Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa
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Before you start eating this shrimp taco, politely apologize to your family that you’ll be unavailable for the next 15 minutes (5 minutes to wolf it down and 10 minutes of food coma). These Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa are a yummy mouthful and you will not want to put them down.
This was inspired by the famous fish tacos at Coconut’s Fish Cafe that we tried twice in Maui. It’s a copycat recipe except for the shrimp part. Since it’s really hard to come by fresh Mahi and Ono in Idaho, we chose shrimp. To be honest, I think I loved the shrimp more; not a hint of fishiness and perfectly seasoned with a subtle spicy kick.
This Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa recipe makes 6 towering, juicy shrimp tacos. They aren’t neat and tidy either; that’s intentional! I like having a fork nearby to clean my plate once I’m done with my taco. 😉
Did I mention they are GLUTEN FREE? Those are white corn tortillas you’re seeing! My oh my these were amazing.
Ingredients For the Shrimp:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (click for quick tutorial)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt (I used sea salt)
Coconut Coleslaw (click here for the recipe)
Mango Avocado Salsa
1/2 small Red Onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp of canned hot Jalapenos, finely chopped
1/4 bunch of cilantro
1 fresh Mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
3 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
To Serve:
12 Small white corn tortillas
1 medium tomato, diced
1 Lemon cut into 6 wedges
How To Make Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw & Mango Salsa:
Prepping the Shrimp:
1. Combine 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp salt and sprinkle over shrimp. Stir shrimp to coat evenly.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Swirl in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and saute about 1 min per side, or until pink and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Once shrimp are cooled, chop into large pieces if desired (they’re easier to eat if chopped).
Prep your Coconut Coleslaw:
Click here for the full recipe & tutorial. Don’t skip the coleslaw, ok? For goodness sake, DON’T!
Mango Salsa:
1. In a medium bowl, combine: diced red onion, 2 Tbsp jalapeños, 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro, diced mango and diced avocado then drizzle in 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and stir to combine.
Assembly:
1. When ready to serve, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Stack 2 tortillas on top of each other and once the oil is hot, saute until the bottom is golden (no need to flip the tortillas). You’ll see the top one curl up; this is a good thing. The top one should be warm not toasted. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
2. Place 1/6th of the shrimp on each taco (I like to make it an assembly line and have everyone make their own taco, that way I can focus on what’s important; like eating my taco!)
Add 1/6th of the coleslaw (it seems like a lot but you’ll thank me later), top with 1/6 of the mango salsa and finally stud the top with some freshly diced tomatoes. Put a wedge of lemon on each plate because they are even more amazing with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top.
Shrimp Tacos with Coconut Coleslaw and Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp salt, I used sea salt
Coconut Coleslaw
- Visit NatashasKitchen.com to print coconut coleslaw recipe
Mango Avocado Salsa
- 1/2 small Red Onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp of canned hot Jalapenos, finely chopped
- 1/4 bunch of cilantro
- 1 fresh Mango, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
To Serve:
- 12 Small white corn tortillas
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 Lemon cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
Prepping the Shrimp:
- Combine 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp salt and sprinkle over shrimp. Stir shrimp to coat evenly.
- Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Swirl in 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and saute about 1 min per side, or until pink and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Once shrimp are cooled, chop into large pieces if desired (they're easier to eat if chopped).
Prep your Coconut Coleslaw:
- Visit: https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/04/01/creamy-coconut-coleslaw-recipe/ for the full recipe & tutorial.
Mango Salsa
- In a medium bowl, combine: diced red onion, 2 Tbsp jalapeños, 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro, diced mango and diced avocado then drizzle in 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and stir to combine.
Assembly:
- When ready to serve, heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Stack 2 tortillas on top of each other and once the oil is hot, saute until the bottom is golden (no need to flip the tortillas). You'll see the top one curl up; this is a good thing. The top one should be warm not toasted. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Place 1/6th of the shrimp on each taco (I like to make it an assembly line and have everyone make their own taco, that way I can focus on what's important; like eating my taco!) Add 1/6th of the coleslaw (it seems like a lot but you'll thank me later), top with 1/6 of the mango salsa and finally stud the top with some freshly diced tomatoes. Put a wedge of lemon on each plate because they are even more amazing with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top.
Can you tell these are my favorite tacos? They can be your favorite too! 😉 Swoon…
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This was fantastic! Only changes I made were I used canned diced mangos and lime instead of lemon. I loved it. I see what you mean about pigging out on them, lol. I will definitely make this a lot more. I didn’t think I was going to like the way the tortillas were cooked with one being soft but they were great too. Great dish. Thanks
Hi Brenda! That sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing with us. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this tonight and it was a bit of mixed feelings for me.
The shrimp was seasoned PERFECTLY, this seasoning mix will be my go-to for shrimp and some fish like tilapia from now on. The mango salsa was tasty but I felt that it lacked some flavor; I feel like a lot depends on how flavorful the mango is and I think maybe mine wasn’t; next time I’ll try it with pineapple instead of mango. The coconut slaw recipe made a lot for 6 tacos, next time I’ll halve it. I followed the recipe closely and felt that the slaw lacked something; I’m used to slaw being tangy and with 2 tsp of vinegar this one wasn’t. I added a little salt and a bit more apple cider vinegar and still it wasn’t quite what I expected. I could barely taste the horseradish so maybe next time I should add a little more. I enjoyed the coconut taste. Despite my minor gripes the result was very good and will definitely make it again, thank you for the recipe. Tomorrow I am making the fish tacos with the cotija cheese; looking forward to it.
Hi Lorena, you are very welcome and I hope you love the fish tacos also!
Alaskan here and this is going to be my “go to” recipe for Halibut tacos. Although, I love this for shrimp too!
Yay! Great to know that, Laurie.
Delicious. Thank you for the recipe. We love coconuts, and I am so happy I found your copycat recipe. I subbed cod for the shrimp – I bet shrimp is wonderful, too!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review, Leanne!
Well said, Natasha….”5 minutes to wolf it down and 10 minutes of food coma”! That’s exactly how we felt!!! I’ve had this recipe printed out for quite some time and now kicking myself that I waited so long to try this exceptionally wonderful recipe. Thanks again for posting another winner!
You’re very welcome! I’m happy to know that you loved this recipe a lot!
Love your recipes. Seen the one on sausage. Do you have one to red hots
What recipe is it exactly that you are looking for? I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
Delicious! I didn’t use shrimp, I ordered Mahi from Honolulu. The coleslaw could use more mayo sauce. I vaguely remember juices dripping down my arm at Coconut’s.
Thank you for your comments and feedback, Victoria. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Sooooo yummy
Thank you, Sue!
These shrimp tacos are the best thing I’ve ever made or eaten! The shrimp paired w/ the coconut slaw and mango salsa is genius and devine! It’s like a flavor explosion!! All the senses were satisfied with this dish! Thank you so much for sharing all these awesome recipes!!
Thank you Robin, I’m glad that you liked it.
Natasha, these were soooo good! My hubby who said he only wanted one ended up eating three! I did have a problem in cooking the shells. It could be the brand I used…or…me!! At any rate they didn’t turn out like yours. Wish you had a video on exactly how you did that. Regardless, these were great and thank you!
Thank you for sharing that with me, Connie! I’m so happy you both enjoyed this recipe overall. Thank you for the video recipe suggestion.
Yummy for my tummy! I made these tonight. They were a big hit. I doubled the recipe for leftovers and I’m glad that I did because I think we ate half in one sitting!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
It isn’t mango season and I definitely want to make this for my family. Can I use frozen but thawed mangoes?
Hi Casey, I haven’t tested that with frozen mangoes but it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
My son and I had been talking about fish tacos, but my husband prefers shellfish, so I decided to try your delicious-looking shrimp tacos recipe. We also made our own tortillas using half corn masa and half all-purpose flour. The process was a labor of love, but the results were – “Oh! I don’t want this meal to end!”
My husband, who is not effusive, said they were the best tacos he has ever eaten. Thank you for this recipe! Now, he’ll be open to trying your fish tacos…
That’s so awesome Colleen, thank you for that awesome feedback! Sounds like you found a new family favorite!
Well—-It’s Cinco De Mayo, and we’re in Miami on vacation. I made both shrimp and fish tacos (fresh seafood from the Florida Keys) with your Coconut Slaw & Mango Avocado Salsa. What awesome recipes! Thank you so very much. Mary from Central NY!
I imagine that fish is so fresh in Florida! Thank you or sharing that with us!
Wish I could post a picture!
Saw this last night and had to make it…
Thank you for this!!
It was sooo good!!
We’d love to see it! if you post on social media tag #natashaskitchen Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with us!
This is Amazing!!!! We are In Maui now. We love Coconuts and after our visit, I found this recipe. Had to improvise a bit without my normal kitchen and spices, but OMG, This Is A New Favorite!!!! Thank you.
You’re welcome Donna! I’m glad you both love this copycat recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Natasha, you never seem to fail me!!!!😍 Been cooking your recipes ever since I’ve tried your turkey and trust me never used another recipe for a turkey since. Thank you been cooking since I was small and this recipe made me feel like a chef. Food porn for thought I’m a seafood lover and this is a must try!
I’m happy to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes Shonta! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!
Delicious as expected by all the positive reviews! Shrimp can be substituted with anything I am thinking.Next time will mix in some scallops as well!
Hi Kathy, yes shrimp can be substituted with fish. In Maui when we enjoyed these at the restaurant, they were served with local ono fish. The same seasonings would work for fish.
Natasha, these are so great! I love light and flavory foods and these are my favorite tacos. In fact, if we go out, tacos are only good if they are like yours! Believe it or not but we found a restaurant who serves fish instead of shrimp but everything else is the same. I make these all summer long, and none of us is getting bored with it. Thank you so much!!! <3
My pleasure Rita! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy this recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Delicious! Fresh. A little spicy for my kids, so I’ll cut back a little on spice, but outstanding!!!
Hi Melissa, I’m so glad you loved the tacos! You can definitely adjust the seasoning for more subtle flavors and it will still turn out great 🙂
Had company over today, and since it’s Tuesday I decided to make it taco Tuesday night, of course I went on your site and looked for a taco recipe. This one was so good! I doubled the recipe to make sure there’s enough for everyone. My husaband who’s into traditional beef/lettuce tacos was amazed by these. He’s not a shrimp lover so for half I did chicken with the same seasoning and it was delicious as well. Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely be making these again and again 😉
You’re welcome Sveta! I’m glad to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Hi Natasha! Will it turn out good if I use cooked frozen shrimp and just add spices when I preheat them.
Hi Dina, you will always get the best flavor using raw shrimp but you can still make it work the way you are describing, just be careful to just heat the shrimp and not re-cook them or they will be rubbery.
We do a good number of online recipes, and this is the first one in three years that my husband actually urged me to comment on. This is a wonderful dish, fresh, excellent flavor combinations and textures, and he even said “don’t mess with it, just make it again and soon”. We did have one variation, and served the dish on flat fried ‘tapatilla’ style corn tortillas instead of leaving them simply warmed, as being in the southwest, a taco usually would have a crispy shell.
I am so glad to hear your family loves it as much as mine does! 🙂
These are taaaasty! My friend made these for me and I liked em, so I decided to make them for me and my husbub, and now HE liked em. Maybe now he’ll go make em for someone else and continue the chain…Anyway, these are a fun and flavorful combination of ingredients. Thank you so much for sharing!
How awesome!! I totally love that your friend started the chain and you’re continuing it and that there is a chain in the first place!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing that with me 🙂
Do you think adding shaved coconut to the slaw would give it more coconut flavor i love coconut i thought it would be good with it and do u think it thw coconut slaw will be good on maui maui tacos
I haven’t tried it myself but shaved coconut will add different texture to the cole slaw which not everybody might like. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to incorporate it into the recipe.
I thought the same and did add the coconut-it was fabulous!
If I could give this 10 stars I would. Naturally, I had to make these tacos the moment I saw the recipe (because I had some avocados that were about to go bad). But most importantly, because we have this taco boutique, Capital Tacos, right around here, they are rated second in the nation by Business Insider. I go there for shrimp tacos but frankly they are underwhelming. Their shrimp is bland and the toppings have the heat. I love that with this recipe the heat is in the shrimp (just the right amount of it) and the toppings have an awesome splash of sweet and sour and coconut and texture. I had a jar of cranberry horseradish from the holidays, and used it in the coleslaw – I thought it really worked well. So long Capital Tacos! 🙂
Victoria, thank you for such a great review, It’s quiet a compliment 😊. I’m so glad you like them.
I finally made these tacos I used Mahi and it was fantastic. My husband says they are better than Coconuts!!!
Awesome, I’m so happy that you guys loved it :).
Is there a sub for cilantro, not our favorite?
Betty, use parsley instead or just try without it :). I hope you’ll love it!
The best compliment to mango is fresh mint. Try mint in your mango salsa.
Thank you for sharing!
Food coma!! Absolutely amazing! I tried so many different seafood tacos this one is by far the best I’ve tried. Followed the recipe exactly. Except I didn’t have avacado which probably would have been even more better. But honestly it was amazing as it was.
I’m so happy you loved the tacos :). I’m crazy about these too. They totally take me back to Maui 🙂
Made these last night and we absolutely loved this recipe. It is so delicious! Thank you for sharing, I will be pinning and making again! 🙂
I’m so happy you loved it and thank you so much for pinning! 🙂
Seriously the best meal I’ve had in as long as I can remember! The flavors all go so well together. The sweet with the spicy and the creaminess are heaven together. This recipe is going on our regular rotation. Thank you!
I’m so happy you loved it! We felt the same way and we were so happy with the final result. Its definitely a taste of Maui 🙂 Thank you for sharing your awesome review 🙂
Hi Natasha, do you think i can use a fish fillet for this recipe instead of the shrimp?
Yes! Actually the original tacos that we had in Maui were fish tacos and the same seasoning would work for fish. 🙂
Oh my goodness, thats perfect, thank you!!! 🙂
I had lunch at coconuts twice. Was the best food on the Island and we ate at Mama’s too.
I live in Baja and tried to get them to give me the recipe because it was the best fish tacos I have ever had. I sell fish tacos at my restaurant and that was the best ever.
Try cooking your shrimp in coconut oil makes them all that much better.
thanks you for you slaw recipe too. I could not remember what was in it beside coconut milk. best food ever.
thanks again
Irene thank you so much for the tip on using coconut oil on the shrimp. That sounds sooo good! What kind of restaurant do you have? Very cool!
If i want to make this recipe for a group but some dont like shrimp, would steak work ok with it?
Yes Kelly, steak would work as well. Reading your comment and visualizing steak tacos is making me hungry :).
I made these today, my fiance was quite impressed!
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks for sharing that with me 🙂
How spicy is this? Is it “spice friendly ” for kids, who don’t like too much spice?
The shrimp are not very spicy but you can cut the spices down by half if you need to. Also, omit the jalapeños in the mango salsa. That should do the trick! 🙂
OH!!! Thank You SO much for this recipe. I also have visited Coconuts on Maui and loved everything we ever ate there. Your picture of this recipe looks INSANELY DELICIOUS!!! I have to make these tacos with just a slight variation since my hubby is allergic to mango & avocado… basically I’ll be substituting the mango for pineapple, and hubby will just have to do without Avocado (I however WILL have myself a healthy helping of it).
I’m so happy you found the recipe too. It’s something I wish I had found, but no one else had attempted it so I went for it 🙂 I hope you love it and I hope it brings back great memories for you!
Amazing Recipe. The whole family loved it. So fresh and so good. Thanks for posting 🙂 Will be making this again for sure :):)
Deepa thank you so much for the great review! (cool name by the way!) I’m so happy you all loved it 🙂
we had for dinner. we loved them. I didn’t add avocado but already good
I’m so glad you liked the tacos! You’ve got me craving them! 🙂
wow, looks so delicious, I’ll try this for dinner.
It really is quite a treat! I hope you love it as much as we did. Now you’ve got me craving it again! 😉 Enjoy and have a fun Memorial Day!
Just returned from our Maui vacation and have been talking about the great fish tacos at Coconuts!! We are trying this recipe tomorrow. Thank you so much!!
I hope you love it! It totally took us back 🙂
Thank you. They were great!
I made these for my family and they all loved it! There are so many flavors in this dish. I’m going to make some tonight as well. Thank you Natasha for posting your recipes. You are a blessing from God.
Oh goodness you are so sweet 🙂 I’m so happy you loved the tacos! I need to make them again. They remind me of Maui every time 🙂
I made these tacos last week and we loved them. Sooo good! 🙂
Thank you for a great review Alla :). I still have plenty of tortillas and shrimp left so might have to make some soon again.
Hi – Your RECIPES are always a EY OPENER ! Thanks Ursula @ursula cooks.com
Hi Natasha!!
Just had these delightful tacos for dinner and really enjoyed them!! All the flavors came together so well!!! I made my very own homemade flour tortillas and it was the perfect dinner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us! You are the best!!:)
Thank you for the great review. I bet these were fantastic with fresh homemade tortillas. You’re making me hungry! 😉
Yeeeessss! I need these right now! Fortunately I’m heading to the store in about 5 minutes…well as soon as I stop gawking at your posts…
Can’t wait to try these out! I think a margarita is called for on the side, no?
The pictures give me intense cravings too. We understand each other! 😉 lol Enjoy!
Wondering why you toast 2 tortillas at once on top of each other and load everyone onto 2….
Can I just use one or is there a reason why u do 2???
It makes sure they don’t tear when you eat them. Corn tortillas are a little easier to tear than flour tortillas. You could try two. The restaurant used two just like this and it worked really well. The tacos are also pretty juicy from the coleslaw so it helps to contain the juiciness 🙂
I want these now. They’re light, I’m sure delicious and perfect for the Spring that’s actually showing itself around here. Pinned!
Thank you Norma :).
Mmm, these look good. I love the addition of mango.
Thanks Chloe, you definitely get a mouthful of different flavors :).
I hate messy food. If I can’t look descent eating it, I don’t touch it. But THIS! this is something!! Summer on a plate!
P.S. there’s no link where it says “click here, to get the recipe for the coleslaw”.
“Summer on the plate” – I like that comparison :D, thank you Marina. I did check the link and it seems to be working right now.
We made this tacos for dinner tonight and they turned out great!!I had three of them 🙂 Thank you for the recipe Natasha!
You are quick!! I’m so glad you liked the recipe 🙂 It doesn’t surprise me one bit that you had three. lol 😉
I’m in love! Totally my food and me and my 3 year old have the same face when eating tacos. Pinning because my clean eating-abs wanters will love this recipe!!!
That’s a cute picture 🙂 Thanks so much for pinning! You’re awesome. So now when I start desiring better abs, all I have to do is eat more tacos? Score!!
Haha, um, not really. First, you will have to stop baking cakes and cupcakes. 😀 Then bust your butt in the gym and eat cottage cheese with cinnamon for snacks and chicken breast for dinner. No mayo anywhere. Ready? 🙂
Give up mayo, cakes and cupcakes? Girl you crazy! lol. Just kidding. Nope I’m not ready. Except for cauliflower crust pizza. I am ready for that! And your chia pudding is amazing too! 🙂
Thank you! To each their own and as I always say “As long as you are happy”. So, enjoy and I’ll bust my butt for us.;)
Something is going on with your site. The background is Tinkerbelle ??
Looks like an advertisement for Disney’s Pirate Fairy
Hi Katia 🙂 That is supposed to be there. Disney is sponsoring my site for 3 days (today is the last day). What are your thoughts on it? I love feedback from my readers. Thanks Katia!
Nice! Sponsorship from Disney, way to go girl!
I don’t like it as background. I think it would be better if the advertisement was on the side
It was only temporary. They wanted it all and it was a pretty cool opportunity for our blog so we said yes 🙂 I don’t think I would want it there all the time, for sure! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
Just reading your description made me hungry, all i need is to pick up tortillas on the way home so we can have these tacos for dinner, thank you for the recipe
You’re welcome! I hope you love it! Don’t forget ingredients for the coleslaw! It wouldn’t be the same without it 😉
Yummy!!!!!!!!
Agreed 😉 Thanks Vera!
It is supposed to be in the 90’s here soon, so this recipe is going on my must-make list. It sounds wonderful and refreshing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
It is such a treat and it’s pretty healthy too. You just feel good after eating one, or two 😉