Go Back

Baja Shrimp Tacos

Baja shrimp tacos with golden crispy beer-battered shrimp and a bright white cabbage slaw. These tacos are fried in hot oil for quick cook time, then piled into warm tortillas with avocado and cilantro.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Shrimp
  • 1.5 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Beer batter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup beer
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp cayenne
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Frying
  • 1 oil for frying
White slaw
  • 2 cup shredded cabbage
  • 0.25 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
Tacos
  • 8 corn or flour tortillas
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 lime

Equipment

  • 1 deep skillet or pot

Method
 

Make the beer batter
  1. Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until evenly mixed with no dry pockets visible.
  2. Gradually whisk in beer until a thick batter forms with the consistency of pancake batter.
Fry the shrimp
  1. Heat oil to 350°F in a deep skillet or pot so the surface sizzles when you add a small drop of batter.
  2. Toss the shrimp in the beer batter until evenly coated, so each piece looks fully covered.
  3. Carefully add the battered shrimp to the hot oil in batches to avoid crowding, keeping the oil temperature close to 350°F.
  4. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes, then drain on paper towels with a dry, crisp look.
Build the slaw and tacos
  1. Combine shredded cabbage, mayonnaise, and lime juice to create the slaw, stirring until the cabbage is lightly coated.
  2. Warm tortillas on a griddle until pliable, about 30-60 seconds per side.
  3. Fill each tortilla with beer-battered shrimp, then layer on cabbage slaw.
  4. Top with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro, then serve with lime wedges for bright finishing juice.

Notes

For extra crisp shrimp, keep the oil at 350°F and fry in small batches so the batter doesn’t cool the oil too much. Store leftover slaw in the fridge up to 3 days, but re-fry or toast shrimp briefly if you want to restore crunch (avoid freezing shrimp batter tacos). For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise in the slaw.