Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa makes for such an easy, tasty dinner option. This recipe features tender shrimp and sweet, tangy pineapple salsa all inside warm corn tortillas. This is the ultimate way to do taco night and so perfect for summer!
These delicious shrimp tacos topped with a light and refreshing salsa are quickly becoming one of our favorite dinners. And every time I make a recipe with shrimp, I ask myself why I don’t cook with it more often.
In addition to being healthy, shrimp cooks in a matter of minutes, making it ideal for fast weeknight meals. The sautéed shrimp in these tacos has the best flavor and cooks in fewer than five minutes, which is just enough time to pour yourself something fun to sip. Have you tried my skinny jalapeño margaritas? They pair perfectly with these tacos or any tacos! And don’t forget to make my 5 ingredient Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice to serve on the side!
Why you should make this recipe
- Quick & easy. You will not believe how quickly this recipe comes together. Simply prepare the salsa, cook the shrimp in the skillet, and assemble! These can be on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes!
- Versatile. You can prepare these shrimp tacos a variety of different ways. It’s easy to sauté the shrimp in a pan, but you can also grill it or blacken it. You can also customize the salsa by adding other fruit like mangoes or strawberries. Or leave the fruit out all together and use pico de gallo.
- Healthy. Served with corn tortillas, these are low in calories and fat and filled with nutrients. This recipe is also naturally gluten free, as long as you use gluten-free tortillas.
Ingredients needed
If you’re looking for a way to use fresh summer produce to create an easy, flavorful meal, this is it. This shrimp tacos recipe is super tasty, easy to make, and feels extra special with the fruit salsa served over the top. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:
For the salsa
This pineapple salsa is absolutely delicious and pairs so well with the shrimp! It features fresh pineapple, tomato, red onion, apple cider vinegar, honey and chopped cilantro. The pineapple salsa includes a little bit of fresh jalapeño for a kick – if you’re sensitive to spicy foods, take the ribs and seeds out of the pepper to considerably tone the spice level down. For the best texture, be sure to cut up the fruit and veggies into very small pieces.
It’s also great served with just chips and would work well on grilled chicken or served over brown rice. The taste of sweet juicy pineapple balances out the spice from the jalapeño and takes this whole meal to the next level. I have to say the pineapple salsa really steals the show in this flavorful shrimp taco dinner. So fresh and tasty!
For the shrimp
This recipe calls for raw shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. While fresh shrimp is great, most of the time, I purchase raw, frozen shrimp. Frozen shrimp is usually less expensive, and because you can purchase it already peeled and deveined, it puts one less step between me and my plate of shrimp tacos.
Pro tip: To make the salsa super quick, consider buying pineapple that is already cut up. You can usually even find tomato, onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro that is pre-chopped in the produce department. If you have a whole pineapple to cut and need some tips, here’s a great guide for how to cut a pineapple.
How to make this recipe
This recipe moves really quickly once you start cooking the shrimp, so it’s a good idea to prep the pineapple salsa first. Once that’s mixed together, you’ll have dinner on the table in a flash! Here’s the simple method:
- Make the fruit salsa. Prepare the salsa by combining the finely chopped pineapple, tomato, red onion, jalapeño pepper, fresh cilantro, apple cider vinegar and honey, in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Season the shrimp. Toss the shrimp with lime juice, salt and chili powder in a medium bowl. Grease a large skillet with olive oil or spray it with a nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the shrimp. Transfer the shrimp to the skillet and sear for about 1-2 minutes on each side and until pink. Do not overcook. While the shrimp is cooking, heat the tortillas according to package instructions.
- Assemble the tacos. Serve the shrimp on warmed corn tortillas with salsa and any other favorite garnish. We like to add sliced avocado or guacamole, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you would like to drizzle a sauce over the top, try this creamy sauce that I make when I serve fish tacos.
Frequently asked questions
If your shrimp have shells on them, you can easily remove them by pulling the main part of the shell off with your fingers, then removing the tail end of the shell. To devein the shrimp, use a paring knife to cut a slit along the top of the shrimp, then use the knife, your fingers or a wooden skewer to remove the vein. I do this under running water in the sink. Here’s a video showing how to peel and devein shrimp.
Shrimp cooks really fast, so be sure to keep a close eye on it once you get it cooking! Depending on the size of your shrimp and how many you have in the pan, this will usually take 4 to 6 minutes, typically 2 to 3 minutes per side.
When shrimp is raw the flesh is a grayish color. As it cooks, it turns to an opaque whitish pink color.
The shrimp should curl up into a loose “C” shape when properly cooked. If they have curled up into a tight “O” shape, then it is most likely overcooked. (An undercooked shrimp will still have some grayish spots on them and form more of a flexible “U” shape.)
How to heat tortillas
Whether you’re using flour or corn tortillas, you’ll want to warm them up following these instructions. It will help them to fold and hold ingredients without breaking. It will also make them more flavorful and the overall dish tastier. Here’s a few ways that you can warm the tortillas:
- Wrap a stack of 5 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time until warmed through.
- Place on a gas stovetop over a medium/low flame — place the tortilla right on the open flame on the stovetop and flip after 10-15 seconds.
- Cook in a hot, dry skillet, griddle, cooktop, or grill grates — flip after 10-15 seconds.
Expert tips
- What size of shrimp to use? We like to use medium to large shrimp for tacos or fajitas. Any size will work, though, so use what you prefer. Cooking times vary, slightly, depending on the size of shrimp.
- Thawing frozen shrimp. You can thaw frozen shrimp in your refrigerator overnight. Or if you forget, to quickly thaw frozen shrimp, place it in a colander, then submerge the colander in cool water for about 20 minutes.
- Make ahead. The pineapple salsa can be prepared a couple of hours in advance.
- What type of tortillas to use? We typically use corn tortillas for these tacos, but flour tortillas are also a great choice. To keep these tacos gluten free, be sure to use certified gluten-free tortillas.
Variations
We typically make this recipe as written, but sometimes it’s fun to switch things up a bit depending on the ingredients you’re craving or happen to have on hand. Here’s some options:
- Protein. Instead of shrimp try a different type of seafood. We’ve made these with cod and salmon, and both are delicious.
- Salsa. No pineapple on hand? You can use another fruit such as peaches, mango, papaya or even kiwi. Another great option is to toss in a diced avocado.
- Toppings. Add some different toppings such as sliced avocado or guacamole, jalapeño slices, grated cotija cheese, greek yogurt, hot sauce or pickled red onion. You could even fill your taco with some shredded cabbage or cabbage slaw.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
Salsa:
- 1 cup finely chopped pineapple
- 1 small to medium tomato, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 minced jalapeno pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
Shrimp:
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- juice from 1 lime, (2-3 tablespoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 6 corn tortillas for serving
- optional garnish: guacamole, avocado slices, sour cream, cheese, jalapeño slices and/or fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare salsa by combining all salsa ingredients listed above, pineapple through honey, in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Toss shrimp with lime juice, salt and chili powder in a medium bowl. Grease a large skillet with olive oil or spray with a nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
- Transfer shrimp to skillet and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side and until pink. Do not overcook.
- Serve shrimp on warmed corn tortillas with salsa and any other favorite garnish.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Does anyone know the the potassium content is?
These were so good!!! I loved the pineapple salsa. My daughter loved these!!!
Yay! So happy to hear it!
I am obsessed with these! Soooooo good! My company raved about them AND your chicken tacos! Can’t wait to fix them for my kids and grandkids!
Yay! That’s so awesome… these are some of my favorite tacos!
These are so good, it’s a good summer recipe.
So glad you enjoyed!
These are amazing! I also make a cabbage slaw with sour cream, lime juice and a little Tapatio hot sauce for a little kick.
So, so glad you enjoyed! That slaw sounds like the perfect pairing!
This sounds delicious! I’m making these tonight. Any ideas for a side dish that would pair well with this?
Enjoy! I think a simple rice recipe, like this would be great- http://www.skinnytaste.com/chipotle-cilantro-lime-rice-4-pts/. You could even do black beans or a small salad with fresh tomatoes, avocado and corn.
Your pineapple salsa with shrimp was fabulous the Corn tortillas fell apart. How do I get them to look like yours. Ate with sliced avacado and fat free sour cream Yum!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! My favorite method for cooking up corn tortillas is to spray them with a little olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray and heat them in a skillet. I’ve also heard that heating them in a damp paper towel in the microwave works well. It’s best to keep them warm until you’re ready to eat. We have a tortilla warmer like this one. (affiliate link) http://amzn.to/1XsBpTD
OH, didn’t see Kim’s response. Haha! What she said!
If you warm them a little on a griddle with a little cooking spray until just slightly golden, it makes them a little more durable. The tortillas are just a little chewy too which we like in our house.