Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

A little spicy, definitely smoky from the grill, and oh so delicious--Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw brings me back to my days of living in San Diego. You probably know that the slaw and sauce is what really makes a fish or shrimp taco shine. I combined the slaw and sauce to make a creamy slaw for these shrimp tacos.

I first prepared Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw for a taco bar night when we hosted a dinner party with friends. Everyone loved the Slow Cooker Carnitas, but they really raved about the Shrimp Tacos. Don’t be shy. Go ahead and fire up that grill and cook up a batch of these shrimp tacos tonight. What’s on your menu for Taco Tuesday?

PREPARE GRILLED SHRIMP TACOS WITH CABBAGE SLAW:

First prepare the cabbage slaw. Place the shredded cabbage, thinly sliced red onion, and diced jalapeno in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, lime juice and zest, roasted garlic, cumin, oregano, and chipotle powder. Once thoroughly combined, pour the sauce into the bowl with the shredded cabbage. Mix well to completely combine the ingredients. Place the bowl with the cabbage slaw in the fridge.

Next, start the grill preheating to 350ºF. (I used my Traeger with hickory pellets, but any grill will work.) While the grill preheats, make the marinade for the shrimp. Whisk together the avocado oil, juice and zest from one lemon, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp with the marinade, and allow to rest until the grill is preheated.

When ready to grill, remove the shrimp from the marinade and place in a grill basket. (Discard the remaining marinade.) Place the basket on the grill, and cook for approximately ten minutes, turning the shrimp once during cooking. Shrimp will turn white and have a firm flesh when done.

SERVE GRILLED SHRIMP TACOS WITH CABBAGE SLAW:

• Serve in warm corn tortillas or butter leaf lettuce leaves.
• Top with cabbage slaw and diced avocado. Or, smash some avocado on the tortilla.
• Also add cilantro and/or manchego cheese.
• Add a side of Mexican Black Beans for a complete meal.
• Want more Mexican-inspired recipe ideas? Check out this collection of fiesta recipes.

RECIPE NOTES:

• Do not overcook the shrimp as they will become rubbery.
• The cabbage slaw can be made the day before and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.
• You can roast garlic on the grill or in the oven. My Grilled Veggie Summer Salad recipe has instructions for roasting garlic on the grill. The same directions apply if you are roasting it in the oven. Yes, you could use minced garlic in this recipe, but roasting the garlic adds a little sweetness. I usually keep some roasted garlic on hand in the fridge.
• For you Trader Joe's fans: I used uncooked wild caught Argentinian Red Shrimp. It has already been deveined with the tails removed. Find it in the freezer section. You can also find shredded cabbage in their produce section which will save you some time. The bag is equal to the six cups used in this recipe.

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Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Yield: 8 tacos

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

A little spicy, definitely smoky from the grill, and oh so delicious--Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw are mouth watering goodness.

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Ingredients

For the Shrimp:

• 1 pound shrimp
• ¼ cup avocado oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Cabbage Slaw

• 6 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 2 cups red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large jalapeno, diced, seeds and ribs removed
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder

For serving:

• 8 corn tortillas
• ⅔ cup Manchego cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup cilantro, rough chopped
• 1 avocado, diced

Instructions

1. First prepare the slaw. Shred six cups of green cabbage, if you didn't buy it already shredded. Remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno, then finely dice it. Finally, remove the outer skin from the red onion, then thinly slice two cups worth. Place all the veggies in a large bowl.
2. Next, combine the remaining ingredients for the slaw in a smaller bowl, and whisk together well. Pour the sauce mixture over the slaw mix and stir to combine all ingredients. Place the bowl with the cabbage slaw in the fridge.
3. Next, start the grill preheating to 350ºF. While the grill preheats, make the marinade for the shrimp. Whisk together the avocado oil, juice and zest from one lemon, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp with the marinade, and allow to rest until the grill is preheated.
4. When ready to grill, remove the shrimp from the marinade and place in a grill basket. (Discard the remaining marinade.) Place the basket on the grill, and cook for approximately ten minutes, turning the shrimp once during cooking. Shrimp will turn white and have a firm flesh when done. Be careful not to overcook.
5. To serve, heat corn tortillas on the grill or in a dry cast iron skillet. Place cabbage slaw and shrimp in tortilla, and top with diced avocado, cilantro, and manchego cheese.

Notes

• The cabbage slaw can be made the day before and kept refrigerated until ready to serve. Just make sure to stir well before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 434Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 148mgSodium 695mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 25g

Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.

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