Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde
on Mar 12, 2018, Updated Jul 13, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde make for an easy and healthy Mexican dinner! Pan seared shrimp topped with the most addictive salsa you’ll ever eat and all on the table in 30 minutes!
Remember last week when I used half of my two pound bag of shrimp from Costco to make that Sweet and Sour Shrimp Stir-Fry? Well this week I used the other half and made these Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde and they were probably one of the best tacos I’ve ever made!
There really isn’t much to the shrimp portion of the taco, they’re just seasoned with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. They’re delicious of course, but the bulk of the flavor in these tacos comes from the avocado salsa verde.
This was my first time making salsa verde and I can’t believe I waited so long to make it myself. It seriously could not be any easier and the flavor was far superior than anything you get from a store bought jar. I use a jarred salsa verde with green chiles in it on my eggs every morning for breakfast and while I really love it, it’s not the cheapest salsa to buy. Making my own version ended up being about half the price and like I said, it was really easy.
Tomatillos (they look like little green tomatoes covered in a husk), jalapeño and red onion all get roasted in the oven until they’re soft, about 10 minutes. After they cool off just add them to a blender or food processor with half of an avocado, garlic powder, cilantro and fresh lime juice and purée until you have a mostly smooth salsa.
The flavor is a little tartness from the tomatillos and lime juice, heat from the jalapeño, plenty of fresh cilantro flavor and that rich creaminess from the avocado. It’s basically a salsa/guacamole combination that will have you wondering why you never combined the two before.
Once the salsa is ready the only thing to do is sauté the shrimp and if you’re like me and love a good char on your corn tortilla, hold them over stovetop gas burn until they turn black around the edges, it’s so good! Top the shrimp tacos with avocado salsa verde, red onions, more cilantro and more avocado for the perfect bite!
Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde
Ingredients
Avocado Salsa Verde
- 1/2 of a red onion cut into quarters
- 1 jalapeño deseeded and halved lengthwise
- 6 tomatillos husk removed, rinsed and cut in half
- 1/2 of a small avocado
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1/2 of a lime juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Shrimp Tacos
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp approximately 24
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 8 corn tortillas
- Cilantro red onion, diced avocado and lime for toppings
Instructions
Avocado Salsa Verde:
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Put the onion, jalapeño, and tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss together until coated. Roast for approximately 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Add the roasted vegetables and the remaining ingredients to a food processor or blender. Pulse or blend until the salsa is mostly smooth. Taste for seasoning and set aside until ready to use.
Shrimp Tacos:
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a large bowl toss together the shrimp, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper until coated. Cook the shrimp until translucent, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.
- Char the tortillas over an open flame on a gas stove or grill or warm them in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel until they are pliable. Fill the tortillas with 3 shrimp and top with the avocado salsa verde, chopped red onions, cilantro and diced avocado. Serve with a lime wedge on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Taco Recipes
Egg, Green Chile and Cheese Breakfast Tacos
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Blue Cheese Coleslaw
Cuban Chicken and Black Bean Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Salsa doesn’t discolor if you put a thin layer of lime juice on top of it. Just mix in juice (who doesn’t like extra lime juice?) when you are ready to use. Thank you so much for these recipes. I am not a salsa fan but love this.
can the salsa be made the night before ?
Yes. Be aware that it may discolor slightly since there’s avocado in it.
This turned out so good my entire family loves them! I can’t believe I’ve never made my own tomatillos sauce before. Crazy easy & so good! How long do you think the salsa will be good for in the fridge and do you think leftover salsa could be frozen?
Hi Liz,
I’m so glad you and the family enjoyed the tacos! I think the salsa is my favorite part. We had leftover salsa in the fridge for a couple days and it was fine, it might discolor slightly from the avocado. I also made the salsa minus the avocado and have had it in the fridge for a week. I haven’t tried freezing it yet so I can’t say what will happen. If you try that I’d love to know the results. Thanks for trying the tacos and salsa!
Made this recipe tonight! It was a amazing! Any suggestions on what to do with the leftover sauce? It’s so good I don’t want to waste it!
I’m so glad you liked the tacos and sauce Mandy! I used the leftover sauce on top of an omelette and scrambled eggs for breakfast and also on top of cottage cheese (if you like that). Obviously it’s also delicious with tortilla chips too. ;-)