavor and look, you’ll need to remove as much water from the shrimp as possible.

Pinkish-white shrimp in a silver-colored strainer — Thawed shrimp in a strainer.

Step 2: Dice and sauté the bell peppers and onion

To evenly spread the veggie toppings on the tacos, we’ll need to dice the bell peppers and onion:

Diced red bell peppers, diced orange bell peppers, diced yellow bell peppers, and diced white onion on a white cutting board with a knife — Dice the bell peppers and onion.

Next, add them to a frying pan set to medium-high heat and sauté them. While in the frying pan, I add a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt and peppercorn medley. The diced veggies should be fully cooked in about 5 minutes:

Diced red bell peppers, diced orange bell peppers, diced yellow bell peppers, and diced white onion in a black frying pan — Sautéed bell peppers and onion.

Step 3: Make the homemade guacamole (optional)

While the bell peppers and onion are being sautéed, I make a quick and easy homemade guacamole. It simply consists of 6 avocados, 2 limes (just the juice), 1 tomato, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Again I’m using pink Himalayan salt and a peppercorn medley here. Mash the avocados, squeeze the juice from the limes, dice the tomato, and mix in all of the other ingredients:

Green guacamole with red tomatoes and green cilantro in a clear bowl — Homemade guacamole!

Step 4: Sauté (or grill!) the shrimp

Add the thawed shrimp to a frying pan set to medium-high heat (or, if you have the time, add them to skewers and grill them!). Then liberally add the Cajun seasoning, like this:

Pinkish-white colored shrimp with beige-colored seasoning in a black frying pan — Generously add Cajun seasoning to the shrimp.

The shrimp will sauté quickly – especially ones that are salad-sized. I sautéed one side of the shrimp for 3 minutes, then flipped the shrimp and sautéed the other side for another 3 minutes. You’ll need to adjust how long you sauté the shrimp based on their size, and once cooked should look like this:

Blackened shrimp in a black frying pan — Sautéed and fully cooked shrimp.

Note: we’ve already sautéed the diced veggies and they’re fully cooked, so don’t add the shrimp to that frying pan otherwise the veggies will overcook!

Step 5: Garnish and serve!

Warm up your taco shell or tortilla, then add a base layer of broccoli slaw and sautéed bell peppers and onion. Next add the sautéed Cajun shrimp. Finish with the homemade guacamole, and garnish with some fresh cilantro and chives.

If you’re looking for a side to serve with these Cajun shrimp tacos, try this Clint’s black bean and corn salsa. I’ve used Clint’s salsas in other recipes, such as my Mediterranean Breakfast Pizza, and they are absolutely delicious!

Clint’s Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? What’s your favorite way to make tacos? Let me know in the comments below!

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