How to Make Delicious Shrimp Tacos with Frozen Cooked Shrimp

Shrimp tacos are a delicious, easy to make meal that is perfect for busy weeknights or entertaining guests. When made with frozen cooked shrimp, these tacos come together in a flash with just a few simple ingredients. In this article, I’ll share my tips for making the best shrimp tacos using frozen shrimp so you can skip the defrosting and get dinner on the table fast.

Why Make Shrimp Tacos with Frozen Shrimp

Shrimp tacos are a great way to get more seafood into your diet since shrimp is low in calories and high in protein The only catch is shrimp can be time consuming to thaw and prep when making recipes from scratch That’s where frozen pre-cooked shrimp comes in handy!

Frozen cooked shrimp eliminates the following steps

• Thawing raw shrimp
• Peeling and deveining raw shrimp
• Cooking the raw shrimp

Buying shrimp already cooked saves a good 20-30 minutes of prep time All you have to do is briefly reheat the frozen shrimp before assembling into tacos It makes whipping up shrimp tacos on a busy weeknight totally doable.

Frozen shrimp also gives you consistent results every time since the shrimp are all the same size and evenly cooked. When cooking raw shrimp, it’s easier to over or undercook them. With frozen cooked shrimp you just have to focus on heating them through.

How to Choose Frozen Cooked Shrimp

When buying frozen cooked shrimp, you want to get shrimp that are peeled, deveined, and tail-off. Having the shells already removed makes them fast and easy to use. Go for shrimp that are marked “eezy peel” on the bag which means the shells slip right off.

As for size, opt for medium or large shrimp which are ideal for tacos and hold up well to reheating. Small shrimp can get rubbery when frozen and reheated.

Make sure the shrimp have been cooked prior to freezing. The bag should say something like “fully cooked” or “cooked shrimp.” Raw frozen shrimp will have different cooking instructions.

Finally, watch out for added sauces or marinades on the shrimp. Plain frozen shrimp works best for soaking up the flavors in the tacos.

With the right bag of frozen shrimp, you’ll have deliciously cooked shrimp ready to heat and add to tacos in minutes.

How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp for Tacos

Thawing frozen shrimp is the first and easiest step. Simply place the frozen shrimp in a colander and run cold water over the shrimp just until they separate. This usually takes 5-10 minutes depending on the amount.

You don’t want to fully thaw the shrimp, just separate them enough to cook evenly. If warm or room temp water is used, the outsides of the shrimp will start to cook before the insides are thawed.

Once separated, shake off any excess water from the shrimp so they don’t spatter when cooking. Some moisture clinging is fine.

Cooking Thawed Frozen Shrimp for Tacos

The key to cooking frozen shrimp is using high heat and frequent stirring to quickly heat the outsides and insides of the shrimp evenly. This prevents overcooking.

I prefer to cook the thawed shrimp in a skillet on the stovetop. A large non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet works great. You want a skillet with high sides to contain any splatters.

To cook:

• Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

• Add thawed shrimp in a single layer and cook without stirring for 1 minute to sear the shrimp.

• Stir shrimp and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently, until shrimp are heated through.

• Shrimp will turn opaque in color when fully heated. Remove from heat immediately to prevent overcooking.

If reheating extra large shrimp, you may need an extra minute or two. But never cook the frozen shrimp for more than 5 minutes total.

For a flavor boost, I like to season my shrimp with a simple mix of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. The spices complement the other taco flavors.

Once heated through, the pre-cooked shrimp are ready to assemble into tacos!

Making Shrimp Tacos with Frozen Shrimp

Making the tacos once the shrimp are cooked only takes about 5 minutes. Have all your toppings and taco shells ready before heating the shrimp.

For the tacos:

• Taco shells: Use 6-inch corn or flour tortillas and warm them before assembling. Quickly heating tortillas in the microwave makes them soft and pliable.

• Sauce: Drizzle a crema sauce or plain Greek yogurt over the bottom of the taco shell. Adds moisture and binds toppings.

• Shrimp: Add 4-5 cooked shrimp down the center of the taco shell.

• Toppings: Chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, queso fresco or crumbled feta cheese, and fresh cilantro are all delicious. Keep leftover toppings in the fridge while cooking shrimp.

• Finish with lime juice for a burst of freshness.

Assembly goes quickly by setting up a taco bar and letting everyone build their own custom tacos. Kids especially love being able to pick their own toppings.

Serve shrimp tacos with rice and beans, or keep it low carb by skipping the sides. Enjoy this fast weeknight dinner!

Tips for the Best Shrimp Tacos

Here are a few extra tips for making the tastiest and most flavorful shrimp tacos:

• Always pat the raw shrimp dry before cooking for even browning. Excess moisture causes steaming.

• Brush shells with oil or melted butter then toast briefly in the oven or grill for added flavor and crunch.

• Make a quick cabbage slaw by tossing shredded red or green cabbage with lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Adds refreshing crunch.

• Mix up the spices used to season the shrimp. Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, or taco seasoning all work well.

• For spicy shrimp tacos, toss the cooked shrimp in hot sauce or serve with sliced jalapeños.

• Try mango, pineapple, or peach salsa for a sweet and spicy twist. Grilled fruit also tastes amazing.

• Substitute thinly sliced radish for lettuce for crispness without moisture or use shredded zucchini.

• Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tortilla before adding fillings for more substance.

With this easy method for making shrimp tacos using frozen cooked shrimp, you can skip the wait of defrosting raw shrimp but still enjoy fresh, flavorful tacos any night of the week. Whip up a batch soon and enjoy this fast seafood dinner.