Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Crunchy Slaw

Blackened Shrimp Tacos with a crunchy coleslaw are the BEST meal to make for dinner tonight or at a tailgate (or an at-home tailgate party)! These Blackened Shrimp Tacos, seasoned with homemade blackening seasoning, are topped with a sweet-crunchy slaw and are easy to make on the go if you want to serve them at a tailgate. Makes 10 tacos, but the recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Love tacos? Don’t miss Ground Beef Tacos, Skirt Steak Tacos and Soy Seared Cod Tacos with Spicy Slaw.

Last week, I miiiiiiiight have taught our daughter the LSU fight song, and we miiiiiiiight have danced around the house singing it for the rest of the day.

We’re a little bit excited about football season and all that comes with it–and that includes the Saints, too!

I want to talk tailgating today, what with the season about to begin, and I’ve teamed up with 63 of my food blogger friends to bring y’all 64 new tailgating recipes.

As a football fan whose teams hail from South Louisiana, I wanted to make a rendition of one of my favorite dishes that I always eat when I visit New Orleans: the Blackened Shrimp Poboy.

I took that favorite dish, did my food blogger thing and transformed it into a taco. I also added a slightly sweet, slaw, just because.

Why are tacos great for tailgating?

These Blackened Shrimp Tacos are not something you would see at a traditional tailgate… but I like to think they still belong on the tailgate scene, too!

I’ve eaten my fair share of tacos at tailgates, and I adore them. Also, tacos might be my love language, and I’m totally OK with that.

• Tacos are portable.
• They’re also delicious.
• Added bonus: They’re super easy to make for a crowd.
• You can put literally anything on them, and they’re good to go. (I’m sure some combinations are ill-advised, but I’m not gonna lead y’all astray right here.)

What you’ll need to make this recipe

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• Cast iron grill/griddle (or an actual grill for the tailgate!)
• Stainless steel portable container (for the coleslaw!)
• 8 oz. mason jar (for the slaw dressing.)

In addition to these tools, you’re obviously going to need some ingredients for the tacos, as well.

• Shrimp—we love Gulf shrimp, but get what’s available to you. Before you bring your shrimp to the tailgate, peel and devein them. Nobody wants to do that at the actual tailgate.
• Homemade blackening seasoning ingredients—use sweet paprika (or a smoked paprika), chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, cayenne pepper and kosher salt (medium grain) in this recipe. In a pinch, use store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning. Salt-Free Tony’s is our favorite.
• Fresh tortillas—you may use corn tortillas or flour tortillas with this recipe!
• Green cabbage—this is the base for our homemade coleslaw. You can shred your cabbage with a knife or in the food processor if it has the attachment.
• Almonds—toasted and roughly chopped, please and thank you
• Ramen noodles—yes, the pack you’d get at the store. These are adding some crunch to our slaw! We will toast them with some butter. Just don’t add the flavor packet to them because that’ll muddle the taste of the slaw.
• Extra virgin olive oil—or any other unflavored oil, like avocado oil. We use this with the shrimp, as well as in the slaw dressing.
• Apple cider vinegar—this adds the tartness to our coleslaw dressing. I love apple cider vinegar with slaw and do not recommend making a substitution.
• Honey—this gives a little hint of sweetness

How to make Blackened Shrimp Tacos

Make the Crunchy Coleslaw

Prep the ingredients. Slice the cabbage thin. Toast the almonds. Toast the ramen noodles.

Make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, pepper and salt in a mason jar. Shake until well mixed, then set aside.

Toss together. In a large bowl, toss the coleslaw in the dressing. Sprinkle the toasted ramen noodles on top.

Make the Blackened Shrimp

Peel and devein the shrimp. This takes a bit of time and effort and will likely be the portion of this recipe that takes the longest. Place the shrimp peels in a plastic bag and take them to an outdoor garbage can immediately once done.

Make the blackening seasoning. Combine the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, basil, cayenne and salt in a small bowl to make the spice blend. Stir until mixed, then set aside.

If you don’t have the ingredients to make the blackening seasoning, consider using a store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning. They should be very similar to this!

Season the shrimp. Place the shrimp. Sprinkle on the homemade blackening seasoning. Toss until all shrimp are coated.

Please note that the seasoning will be thick. Don’t worry that this will be too much—it makes the shrimp delicious!

Cook the shrimp. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then cook the shrimp until pink and flip. Cook until cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Heat the tortillas. Use the same skillet (or your grill OR stovetop, if it’s gas) to heat the tortillas until warmed through.

Make the Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Slaw

Layer a helping of the prepared coleslaw into the warmed tortilla

Top with the blackened shrimp. Serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy immediately!

How to make Blackened Shrimp Tacos at a tailgate

Prep the shrimp taco ingredients. This means deveining and peeling the shrimp, as well as making the homemade blackening seasoning. Place the seasoning in a small to-go container so it can easily be brought along. Store the shrimp in a storage container in the fridge, and make sure it stays cold during transport.

Prep and make the coleslaw ingredients. Shred the cabbage. Toast the almonds and ramen noodles. Make the dressing.

• Package the cabbage and almonds together in a to-go container.
• Store the ramen noodles in a separate container or bag.
• Bring the dressing in the mason jar.

Plan to mix the ingredients just before serving.

How to cook shrimp at a tailgate: Cook the shrimp directly onto the grill, similar to these Grilled Shrimp Skewers. If your shrimp are too small, bring along a skillet and cook them in the skillet on the grill to prevent them from falling through the grates!

If you want to add lime juice, give the shrimp a spritz of it before making the tacos so guests don’t have to worry about lime wedges.

Warm the tortillas directly on the grill.

Serve the shrimp tacos. Layer on the slaw, then top with the shrimp. Wrap in foil or parchment paper so guests can bring the tacos on-the-go or serve on small appetizer plates so they are easily held in hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips and Tricks for Making the BEST Easy Blackened Shrimp Tacos

• Follow the directions of the recipe below!
• Make the coleslaw at home and keep it on ice until it’s time to eat.
• Make the homemade blackening seasoning at your house, then bring it along to the tailgate. (This is easier than toting all the spices with you.)
• Cook the shrimp in a skillet or on the grill at the tailgate.
• Warm the corn or flour tortillas when it’s time to eat in the skillet or on the grill.

Love all kinds of tacos?

I recommend trying out these Andouille Sausage Breakfast Tacos and Mashed Potato Chorizo Breakfast Tacos.

Wanna make these? Scroll on down to learn how you can make Blackened Shrimp Tacos for your next tailgate… or dinner!

Blackened Shrimp Tacos

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Blackened Shrimp Tacos with a crunchy coleslaw are the BEST entree to make at your football tailgate! Shrimp are liberally sprinkled with homemade blackening seasoning, then cooked. Flour (or corn!) tortillas are warmed on the grill. When the elements of the dish are ready, the shrimp are served atop a (made-at-home) Asian-inspired coleslaw that features green cabbage, toasted almonds, toasted Ramen noodles and a honey vinaigrette. These Blackened Shrimp Tacos go great with beer and are easily transported as you peruse your team’s tailgate scene!

5 from 1 vote

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 10 tacos

Calories 366 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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Shrimp Tacos

• 1 lb. peeled & deveined shrimp
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 10 fresh tortillas warmed over the flame for a few seconds on both sides (corn or flour work)

Coleslaw

• 1 small head green cabbage sliced into ribbons (around 5 cups)
• ½ cup almonds toasted and roughly chopped
• 1 package ramen noodles toasted in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter WITHOUT the flavor packet
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

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Instructions

 

Make the Slaw

• In a large bowl, combine the sliced cabbage and almonds.
• In a mason jar, mix the dressing: olive oil, vinegar, honey, pepper and salt. Shake until well mixed.
• If eating immediately: Toss the coleslaw in the dressing. Sprinkle the toasted ramen noodles on top.
• If preparing in advance: Package the cabbage and almonds together. Store the ramen noodles in a separate container or plastic bag. Bring the mason jar of dressing along, and mix all the ingredients just before serving.

Prepare the Shrimp

• In a small bowl, mix the blackening seasoning ingredients: paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, basil, cayenne and salt. Stir until mixed. Set aside.
• Place shelled and deveined shrimp into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle with the blackening seasoning, and toss until all shrimp are coated. (The seasoning will be thick. Don't fear that this will be too much — it makes it delicious!)
• Heat a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. (If doing this at a tailgate, you can throw the shrimp directly onto the grill! Or you can cook them on a skillet on the grill, if you so desire.)
• When the oil is hot, add the shrimp.
• Cook until pink and completely cooked through. This will take about 4-5 minutes, depending on the heat.
• Remove from the skillet, and set aside.
• In the same skillet (or directly on the grill OR stovetop), heat the tortillas until just warmed.

Prepare the Tacos

• In the warm tortillas, layer a helping of the prepared coleslaw. Top with the blackened shrimp.
• Enjoy immediately!

Notes

For this dish to work at a tailgate, prepare the coleslaw at home. Bring in a portable container, and keep in the cooler until time to serve. Also mix up the seasoning mixture for the shrimp at home.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if your tailgate party is hosting more folks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacoCalories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 17gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 976mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3g

Keyword blackened shrimp recipe, Cinco de Mayo recipe, entree, pan fried shrimp tacos, shrimp taco recipe, shrimp tacos with slaw, taco recipe, taco tuesday recipe, tacos, tailgate recipe, unique taco recipe

Course Entrees

Cuisine TexMex

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