Shrimp tacos in salad form, with shrimp, corn, tortilla strips, black beans, avocado and tomatoes, all tossed in an easy homemade cilantro lime dressing. A fabulous, quick and easy dinner salad!
Enjoy all the flavours of shrimp tacos in salad form! This shrimp taco salad features lettuce, shrimp (quickly sautéed with taco seasoning), black beans, corn, tomatoes, tortilla strips, avocado and a sprinkling of Tex-Mex cheese. It’s all tossed in an easy homemade cilantro lime dressing.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Shrimp – Start with large, uncooked shrimp. Peel and devein if necessary. I love the large wild Argentinian shrimp.
Corn – If it’s fresh corn season, simply cut some corn off the cob to use for this salad. Otherwise, you can use frozen or drained canned corn.
Black beans – Any canned black bean is fine. I’ve been picking up the no salt added black beans as it’s a great way to cut out a little salt, especially when there are other salty elements in the dish anyway. Be sure to rinse the beans well before using. There is no need to cook canned black beans as they are already cooked before canning.
Taco seasoning – You can buy a package of taco seasoning or make your own taco seasoning blend (there are lots of recipes available online).
Tortilla strips – You can buy seasoned tortilla strips at most grocery stores these days. I used the Santa Fe flavour for my salad. Alternatively, you can crush up some tortilla chips.
How to make shrimp taco salad
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making this recipe.
- Start this salad by making the cilantro lime dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a small food processor or blender.
- Process the dressing until well combined and set aside.
- Heat a bit of oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and a bit of taco seasoning and sauté until the shrimp is cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a bowl or plate.
- Add the corn to the same skillet with a splash of water and a bit more taco seasoning. Sauté briefly just to remove the raw corn taste, but keeping it tender-crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add some lettuce to the bottom of a large, shallow serving bowl.
- Add the black beans, corn, tomatoes and shrimp on top of the lettuce.
- Drizzle with the cilantro lime dressing.
- Top the salad with diced avocado, some chopped cilantro and jalapeños and a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle the tortilla strips (or crushed tortilla chips) over the top.
- Finish with a sprinkling of Tex-Mex shredded cheese if you like. To serve, toss well to combine and serve with the remaining cilantro lime dressing.
Recipe tips!
- While the various toppings are added to the salad in segments, you’ll want to toss the salad to serve, so that every spoonful gets all the flavours and textures. Serve with the remaining cilantro lime dressing, for drizzling.
- I’m always torn whether to remove the tails from the shrimp or not. On the one hand, I think shrimp looks nicer with the tails on. On the other hand, you need to remove the tails to eat the shrimp. You can go either way, as you like.
- If you’re feeling a creamy dressing, add a spoonful or two of sour cream or plain yogurt to the cilantro lime dressing and blend it in.
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Get the Recipe: Shrimp Taco Salad
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Dressing:
- 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, cored and seeded and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the salad:
- 1-2 Tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 lb large raw frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined (20-30/lb)
- 2-3 teaspoons taco seasoning, divided *see Note 1 below
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen or drained, canned corn
- 5 cups lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and well rinsed *see Note 2 below
- salt and freshly ground pepper
For topping the salad:
- 1 large avocado, diced
- A dollop of sour cream
- tortilla strips, or crushed tortilla chips
- additional chopped cilantro
- lime wedges or slices
- sliced jalapeño pepper
- shredded Tex-Mex cheese, optional
Instructions
- For the cilantro lime dressing: add all the ingredients to a small food processor or blender and process until well combined. (You could also add to a jar and shake until the dressing emulsifies, but be sure to finely cut the jalapeño and cilantro, as it won't be broken down like with the food processor. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse the black beans and prepare the cherry tomatoes. Set aside.
- For the shrimp: heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat and then add the shrimp together with 1-2 teaspoons of taco seasoning (to taste for spiciness). Cook the shrimp, tossing with the seasoning, until the shrimp is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a small plate or bowl.
- For the corn: To the same skillet over medium heat, add the corn, a splash of water and another 1/2- 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning. Cook the corn, stirring regularly, just long enough to cook out the raw corn taste, but keeping the corn tender-crisp. Remove the corn to a small bowl and set aside.
- To assemble the salad: add lettuce to a large, shallow bowl. Top with cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans and shrimp. Season with a bit of salt and pepper, then drizzle the salad with some of the cilantro lime dressing. Top with avocado, tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, if using, and additional cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges and/or jalapeño slices.
- To serve, toss well and serve with the remaining cilantro lime dressing.
Notes
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
