Tacos don't have to be overly complicated and these Crispy Prawn Tacos are about as simple as they get. Crispy oven baked prawns on a bed of crisp lettuce, a fresh and spicy salsa with a drizzle of zesty coriander sauce. Shrimp tacos (as you would call them in the US) are an easy but impressive meal that can easily feed a crowd.
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What you will need
- Mini tortillas or soft tacos
- King prawns
- Egg
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Cayenne pepper
- Flour
- Tomatoes
- Shallots
- Fresh coriander
- Limes
- Jalapeno
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Iceberg lettuce
- Greek yogurt
- Garlic cloves
Step by step
One: In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, shallots, half the coriander, half the lime juice, 1 of the crushed garlic cloves, jalapeno and salt and pepper and set aside.
Two: In another bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, rest of the lime juice, coriander, crushed garlic and salt and pepper.
Three: Put the flour and cayenne in a small bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in another. In a third bowl, whisk the egg.
Four: Coat the prawns in the flour, then dip them in the egg and then the panko until they are all fully covered.
Five: Put the prawns on a lined and oiled baking tray and in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 10 minutes, or until crispy.
Six: Start making your tacos by adding some shredded lettuce to tortillas, topping with salsa, then add the cooked crispy prawns and a drizzle of coriander sauce.
These tacos take me back to some of the best tacos I have ever had (and I have tried a lot) when I was in San Diego. Whilst Mexico is obviously kicking butt in the taco department, I have to say I am a big fan of tacos with a Southern California vibe and these crispy prawn tacos have just that.
Food can bring back so many memories and these tacos make me think of sitting outside a little taco shack by the beach in San Diego with the sun on my back. Not a care in the world apart from where my next taco is coming from and where the next stop on my solo backpacking trip across the US will be.
Those were the days. Whilst my life nowadays is a little bit different with running a business and having a toddler and a newborn, one thing that hasn't changed is my love of tacos.
Shrimp tacos
Whenever I want something light and fresh with a Californian vibe, my mind wanders to these shrimp tacos (as our U.S friends would call them). A deliciously crunchy salsa topped with crispy baked prawns and a drizzle of the best creamy coriander dressing. These might just be the perfect tacos.
Crispy prawns
You could fry these prawns and they would only take a minute, but we wanted to make them as light as possible so we baked them. You can still get them super crispy with baking by using panko breadcrumbs. These tacos are, in my opinion, pretty much the best tacos there are and that honestly isn't over selling them
Something we might try next time is to dip them in some beer before dipping them in the egg and breadcrumbs. Beer battered tacos are the way forward I think.
What to top these with
Now, what really makes these tacos special (as if the crispy prawns didn't make them special enough, right?!) is the salsa and the creamy coriander (cilantro) sauce. That makes these next level tacos.
The salsa is a fresh pico de gallo, rather than a blended salsa and the creamy coriander sauce you are going to want to eat straight out of the bowl, so make sure you make a double/triple/quadruple batch.
It is seriously THAT good. Mix that all together with some crispy lettuce on a soft taco and you have your new favourite meal ever. Trust me.
FAQs
If you aren't a fan of prawns, then you could make crispy baked chicken or even crispy baked tofu instead. We try to make our recipes as adaptable as possible, as not everyone is going to like the same things.
But seriously, you are going to like these. How could you not! Did I mention how good the creamy coriander sauce was?
Don't feel like you have to miss out just because you are gluten free. Simply swap the panko breadcrumbs for a gluten free alternative and pick up some of your favourite gluten free tortillas.
This is such a quick and easy meal to put together. You can prepare everything in the morning, and then when you are ready to eat, you just need to spend 10 minutes cooking the crispy prawns.
This whole meal comes together in just 15 minutes, which is quicker than hopping on a plane to San Diego to get your taco fill. Unless you live in San Diego, aka "taco heaven", and in that case... I'm jealous!
Extra tips
- Make these gluten free by using a gluten free panko and swapping the tortillas for your favourite gluten free brand.
- If you don't like prawns, you could make crispy chicken or tofu instead. The method would be the same, but cooking time would vary.
- Want even more spice on your tacos? Add a drizzle of sriracha before serving.
- You can make everything in advance and then just good the prawns when you are ready to eat.
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Recipe
Crispy Prawn Tacos
Ingredients
- 6 Mini tortilla wraps or soft tacos
- 150 g King prawns
- 1 Egg
- 50 g Panko breadcrumbs
- 0.5 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoon Flour
- 4 Tomatoes, diced
- 2 Shallots, diced
- 1 Small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 2 Limes (juice only)
- 1 jalapeños, finely diced (or 2 heaped tablespoon of pickled jalapeños)
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 0.25 Iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 6 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt
- 4 Garlic cloves crushed
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the tomato, shallots, half the chopped coriander, half the lime juice, 1 of the crushed garlic cloves, jalapeño and salt and pepper and set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, the rest of the lime juice, coriander and crushed garlic and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and set aside.
- Put the flour and cayenne (mixed) on one plate and the panko breadcrumbs on another. Beat the egg in a bowl and then one by one, dip the prawns in flour, then in the egg and then in to the panko breadcrumbs making sure they are coated.
- Put the prawns on a lined and oiled baking tray and bake at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 in a preheated oven for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Start making your tacos by adding some shredded lettuce to a soft taco, add some salsa, crispy prawns and then top with some creamy coriander sauce.
Notes
- Make these gluten free by using a gluten free panko and swapping the tortillas for your favourite gluten free brand.
- If you don't like prawns, you could make crispy chicken or tofu instead. The method would be the same, but cooking time would vary.
- Want even more spice on your tacos? Add a drizzle of sriracha before serving.
- You can make everything in advance and then just good the prawns when you are ready to eat.
Mark
These were amazing! I went to a Mexican cooking class for 10 weeks and these were 10 times better than anything we made. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Dannii
Wow - what a compliment. Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them :)
Mandy Dennelly
So simple so tasty. Can I check, raw or cooked prawns. I made it witj cooked but wanted to check
Dannii
We used cooked prawns.
Traci
I'm so excited to discover this recipe on your site. I absolutely cannot wait to make these beautiful tacos! In the meantime, I'll be pinning them…and drooling ;) Thanks for the recipe inspiration!
Tom
love the article, Amazing post :)
Gabriella Manchester
Wow definitely trying these, they look delicious!
Louise
Can you believe I'd never tried tacos until recently?! I loved them though. I bet they'd be delicious with prawns in. Yum!
Louise x
Annemarie
This looks so healthy and delicious! I bet my family would love it.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
I'm a massive prawn fan and love tacos - these look perfect for the upcoming warmer months as a lighter lunch or dinner option.
Jacqueline Meldrum
Such pretty colours. Perfect for spring. I will have to try that dressing on my next tacos.
Lisa Bryan
I love prawns and I love tacos....so this sounds like the most delicious recipe to me!
Ashleigh Dougherty
Oh these look so yummy and look good for you too! I do love a prawn in lunches and dinner so will have to give these a go next week!
Holly
These sound absolutely delicious! I'm the worst cook but I love to try new recipes when I have a few hours to screw it up and re do it again - this is definitely on my list!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
I just love tacos and these crispy prawn tacos are right up my street. Love the add-in options too.
Whatlauraloves
This is one of my favourite recipes from you yet! I love prawn tacos but haven't made them at home before, now I will! xxx
Lynne Harper
Love prawns and adore tacos so this is the perfect combo for me. They look amazing as well, very moreish
Angela Ricardo Bethea
Wow! I really need to try these. I do really love TACOS and this recipe looks really delish. WIll surely give this a try.
Ana De- Jesus
I love the idea of light and fresh tacos to welcome the start of spring and what better way than through baking your filling instead of frying it. Much healthier and I can imagine your crispy tacos are just as delicious!
Bella and Dawn
Love the sound of the fresh salsa and these crispy prawn tacos would be amazing in my belly! What a nice healthy treat :)