These Buffalo Shrimp Tacos 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 a quick and easy weeknight dinner with seriously delicious flavors, you’ve found the right recipe! These buffalo shrimp tacos are flavorful, filling, with really simple steps and will satisfy the whole family.
Taco night will never be the same! As long as you’ve got the shrimp on hand, chances are you will have all the sauces and spices needed to cook up this tasty taco recipe like this air fryer shrimp tacos or spicy shrimp tacos.
Seasoned plump shrimp is dusted with cornstarch, pan seared until crispy and juicy. It is then tossed in a creamy homemade buffalo sauce that is not excessively spicy.
From there, you just have to add it to a warm tortilla, all taco fixins and a drizzle of ranch dressing which helps balance the heat, compliments the spicy shrimp and adds delicious creaminess.
Although there are several components, the whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes and is really delicious. You could even skip the tortillas and load up the shrimp into lettuce cups for a carb free bite like this chickpea lettuce wraps. Lots of possibilities here.
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Why you'll love this recipe?
- Ultra flavorful buffalo shrimp tacos: It is spicy, creamy, tangy, crispy with buttery avocado, crisp lettuce and a satisfying crunch from raw red onion. They aren't fussy to make, don't have a lot of layers yet full of flavor.
- Quick and easy: Simply coat the shrimp in seasoning and cornstarch, then sear in a skillet for a few minutes and toss in a quick creamy buffalo sauce – that’s it! There is no need to make a slaw and these tacos will be ready in about 30 minutes. Great timesaver for busy families!
- Big Buffalo Flavor – A simple crisp coating and a homemade creamy buffalo sauce made with Frank’s hot sauce give these buffalo shrimp the perfect amount of heat. If you love our air fryer buffalo chicken wings or buffalo ranch chicken dip then you'll love this recipe.
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.
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.
- Pat dry one pound of shrimp with paper towels until thoroughly dry and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Tip: Dried shrimp will cook crispier and more flavorful!
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 tablepoons 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.
Tip: Searing them in a single layer without over crowding will make that the crisp up without steaming.
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.
How to serve?
It can be served in a variety of ways! This buffalo shrimp tacos are a meal on their own, they would also be great alongside a salad or roasted veggie for an unrivaled Taco Tuesday!
Delicious Topping Ideas
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.
Helpful tips
- 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.
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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Buffalo Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
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
Sauce
- ½ cup Frank's Redhot sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 to 3 teaspoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
Additional ingredients
- 8 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- 1 avocado, sliced or chopped
- chopped 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
Cook shrimp
- Toss shrimp with garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle cornstarch and toss until every shrimp is well coated.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
- When hot, place about half the shrimp in a single layer without over crowding. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or the bottom is pale golden and shrimp begins to curl. Flip shrimp and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat process to cook remaining shrimp.
Make sauce
- Whisk Frank's RedHot sauce, melted butter and sugar in a bowl, until sugar is dissolved. Mix in mayonnaise until well combined, smooth and creamy. (You can skip mayo if you'd like, but it tones down the heat and adds a wonderful creaminess)
Assemble
- Toss cooked shrimp with the prepared sauce just before serving to maintain the crispy texture.Fill each warmed tortilla with some lettuce, shrimp, avocado, red onion, cilantro, a drizzle of ranch dressing and more Frank's RedHot sauce (if needed).
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.
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All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.
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!