Baked Crispy Shrimp Tacos
These easy crispy shrimp tacos are amazing! Like, one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Baked, not fried, they are crispy and crazy good.
I posted a picture of these crispy shrimp tacos a few months ago on Instagram. You went crazy. (Meanwhile, I was already going crazy at home; they are next level delicious.)
I’ve never had that many requests for a recipe! Shrimp lovers unite. Taco lovers, get on over here.
After making them a couple more times, I figured they needed a decisive spot here on the blog. I don’t know about anyone else, but I will be making these shrimp tacos regularly for the rest of forever.
They are crazy good! And surprisingly really easy (baked, not fried!). They have easily solidified a spot on the “Top Recipes of All Time” list.
Unsolicited Testimonials
In case you’re like “Mel, you always get a little dramatic about food,” I can promise you I’m not the only one raving about these tacos.
Brian and my 14-year old have already requested them for birthday dinners (neither of their birthdays are coming up any time soon, but they want me to still make note of it).
And the last time I made them, a good friend stopped by super fast to drop something off. As she was getting back in her car, I shoved a crispy taco in her hand with the order: “you don’t have a choice; try this now!”
She is used to me doing this sort of thing and wasn’t alarmed by my over bearing demand (welcome to being my friend). She later texted me and said it was one of the best things she’s ever eaten.
These crispy shrimp tacos are way better than any shrimp taco I’ve ever had in a restaurant. For a fraction of the cost. And they take hardly any time to put together.
Making Crispy Shrimp Tacos
While these shrimp tacos are ultra-simple to make, they are bound by the laws of flavor building.
These levels are built by a simple mixture of:
- tomatoes
- onions (don’t be a hater :))
- jalapeños (don’t leave them out! scrape out seeds if you want less heat)
- ketchup (just trust me on this)
- fresh lime juice
- garlic + salt + pepper
Don’t panic or freak about the ketchup. You can still be a foodie and embrace ketchup. I promise. It won’t ruin your reputation. In fact, anyone tasting these tacos will never even know ketchup exists in the ingredient lineup.
The ketchup helps thicken this mixture and adds a concentrated punch of flavor.
This special mixture cooks in a skillet until thick and syrupy. The tomatoes will break down a bit and the onions will soften.
The shrimp go in for a quick 2-minute cooking sesh to turn pink and that’s about it (they’ll cook a bit more in the oven).
The Key to Crispy Shrimp Tacos
The key to crispy, crunchy tacos is twofold.
1) brush a couple tablespoons of oil on the sheet pan (they won’t get as crispy without the oil; trust me, I tried)
2) preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (do it!)
The tortillas are arranged on the oiled baking sheet, sprinkled with a bit of Monterey Jack cheese, and then graced with a strip of that tasty shrimp/tomato mixture.
Bake those babies until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are golden.
Flour vs corn tortillas
I’ve made these crispy shrimp tacos with both corn and flour tortillas.
Both work great and are delicious! But, the flour tortillas do get a little crispier than the corn tortillas (and don’t have the same tendency to break when folding in half).
The recipe calls for 6-inch tortillas – a standard size for corn tortillas. When using flour tortillas, I cut 8-inch tortillas into 6-inch rounds. It’s probably all in my head, but I think these tacos taste better as 6-inchers.
They’d probably be super tasty (and obviously really cute) made street taco size as well.
Once the tacos are baked, while still warm, carefully fold in half and garnish with whatever your heart desires.
We are kind of partial to shredded lettuce, avocados, lime wedges, cilantro, and salsa.
The tacos aren’t heavily loaded with shrimp. It’s a very subtle balance of crispy shell, bubbly cheese, bits of shrimp and tomatoes. You could easily make less tacos and load them up a bit more.
But I like the delicate crispy taco situation just as they are. They are one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life, and I promise I’m not making that up.
Alternatives to shrimp?
I’ll head this question off before it gets asked. 🙂 If you are allergic to shrimp or just hate it (sob), you could definitely try subbing in something else for these tacos.
Maybe chicken? Salmon? Tilapia?
I’ve only ever made them with shrimp because I love shrimp more than life. But I’m excited to hear of any other variations that end up being a knockout!
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Baked Crispy Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Shrimp Mixture:
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small yellow white or red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ketchup or BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp, 26 to 30 per pound, peeled, deveined and tails removed
Tortillas + Cheese:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or avocado oil
- 10 6-inch corn or flour tortillas (see note)
- 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Toppings:
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Diced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Salsa or hot sauce
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, ketchup (or BBQ sauce), lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Cut shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces.
- In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until rippling. Add the tomato mixture and cook until the liquid is reduced and the tomatoes start to break down and onion is softened, 5-6 minutes.
- Drain any extra liquid from the shrimp (discard the liquid); stir the shrimp into the skillet and cook until the shrimp just turn pink, 2-3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Brush two rimmed half sheet pans with the 2 tablespoons oil.
- Place tortillas in a single layer on the oiled baking sheets.
- Divide the cheese evenly among the tortillas. Top with the shrimp/tomato mixture, arranging it mostly down the center of each tortilla.
- Bake the tacos, one sheet at a time (see note for convection bake), until the edges of the tortilla are golden and crispy, 7-10 minutes.
- Use a flat spatula to remove the tacos from the sheet pan. Gently fold tacos in half. Garnish with additional toppings as desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country Feb/March 2018
186 Comments on “Baked Crispy Shrimp Tacos”
So yummy!!!
What to do with trimmings from the flour tortillas? I tore them in smaller pieces, crisped them up in hot oil and coated them with cinnamon sugar. Served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. !!
So good! The smell attracted hungry teenagers from the distant corners of my house, and they loved every bite even though my “shrimp” used to have feet and feathers and bawked. Thank you!
Made these for the first time and my husband said to definitely add these into the rotation (of what we eat)! We’re big fans over here of these tacos and all of your recipes!! Thanks Mel for an easy and super yummy recipe!!
My husband said to make these any time I want! They are delicious!!!
Hi Mel,
Oh my goodness! This recipe sounds utterly amazing! I can’t wait to try it, and thank you so much for sharing!
I wanted to ask this: I have some metal taco holder stands that fit two or three tacos in them, depending on which side is flipped up. Do you think I could just bake the tacos in the taco holder stands if I put them on the baking sheet?
The tacos won’t get as crispy around the edges if you bake that way – they might get soggy in the middle and bottom.
Makes sense. Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!
I’m sharing this with my friends by a link to your site. Thank you!
These were absolutely awesome! Will definitely be making them again!
This is one of my favorite recipes of yours. We usually make it with the flour tortillas and they are so yummy. What is surprising is they are even good reheated the next day in a toaster oven or air fryer. Usually shrimp
Left over is not my fav but I look forward to these left overs. The shredded lettuce and sour cream is a must! Thank you Mel!!!
I had everything to make these except tomatoes, so I used canned diced tomatoes, and it worked great! They were delicious. Even my husband, a very picky eater, liked them
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but this was really tasty! A nice summery recipe for a cold November day, and pretty easy too. There are a few other recipes of yours that I make often.
Super delicious. Will make again for certain! Thank you!!!
Well I can’t wait to make these!! Silly question, but how did you cut your flour tortillas down to six inches? Do you have a 6 inch round cutter?
You can use a pot lid or something similar to kind of cut around or just eyeball it.
Made it. Loved it. Can’t wait to make it again!
Hey Mel, I made these tacos last night! So yummy. Of course! 🙂
Since I’m the only one In my house that eats seafood, I made them again tonight and swapped out the shrimp for chicken. I used a rotisserie chicken and coconut oil on the pan. The coconut oil gave it some sweetness. Anytime I fry up tortillas, coconut oil is my go to! So I wanted to see how it would work for this recipe! Loved it!! 🙂 this is a perfect easy week night or any night dinner!
Made these tonight and OH so good. Used corn tortillas and they were fine but may try flour next time. I used 2 racks in the oven and learned they got much crispier on the bottom rack. Fast and easy beach vacay meal that was a hit with everyone. Will definitely make these again!
These look absolutely wonderful, but my problem is I have a shellfish allergy. Do you think I could follow your recipe and substitute ground beef instead and season with a small amount of taco seasoning. I really want to try these. Thank you!!
These are delicious. Sprinkled cilantro on them right out of the oven. Loved the crispy flour tortilla! My husband said they are restaurant quality.
I have been chomping at the bit to try these, but I have a tomato allergy. I can do ketchup and every so often marinara, but raw tomatoes are not my friend. I read through all of the comments to see if there were any substitutes, but no luck.
I decided to make them tonight anyway. I used one Roma tomato which ended up being a half a cup, and subbed in one cup of chopped roasted red peppers. Then I prayed that the skillet time and oven time would be enough to not make me react to the half cup of tomatoes.
Bad and good news… Bad news is that I still reacted to the tomatoes. But the good news is that you couldn’t tell a flavor or texture difference between the tomatoes and roasted red peppers; they were a great sub!! Next time I’ll use all roasted tomatoes and add a little extra lime juice for acidity.
These are DELICIOUS, and were worth my experiment! I hope those who commented with tomato allergies see this post and give the roasted red peppers a try so they don’t miss out on a great recipe!
Have you tried Harissa Sauce instead of tomato? It’s a red chile pepper paste or sauce from North Africa. You can get it mild or hot, but read ingredients carefully to make sure there is no tomato in it- some commercial versions, esp. the harissa pastes, do include tomato or tomato paste. The spices used in the sauce vary so finding one you like can be a fun experiment, or you can make from scratch. Harissa sauce- at least the one we buy- can get watery with cooking so in a recipe like this I would try draining it with cheesecloth before cooking or the tacos might be a soggy mess. (Disclaimer- I have just found this recipe so have not tried it, but it will be on the menu soon.)
We substitute harissa for tomato in a lot of recipes, but try to add it after all/most of the cooking is done to get the best flavor. Try it on pasta with ground beef (add black beans for chili mac), as a flavorful sauce/dip when mixed with yogurt or ranch dressing, use it in a black bean-corn salsa, etc. I don’t normally like chile peppers but do like the Mina brand mild Moroccan Red Pepper Sauce. (Kroger, Ingles, Amazon carry it.) For more heat that half of us demands we add other seasonings to the mild, like chipotle chile powder, cumin, etc.- we feel the Mina hot version does not have the rich pepper flavor of the mild. YMMV
Hope this product opens up some allergy-free options- a tomato allergy is incredibly sad- and miserable!
Soooo good! Thanks for the great recipe. Better than any restaurant shrimp tacos and easy to make. I used corn tortillas and they crisped up perfectly. I’m sharing this recipe with all my family.
These were amazing!! Going in our rotation for sure!!
I really hate to use my baking sheets without a Silpat or some parchment paper! (because I hate to clean anything burnt off of them). However, I do want them crispy!
I am considering just brushing some oil onto the bottom of my tortillas and hoping they still get crispy.
I think I will try the parchment paper, as other things I bake with the Silpat don’t get very brown on the bottom.
I also love using parchment or a Silpat on my sheet pans for the same reason. Try using DAWN Powerwash Dish Spray, I used it on a pan put in the smoker with cooked on BBQ sauce … came out looking like a brand new pan!
So good!! My whole family enjoyed! My husband said they were restaurant quality and he would order them from a restaurant. My 12 yr old daughter requested them for her birthday dinner. I was nervous about the jalapeño but you said to trust you and not leave it out. So glad I trusted you! Thank you for a quick easy delicious meal!
How is this baked when you cook the shrimp on the stove. Misleading.
The title just indicates that the tacos crisp up in the oven. 🙂
My husband loves these! We are super lucky to live where shrimp come off the boats and I can’t tell you how delicious they are. I’m menu planning now, and I wasn’t planning on these this week, but now I’m distracted by these and I can’t think of anything else.
Just made this and these were delicious! Keeping for a regular. Thanks for posting!
I saw somewhere where someone asked if you could substitute the shrimp with something else. I like beef, chicken and pork. With this recipe, all I can say is Whyyyy?
Smells and tastes just like restaurant tacos, so SO good!
I love how light these taste. They are super yummy!
I had a nesting fail on my first comment attempt…but, filling was great! Just sogged through with the corn tortillas so we had to fork them – not sure if it was too much cheese, being on oiled foil instead of directly on the pan, or corn vs flour, but I’d love any tips for crunch success!
BIG FAN These are so so good. Made as directed and they were mouth watering. Incredible.
We want to have a taco bar for cinco de mayo! How would I bake and prepare them for a taco bar buffet where everybody builds there own? Would I still bake the shrimp, just without the tortillas?
I’m not sure these would be the right fit for a build your own taco bar because they really benefit from that crispy texture that comes from baking everything in the oven. But you could make the tomato/shrimp filling and have that available on the taco bar.
These are amazing! My husband kind of groaned when I told him I was making shrimp tacos until I put these in front of him. So much better than what I had been making. The cheese and crisping the tortillas in the oven is game changing! We now have these on a regular rotation.
Hi Mel,
These tacos are spot on fabulous!!! I used the defrosted cooked shrimp (that’s what I had on hand) the small size, rinsed and pat dry and not ice cold so they would heat through quickly and not over cook. I left them whole and followed the recipe as written. Super delicious, the Hubster loved them too!
My sister and I get to spend a few days together, so we decided to try some new recipes. We opted for this one, even though it was not originally on our list of recipes to try. I am so glad we did. They were absolutely incredible. And, really not that time consuming. We used corn tortillas and folded them immediately when they came out of the oven. I can’t wait to make this for my kids.
Hi Mel,
Have you ever used defrosted cooked shrimp? What would be your suggestions for cooking times, just defrost add to mixture and then bake? I’m worried they might over cook. I’m really looking forward to this meal!
Thanks!
I haven’t, so I’m not sure how it would fare (I’m worried it might get a bit overcooked, too). You could try defrosting and then adding to the tomato mixture and broiling.
Five Stars! (Don’t know why the website doesn’t give me the option to rate it.) My hubby was at the store and decided he was in the mood for shrimp. We’ve been married 25 years and he hasn’t ever done that! No Fear! I knew Mel would bail me out. I smiled and said, “no problem.” So I went onto your site and found Shrimp Scampi and these tacos. He enjoyed both immensely and said this one is company worthy. Now, I am the hero wife you made me to be. 😉 Blessings!
How long do you cook the shrimp in the oven when using thawed out frozen shrimp?
The cooking time would be the same as in the recipe.
Yum! Wished all of my kids liked shrimp! Guess that means more for the rest of us. Very good recipe. I subbed cheddar for the cheddar jack because that’s what I had and used smaller shrimp and street taco flour tortillas. Will definitely make again!
Made this the other night and we all loved it!! I have never baked tacos before. It was delish!
I made this thinking “oh yum, shrimp tacos!” Well, now I am ruined because these are the BEST SHRIMP TACOS EVER! I can never order shrimp tacos at a restaurant/for takeout again because these are the pinnacle of shrimp tacos. My husband was raving about these and asked when I’m making them next. Easy, flavorful, magical, and incredibly delicious.
I used corn tortillas and blues hog Smokey mountain bbq sauce…perfection.
Why did I wait so long to try these?! They were amazing and something I will make again and again! Thank you for a great, easy recipe!
These look AMAZING but we have a tomato allergy in the house. The ketchup is ok but the raw tomatoes aren’t. I’m trying to think of an alternative.
Mel! I am so glad you posted about your hubby’s birthday dinner last week. These were phenomenal! My entire family RAVED about them. So easy & so delicious. Thanks for another amazing recipe!!!!
Delicious! I’ve made these multiple times!
These are amazing! It’s definitely different, more of a barbecue flavor but I love them so much. Also Tortillaland makes 6-in flour and corn tortillas, they are uncooked in the refrigerated section. Best tortillas you’ll ever buy!
I was a little scared to try this recipe as it seemed like a lot of things could go wrong from cutting down the tortillas to baking them in the oven on an oily pan. Boy, am I glad I went for it! Delicious! I used half of the filling last night for dinner for me and my daughter. Today, I gently reheated the filling and made the rest of the tacos for lunch for me and my husband since he missed out last night. Definitely a recipe we will be revisiting soon!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I made it with salmon instead of shrimp. I cooked it in the Traeger until it was partially done, then cut/pulled it into smaller pieces and tossed it in with tomato mixture. My family said they wanted shrimp next time, but we have lots of salmon from my husband’s Alaska fishing adventures, so…
Thank you so much, Mel! You are a life-saver with recipes and food help!
That sounds amazing, Kjersti!
I love shrimp, but didn’t love this recipe. Sorry. I think I would have like the shrimp browned. 1 tsp Olive oil was not enough for us.
These are AMAZING! I have made them twice and was worried we wouldn’t love them as much the second time, but not so. Once again, we said, “Thank you, Mel” as we ate dinner.
These are so so good! I loved what the ketchup did for the filling and baking the flour tortillas was the best choice! Thanks, Mel
Thanks, Angela!
These are absolutely amazing! We loved them ! Making them tonight for the second time this week!!
Glad to know we’re not the only ones who’ve eaten them twice in a week! Haha. Thanks, Stephanie!
These totally lived up to the hype! Like I’m considering bulk making the shrimp mixture so I can whip up a taco daily ♀️ And the perfect crispiness of the tortilla?! I died. It’s the little things Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much, Jasmine! Love the idea of making the filling in bulk to make a taco whenever you want it!
Absolutely the BEST taco I’ve ever made. Knocked it out of the park. Cried when I couldn’t eat another one. The taco shell folded perfectly around 4 shrimp. YUMMO!!!!!
Thanks, Dayna!
🙂 Thanks, Dayna!
Okay… those were really good! We both liked the A LOT!!
Thanks, Jeannie!
These are our all time favorite shrimp tacos. Holy cow they are yummy! Flavor is to die for. Thank you for the recipes!
Thanks, Julie!
These were so, so good. My husband said he would eat them every week. I used spicy ketchup and topped it with an avocado ranch salad from a bag that I bought. It was delicious. Thank you for Always making our dinner an enjoyable time with your recipes.
Thank you so much, Sheila! I can’t wait to try them with spicy ketchup!
My husband and I loved these . . . but my kids – not so much. They still ate them, but apparently they have suddenly decided they don’t like cooked tomatoes – what?! I used pre-cooked/frozen (and thawed) shrimp and added it to the tomato mixture when it was off the heat. I also didn’t like how drippy the tacos were (I hate messy, ha-ha). The tomato mixture never really thickened up and I spooned out a lot of liquid prior to putting it on top of the tortillas . . . but there was still lots of “drip”. Maybe I had too much tomato?? I think the next time I make it, I’ll use less liquid and keep 1/2 of the tomato mixture uncooked for my kids to add after the tacos come out of the oven . . . then hopefully everyone will be happy.
It could be the type of tomatoes you’re using. Big, round tomatoes usually have a high water content. Romas (also called plum) tomatoes are a good choice for cooking due to their low water content. They keep their shape in cooking, and don’t give off too much liquid.
I used romas and removed the seeds from the tomatoes to reduce the liquid (based on your comment), but there was still some liquid in the pan. SO, I simply used a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp mixture to the tortillas. It worked great and no soggy tacos! 🙂
This are so yummy! Just moved my Pinterest pin from “main dishes” to “main dish keepers”! I’m thinking of trying with grilled chicken too.
I must have done something wrong because my family did not swoon over this recipe like I thought they would. It was tasty but I also don’t think they’d miss it if I never made it again. I do have to share one funny note— my 5 1/2 year old (who loves and knows about Mel’s Kitchen Cafe) did NOT like this recipe and he said “This is NOT Mel’s Kitchen Cafe because it is gross, Mom!”
Bummer, Rebecca! Sorry this one didn’t work out for you guys.
Hi Mel-I want to make these but am wondering what you would recommend in regards to the onion. I was told to avoid buying onions right now (something about a salmonella outbreak?) so didn’t pick up any at the grocery store, would you recommend I use something like onion powder in place of the onions or just go without all together? I’m looking to forward to making them and am sure they’ll be delicious either way. Thanks!
Hi Haley, you could add a teaspoon of onion powder in place of the onions.
I made these last night using corn tortillas, but I definitely need to make them again with flour. You were right that the corn tortillas didn’t get very crispy–the part under the shrimp filling was soft verging on soggy. But they were still delicious! I got 14 tacos out of it, filling them modestly. Next time I think I’ll go for doubling it (maybe reserving some of the filling for leftovers).
Thanks for the review, Vicky!
These were the best things I’ve made on your site in a VERY long time, and that is saying a lot. Unbelievably good. Everyone raved about them.
LOVED reading this, Anissa! Thank you! So happy these tacos were so well received.
Gasp! This has sent me reeling to switch up my plans for the cod I have thawing for fish tacos . Any suggestions? Maybe cooked in the skillet a bit longer than the shrimp?
Yes, that should work great!
This was 100% yummy! It’s been almost a week and my husband has brought them up every single day.
Haha. He clearly has good taste in food! 🙂
I made these tacos last night for my family, which range in diet considerations and taste. Everyone loved them, it’s a great idea, very, very tasty and slightly reduced in calories from baking rather than frying the tortillas. I really loved them. Thanks so very much, another winner dinner.
Thanks, Sandy!
Saw these the first day you posted and knew I had to make them – finally got around to them today and WHY DID I WAIT? Absolutely delicious!!!! Yum yum yum!
Yay, Barbara! Glad you loved them!
Hi Mel, If using frozen shrimp should they be thawed or cooked from frozen state? Thank you!
Thaw and drain them first.
Made these tonight and they were delicious. They were actually better than I thought they would be. Most of the family doesn’t love tomatoes but they still ate them and asked for seconds. Definitely will make again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for the review, Rosie!
We LOVED these shrimp tacos! Thanks for the recipe.
FYI, Mission Flour Tortillas now come in a “Fajita” size that works great for this recipe. They average 6 inches across (from 5-1/2″ to – 6-1/2″). They come 20 to a package. So I used half a package, and put the remaining tortillas in the freezer for next time.
Thanks, Ellen! Good info!
Those were most delicious shrimp tacos, easy to make! Thank you for posting it. I will make them again and again!
Thank you so much, Pat!
Oh my gosh! These were a huge hit. So easy to make and tasted out of this world. I am dreaming about the lunch leftovers and hoping I beat my hubby to the fridge first. Such an amazing recipe. My oven was a bit hot so I will drop the heat to 425 instead of 450 since the tortillas didn’t want to flex as much into shape.
Haha, you sound like me…getting to the leftovers first is the most important thing in the world.
I made these last night and they were SO DELICIOUS! They’re definitely a new favorite. There was so much flavor in the filling that no one needed any extra salsa or hot sauce. We just topped them with some guac and cilantro and they were perfect!
So happy you loved them, Megan! I agree the flavors are so fantastic (and so simple!)
Because I know I am more likely to make a new recipe with raving positive reviews, I feel I MUST post here how delicious these were! So so so good! Fast, easy, and yummy! So good that the nine year old ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day. Only regret, not doubling the recipe so there would be more leftovers! I have already bought more shrimp to make again this week. We used BBQ sauce in place of the ketchup, delicious!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this, comment and leave a review! I agree, it’s so helpful for others!
These were simply fabulous! I made them as written the first time and they were great but the ketchup did make it slightly too sweet so this time I added picante sauce instead and they were perfect! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!!
Love hearing from repeat recipe makers who make changes based on taste preferences. So helpful for others!
Ohhhhhhh Mel. These were SO good. I’ve made them twice already and am still dreaming about them. You never disappoint!
I am just SO happy I’m not the only one completely obsessed.
I’ve made this twice in the last three days – it’s that good! This tastes like restaurant quality that you would pay $25 a plate for. It’s absolutely delicious. I’ve used both corn and flour tortillas and I agree that the flour ones work a bit better. Thank you Mel – again for making feeding my family easier and more delicious!
Thanks, Debbie!
Hi Mel, I don’t comment often but I have to say, these were amazing. We splurged on shrimp and these did not disappoint. So much flavor. I made coconut rice and black beans to go with them. It was an amazing meal. Thank you for sharing your genius with us!
I LOVE the idea of serving rice and black beans with these. Thank you, Amy!
Theses were amazing!!! Everyone ate them in our family of 6- even the shrimp hater! Thanks Mel!
Thanks, Lori!
These are delicious! As good as any restaurant!
Glad you loved them, Joan!
I love reading the reviews on your site. I read a review down below that mentioned Portillo’s chopped salad. I hopped on over to that and it looks amazing! It reminded me of a salad that I haven’t made in years – hoagie salad! Sounds weird but is so good. Chop up the following into small pieces: romaine, white American cheese (from the deli – just slice it into small squares), tomatoes, olives, red onion, salami, ham, pepperoncini. Basically everything you’d eat on a good Italian hoagie. Then add a vinaigrette – like the hoagie oil/vinegar/spices/red pepper flakes kind of a dressing. It is so delicious! And don’t knock the white American cheese… it’s a must!
That sounds amazing, Rikki!!!
Update to my comment – these shrimp tacos are incredible!!
Thanks, Rikki!
These were amazing! Thank you so much. I used sugar free ketchup (primal kitchen brand) and was a little worried they would still be good, but they were delicious! I also used almond flour tortillas (siete foods) and was very happy with how they crisped up in the oven. I’ve never thought to try that before but I will do it again. So yummy! I had chopped jicama as an option to add and it was delicious. Added some nice crunch and bulk and an extra veggie into the taco :). I’m going to add these to my monthly rotation. They were that good! Thank you
I am loving reading how people are making these! I’m definitely adding jicama next time – yum!
Phenomenal! Family with 6 kids and ALL devoured it! I saw the recipe the day it was posted and knew I had to try it. It was so good, I’m making them AGAIN, tonight for dinner! Total winner! They will certainly be made again and again and again…
I LOVE that someone else makes recipes on serious repeat (like multiple days in a row) because they’re such a hit!
I made these for dinner tonight…so delicious, we can’t wait to have them again!
Thanks, Jill!
I have a bag of precooked shrimp in the freezer….can it be used somehow in this recipe?
You could try thawing and using on top of the tortillas with the sauce (without cooking the shrimp in the sauce first) – the flavor might be a bit less, but worth a try!
Made these last night with chicken and they were delicious! My whole family loved them, picky kids and all.
Thanks for making them so fast and letting me know, Rachael!
Quick and easy recipe for summer, and my kids liked them. Another keeper, thanks!
Thanks, Melissa!
We loved these! Loved the tip about using the bottom of muffin tins to hold them hot off the pan!
Such a great tip, huh?
These were rich and delicious! We’re average eaters and two tacos per person (with a bit of chips and guac on the side) completely filled us up. The shrimp filling was yummy and we were dreaming up other types of fillings for the taco method here. We’ve been doing your taco salad bowls for years, but it never occurred to me to do crispy flour tacos in the oven. What?! Game changer! Thank you, Mel!
I know! The crispy shells in the oven have me thinking what other things I can make with them. So many ideas! Thanks for letting me know what you thought about these tacos, Angela! I appreciate it so much!
Fantastic! I made half with chicken and half with shrimp. They were equally delish. Thank you!
Can’t wait to try them with chicken!
I made these tonight for my family and everyone loved them . Very easy instructions and a family favorite! Thank you !
Thanks, Dana!!
Gotta admit, I was very skeptical about the ketchup, but……WOW!! Blown away by this dinner. The whole family loved it. I shouldn’t have even given it a thought, you have never led me astray!. Thanks so much Mel.
Yay, yay! Happy you gave it a try, Cyndi! And so glad it was a hit with the whole fam. Thanks for checking back in to let me know!
This recipe is sooo good! I love love shrimp tacos and this made me so happy! Your cilantro lime rice was the perfect side dish. Every time I try and love one of your recipes(which is all the time!) I pin it for a quick reference. Thank you for all your recipes and notes
Thank you so much, Jodi! These tacos sound fantastic with cilantro lime rice – great idea!
These were amazing! Thank you so much. I used sugar free ketchup (primal kitchen brand) and was a little worried they would still be good, but they were delicious! I also used almond flour tortillas (siete foods) and was very happy with how they crisped up in the oven. I’ve never thought to try that before but I will do it again. So yummy! I had chopped jicama as an option to add and it was delicious. Added some nice crunch and bulk and an extra veggie into the taco :). I’m going to add these to my monthly rotation. They were that good! Thank you!
Couldn’t wait and made these for lunch today (hello Taco Tuesday! ). SO GOOD! My husband has said, no less than ten times, “damn these are good!”. Thank you for another winner, Mel!
I LOVE THIS! So happy you guys loved these!
This looks amazing! I’m planning to take this to a family tonight. Can you tell me what your method would be for making this a take-in meal
Sorry for the late response, Lydia! If it were me, I’d make per the recipe, pile the tacos side by side in a disposable dish and put the garnishes/toppings on the side.
Reporting back. Solid 5 stars! SO good and as I was reading the recipe, and buying the ingredients and swimming in the pool and going to the dentist, something kept niggling me. I felt deja vu. Something felt so familiar. I kept obsessing over it until I read your source and realized I had made them 2 years ago from Cooks Country. I had made them, declared them my favorite taco ever, then promptly forgot about them. What scares me the most is if I forgot about these amazing things, what other delicious recipes have I forgotten about???
Ellen: WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT?? This concerns me.
These were fabulous! And what a great hack for crisping up tortillas.
Thank you, Loretta!!
These are fantastic!! I used frozen shrimp and thawed them in cold running water prior to adding to the pan and it worked great. Thanks for sharing this recipe! It was so fun to make these with my sister tonight! This is the first time I have cooked shrimp. It won’t be the last! 😉
I’m so happy to hear this, Brittany! Thank you!
As soon as I saw this, I knew what we were having for supper. And by some miracle, I already had all the ingredients! It is out of this world delicious!!!! I ended up using corn tortillas and flour tortillas, I preferred the corn. These are definitely going on the regular rotation. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the review, Rebecca! I love how many of you made this recipe same day!
Hey Mel, these look delicious but shellfish allergies here. If we were to use salmon, would you still chunk it and cook briefly in skillet before putting in oven to bake? Thanks.
Good question! I think I would briefly cook it first until it’s at least partly cooked so it will soak up the flavors of the sauce. Let me know if you try it!
OMG!! I was making shrimp tacos today anyway (with mango salsa and cook the shrimp in a butter/honey/cayenne mixture). I happened to see your post and knew I HAD to try the shell trick. It was AMAZING! I can’t wait to try your actual shrimp recipe!!
Thank you!!
Carolyn
Whoa, those flavors sound amazing!
Hi Mel!
Do you know if the shrimp portion could be made ahead of time and refrigerated? Then just assemble the taco and put in oven later? No worries if you don’t know.
Must tell you that I love your recipes and have referred all of my friends and family to your website (because people are always asking for the recipe any time I make one of your dishes). Now they all follow religiously, too. My top 5 favorites are perfect cinnamon rolls, homemade salsa, Portillo chopped salad, buttermilk banana bread and savory stuffed pinwheels. But that was harder than picking a favorite child!
Haha, Lori! You are too cute! Thanks for letting me know your favorite recipes! That made my day! About the shrimp tacos, I haven’t tried making the filling ahead of time but I think it would work ok!
This looks so good! Which kind of flour tortillas do you use? Basic grocery store ones? Fresh ala Costco? Homemade? Thanks!!!
For this recipe I’ve just used basic mission brand ones!
To confirm… you use already cooked flour tortillas? Or raw flour tortillas?
Already cooked tortillas.
This taco filling is sooo good…but we had major struggles with the corn tortillas (like where the middle sogged and all the filling fell out!) Not sure if it was because of the tortillas, because I put them in oiled foil instead of directly in the sheet, too much cheese, or all of the above, but I’m willing to try again if anyone has tips?! otherwise I might just do the tortillas and cheese only and add the shrimp after.
Once you take these out of the oven, grab them with tongs while they’re still hot, and then prop them in an upside-down muffin tin. Then they cool off in the nice shape without breaking – even the corn ones!
Great idea!
This worked wonderfully— thanks for the great tip!
Is this the recipe from Cook’s Country? These are also delicious with chicken. Sometimes I split the recipe in half (or if I’m doubling it for company) and do half chicken for non-shrimp lovers. It’s delicious with chicken too!
And they are fantastic with cilantro lime dressing (i.e. Cafe Rio dressing)!
Glad to know they taste delicious with chicken too! Thank you!
These look amazing! I’ve only ever had shrimp in restaurants, so I’m not experienced in cooking it myself. When it says: deveined, peeled, etc, does the shrimp come like that? Or do I have to do that? Do you have a specific place you buy your shrimp? Thanks Mel!
Lacy, if you buy frozen shrimp, the package will say if they are peeled, deveined, tails on or off, etc. IMO, it makes life easier if the shrimp are already deveined, and for this recipe you want them peeled and tails-off, as well.
Hi Lacy, good questions! Sorry I didn’t provide more details in the post! I always buy frozen shrimp and thaw and drain it. The package will tell you how big the shrimp are (it gives a # of shrimp per pound, so the smaller the number, the larger the shrimp are) and it will also tell you if the shrimp have been deveined and peeled. I almost always buy shrimp from Costco and they come peeled and deveined. I remove the tails after they have thawed.
Update: made these last night and they were AMAZING! I’m not even a shrimp fan. We also reheated the leftover tacos today and they tasted just as delicious. I’m already putting this on my next menu!!! SO GOOD!!!!
On way to store. Will make TONIGHT. Will report back. The end.
I hope you loved the tacos, Ellen!
Hi Mel!
Do you know if frozen shrimp would work in this recipe?
Thanks
Yes! Just thaw and drain first. I usually use the frozen shrimp from Costco and it works great (I thaw, drain, and then remove the tails).
Thank you! Can’t wait to make the recipe 🙂