Baja Shrimp Tacos
Baja shrimp tacos filled with crispy jumbo shrimp, crunchy cabbage slaw, thinly sliced red onions, and Baja sauce. The perfect summer tacos!
These Baja Shrimp Tacos will transport you straight to Mexico. They’re crispy, crunchy, spicy, and fresh. Full of juicy jumbo shrimp, zesty cabbage slaw, and creamy chipotle Baja sauce. They’re so easy to pull off at home, you’ll be wanting to make them again and again.
What are Baja-style tacos?
Baja-style tacos feature crispy, fried, breaded or battered seafood, most commonly white fish or shrimp. They’re named after the Baja California peninsula in Mexico where the dish originated. Served with crunchy cabbage and Baja sauce, these tacos are fresh, light, and full of flavour.
Ingredients for Baja shrimp tacos
- Baja shrimp: 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined) + buttermilk + flour + panko + garlic powder + chili powder + salt. The buttermilk is used for soaking the shrimp, you could also use plain milk.
- Mexican slaw: Shredded green cabbage + jalapeño + cilantro + olive oil + lime juice + cumin + salt. You could also use flat-leaf parsley instead of cilantro, or a combination.
- Baja sauce: Mayonnaise + chipotle in adobo + garlic + lime juice + salt.
- Onion: 1 small red onion, thinly sliced. Pickled red onion would also be delicious here.
- Tortillas: 8 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed.
How to make Baja shrimp tacos
Step 1: Make the Baja sauce. In a blender bottle or food processor, blend together the mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo, garlic, lime juice, and salt for the Baja sauce, until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2: Make the Mexican slaw. In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley). In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 3: Prepare the shrimp. Heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a dutch oven until it reaches 350°F. While the oil is heating up, in a medium bowl soak the shrimp in buttermilk. In a separate bowl, add the flour, panko, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Fry the shrimp. Once the oil is up to temperature, working in batches, remove the shrimp from the buttermilk and shake off any excess. Toss in the flour mixture to coat. Fry until crispy and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer fried shrimp to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat until all the shrimp have been fried.
Step 5: Serve. Serve on warm tortillas topped with coleslaw, thinly sliced red onions, and drizzled with extra Baja sauce.
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If you’re looking for more taco recipes, try these Gochujang Broccoli Tacos, or Slow Cooker Beef Birria (to make quesabirria tacos).
Baja Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 small tortillas, warmed
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
For the Baja shrimp
- 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Baja sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 chipotle in adobo, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Mexican slaw
- 4 cups cabbage, shredded
- ½ cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- ½ jalapeno, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a blender bottle or food processor, blend together the mayonnaise, chipotle in adobo, garlic, lime juice, and salt for the Baja sauce until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley). In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cumin, and salt. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a dutch oven until it reaches 350°F. While the oil is heating up, in a medium bowl, soak the shrimp in buttermilk. In a separate bowl, add the flour, panko, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Once the oil is up to temperature, working in batches, remove the shrimp from the buttermilk and shake off any excess. Toss in the flour mixture to coat. Fry the shrimp in batches until crispy and golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer fried shrimp to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat until all the shrimp have been fried.
- Serve on warm tortillas topped with coleslaw, thinly sliced red onions, and drizzled with extra Baja sauce.
