These Buffalo Shrimp Tacos are loaded with plump crispy buffalo shrimp, lettuce, avocado, red onion, drizzled with ranch dressing and more buffalo sauce are an absolute flavor explosion. An easy weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes.
If you are looking for more shrimp taco recipes, then try our air fryer shrimp tacos recipe next!
Why You'll Love These Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
These aren’t your everyday shrimp tacos! They’re crispy, spicy, creamy, and tangy, with buttery avocado, crisp lettuce, and a satisfying crunch from fresh red onion. There are plenty of layers here, but every bite comes together with so much flavor.
The shrimp get a simple crisp coating and are tossed in a creamy homemade Buffalo sauce made with Frank’s Red Hot, giving them just the right amount of heat. And while there are a few components to assemble, the entire meal comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
Want to skip the tortillas? Serve the buffalo shrimp in lettuce cups for a delicious low-carb option.
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to enjoy shrimp, be sure to check out my other shrimp recipes!
-maria doss
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Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Shrimp – We used peeled, medium-sized 31-40 count shrimp. If using frozen ones, make sure it’s thawed before cooking. You can either leave the tail on or off your shrimp. We prefer removing the tail as I think it's easier to eat when it's wrapped in a tortilla.
- Hot Sauce – Any spicy hot sauce will work here, although we recommend Frank’s RedHot for it's taste. It has the perfect body and does a great job of coating the shrimp.
- Lettuce – The crisp color and flavor is perfect for tacos, but you can sub with green cabbage or red cabbage.
- Tortillas - You can use flour, white or yellow corn tortillas for this recipe but make sure to char them or warm in microwave before loading them up.
- Toppings – These aren't your regular Mexican tacos so we stick to avocado slices, lettuce, red onion, and cilantro as our go-to toppings for this recipe.
Tips for Success
- Don’t overcook shrimp: We are looking for tender, plump and juicy shrimp and not chewy guys. So make sure to cook them just until they turn pink and have curled up into a C shape.
- Toss is sauce just before serving: Just like these buffalo chicken tenders recipe, it is best to toss into the sauce just before loading up the tortillas to make sure that they stay crisp and fresh.
- Frozen shrimp: Frozen raw prawns work well, just be sure to thaw them completely before cooking.
- Pat dry: Use paper towels to pat dry the shrimp thoroughly so they can crisp up well when seared.
- Don't overcrowd: Sear them in a single layer without piling on top of each other. This will ensure that they cook crispy without steaming.
More Shrimp Recipes for Dinner
Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
For the Buffalo shrimp
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and patted dry
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the sauce
- ½ cup Frank's Redhot sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 to 3 teaspoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
For the rest
- 8 corn tortillas, warmed (small 4 inch tortillas)
- 1 large avocado, sliced or chopped
- shredded lettuce, as needed
- thinly sliced red onions, as needed
- Ranch dressing, as needed
- Frank's RedHot sauce, more for drizzling
- chopped cilantro, as needed
Instructions
- Season shrimp. Season one pound of shrimp with ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle ½ cup cornstarch over the shrimp and toss again until every piece is well coated.
- Cook shrimp. Heat 1–2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half the shrimp (trying to dust off the excess cornstarch) in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the bottom is lightly golden and the shrimp start to curl.Flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp, adding a little more oil if needed.
- Mix sauce. Whisk ½ cup Frank’s RedHot sauce, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 2 to 3 tsps sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add 2 tablespoon mayonnaise and whisk until smooth and creamy.👉 You can skip the mayo if you prefer, but I highly recommend it—it mellows the heat and gives the buffalo sauce a delicious creamy texture.
- Assemble tacos. Just before serving, toss the cooked shrimp with the prepared sauce to keep them as crispy as possible.Fill each warm tortilla with lettuce, buffalo shrimp, avocado, red onion, and cilantro. Drizzle with ranch and add an extra splash of Frank’s RedHot if you like more heat.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add Spice: Want to make it more spicy? Add a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper along with the seasoning blend and top your finished tacos with few thin jalapeños slices.
- Swap Out Tortillas: I used yellow corn tortillas in this recipe, but you can also use flour tortillas if you prefer.
- Make a lettuce wrap - Skip the tortillas and pile the shrimp into lettuce cups and all the recommended fix-ins.
- Make it gluten-free: Just use gluten-free flour or corn tortillas.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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- Pat dry one pound of shrimp with paper towels until thoroughly dry and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
2. Mix well until well combined.
3. Sprinkle cornstarch and toss until evenly coated.
4. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
5. Pour ½ cup Frank's RedHot sauce into a bowl.
6. Stir in 1 tablespoon each melted unsalted butter and white sugar until sugar is dissolved.
7. Add 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.
8. Mix everything well until smooth and creamy. Set aside until you cook the shrimp.
9. When oil is moderately hot, place shrimp in a single layer without over crowding. Cook in batches if using a smaller or medium size skillet.
10. Flip over when the bottom begins to turn golden and the prawns begin to curl.
11. Cook until the other side is golden and the shrimp is cooked through and succulent.
12. Just before serving, toss all the cooked shrimp in the prepared buffalo sauce.
13. Assembly time! Add shredded lettuce on a warmed corn or flour tortilla.
14. Place 6 to 8 buffalo shrimp on top.
15. Add sliced avocado and thinly sliced red onion.
16. Drizzle with ranch dressing, more Franks' RedHot sauce and fresh cilantro.
Love spicy food? Be sure to check out my favorite collection of 35+ spicy dinner recipes.
Delicious Topping Ideas for Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
You really can’t go wrong with toppings when it comes to tacos. Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Avocado or avocado crema
- Tomatoes
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Mexican cheese blend
- Red onions or scallions
- Avocado
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing
- Chopped cilantro
Storing Leftovers
Although we recommend enjoying these amazing shrimp tacos fresh, leftovers can stored in the fridge and enjoyed later as well. You’ll want to store shrimp, sauce, toppings, and tortillas separately.
- Leftover Shrimp: Store leftover cooked shrimp (without tossing in sauce) in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. It tends to loose it's crispness but will be just as delicious.
- Sauce can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Make sure to leave at room temperature for at least couple of hours before serving.
- To Reheat: You can very gently rewarm the shrimp in a skillet over medium-low heat if needed or in an air fryer at 350 degrees for 1 to 3 minutes or warm.
Recipe FAQs
Although corn tortillas are our go-to for any Mexican taco recipe for it's flavor and texture, these buffalo shrimp tacos are delicious with white, yellow corn or flour tortillas.
Whether you’re using flour or corn tortillas, warming them will make them pliable to hold the ingredients without breaking. Here’s a few ways to warm:
In microwave: Wrap a stack of 4 to 6 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds until warmed through.
On a skillet: Cook in a hot, dry cast iron skillet, griddle or cooktop for 10-15 seconds, flip and cook for another 10 seconds.
Over a gas flame: This is our go-to method for truly blistered edges. Using tongs, place one tortilla at a time directly over open gas flame, cook it begins to get a few black spots, flip and cook on the other side. Keep an eye on them and make sure to adjust the flame because they can burn quickly.
Place the frozen shrimp in a large bowl and fill it with room temperature water. Let it stand for about 30 minutes or until completely thawed. (if you are in a rush then changing the water every 5 to 10 minutes will speed up the process)
Add in ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the dry seasoning and buffalo sauce and top tacos with fresh sliced jalapeños.
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
We could eat Mexican food every day too!! It’s my favorite! This shrimp sounds so yummy with the Frank’s sauce on it! Plus you can never go wrong with tacos!!
Maria Doss
Yep, could never go wrong with tacos, thanks Kelly:)
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Mexican is my favorite and I could eat it every night too! These tacos look great!
Patrick@looneyforfood.com
What a great way to start the week!