30 Minute Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos are an easy weeknight dinner. They are smokie, spicy and tangy. Everyone will love them!
Here's what's happening with these air fryer tacos: You have warm tortillas ( corn or four), smokey shrimp, and a spicy, sour cream sauce that coats everything. These are tasty while still being healthy!
I used the Ninja Air Fryer to make these tacos. I've had it for about a year and a half, and it still works great!
Here's why I love these Shrimp Tacos:
- Spicy and Fresh: fresh veggies paired with creamy chipotle sauce and spicy shrimp
- Colorful: The red onions, fresh cabbage, and vibrant shrimp make these tacos fun to eat
- 30 Minutes: They don't take that long to make - only 30 minutes
Jump to:
🍤 Ingredients for Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
- Sour Cream: The base for the spicy chipotle sauce.
- Chipotle Chili Powder: Adds spice to the shrimp and sour cream. It's spicier and smokier than regular chili powder.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a smokey flavor to the shrimp and sour cream - hot or sweet paprika will do if you don't have smoked paprika.
- Olive Oil: Very necessary. If you just use butter, the butter will harden once you add the cold shrimp to the spice mixture.
- Butter: Adds flavor and helps to cook the shrimp.
- Shrimp: Large or jumbo shrimp, deshelled and deveined. I usually buy them with the tails on.
Complete ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below.
🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Tacos
1. Mix together all the ingredients for Smoky Shrimp Marinade in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and let them marinate,
2. In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients for the Chipotle Sauce.
3. Toss cabbage and red onions in some of the sauce (not all) until it's coated. We'll use the remaining sauce on the tacos.
4. Cook shrimp in the air fryer for 6-8 minutes. Once the shrimp are done, assemble the tacos!
🥗 Easy Sides
- Chips and Pico de Gallo
- Chips and Guacamole
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- Spanish Rice and Beans
If you need more options, I have a list of 20 super easy sides for your shrimp tacos. Some of them you can make in 10 minutes, others you can easily pick up at the store.
Whichever option you choose, you will have an easy, no-stress side dish for dinner.
🧊 How to Store
Store leftover shrimp, pickled veggies, and chipotle sauce separately in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
To reheat the shrimp microwave for 30-60 seconds.
❓ Recipe Questions
Place frozen shrimp in a plastic bag that you can zip close. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Submerge the bag of shrimp in the cold water (place a plate or weight on it so it remains submerged) and lit it thaw for 20 to 30 minutes.
Place the shrimp in the air fryer basket. Air fryer at 400F for 6-8 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and make a U shape.
👩🍳 Tips
Don't feel like chopping up cabbage? Swap out the 2 cups of cabbage for 2 cups of cole slaw mix (without the dressing)
Smoky Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos
Ingredients
Smoky Shrimp Marinade
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chipotle Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoon lime juice juice from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Tacos
- 16 oz uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 cups Napa cabbage- thinly sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 8 Corn or flour tortillas
- Lime
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Mix together all the ingredients for Smoky Shrimp Marinade in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and let them marinate while you prepare the chipotle sauce and cabbage.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the Chipotle Sauce.
- Add sliced cabbage and red onions to a large bowl. Toss it with some of the sauce (not all) until it's coated. We'll use the remaining sauce on the tacos.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees. Place shrimp in the air fryer and cook for 6-8 minutes.
- To assemble the tacos, add the cabbage mixture to a warm tortilla and top it with shrimp and chipotle sauce. Garnish with cilantro and lime juice if you want.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!