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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These are the perfect summer meal. Light and fresh, but plenty of flavour. Prawn tacos are easy to adapt with your favourite taco toppings, and they take just 10 minutes to cook.
We love ALL kinds of tacos, but these are our favourite. So simple, but bursting with flavour.
If you are looking for some other healthy prawn recipes to try, then why not try our Prawn Jalfrezi, The Ultimate Prawn Cocktail, Garlic Prawn Spaghetti or The Best Prawn Sandwich.
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Why You Will Love Them
- Quick and easy - The prawns take just 10 minutes in the oven and you can be making the sauce and toppings whilst they are cooking.
- A great way to use prawns - If you love prawns, but are bored of eating them them the same way all the time then this makes a nice change.
- Light and fresh - Meaty tacos can feel a bit heavy sometimes, but these prawn tacos are light and fresh and the perfect summer meal.
- Adaptable - Use this prawn taco recipe as a guide and adapt it to suit your own tastes. You can make it extra spicy if you want.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Mini tortillas or soft tacos - We prefer soft tacos, but you could use hard crispy taco shells if you prefer.
- King prawns - The bigger the prawns the better. You want something that isn't going to be lost in the tacos.
- Egg - This is to help the breadcrumbs stick to the prawns.
- Panko breadcrumbs - We love panko because it helps the prawns get extra crunchy. You can use regular breadcrumbs if you prefer.
- Cayenne pepper - This is optional, but it adds a nice kick of spice to the prawn tacos. You could use our Mexican Seasoning instead if you prefer.
- Flour - This gives the egg something to stick to. Don't skip this, otherwise the egg will just slide off the prawns.
- Tomatoes - Use really ripe and fresh tomatoes for the best salsa.
- Shallots - These add a nice sweetness to the salsa, but you can use half a small red onion if you prefer.
- Fresh coriander - Can be left out if you are not a fan, but it's a must in salsa in our opinion.
- Limes - Depending on how juicy your lime is, you may need to use more.
- Jalapeno - Also optional, but it makes the salsa nice and spicy. To make it less spicy, remove the seeds from the jalapeno.
- Iceberg lettuce - This adds a nice crunch to the prawn tacos. You can use romaine or little gem too. For an extra green veggie boost, add some chopped spinach.
- Greek yogurt - This is for the creamy sauce. Use reduced fat to keep this a lighter meal.
- Garlic cloves - Freshly crushed is always best. Crush into a fine paste so it evenly distributes in the sauce.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: 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. This is the salsa.
- Step 2: In another bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, rest of the lime juice, coriander, crushed garlic and salt and pepper. This is the coriander sauce.
- Step 3: Put the flour and cayenne in a small bowl and mix. Put the panko breadcrumbs in another bowl and in a third bowl, whisk the egg. Coat the prawns in the flour, then dip them in the egg and then the panko until they are all fully covered.
- Step 4: Put the prawns onto a lined and oiled baking tray and put into the oven for 10 minutes, or until crispy.
- Step 5: Make your tacos by adding some shredded lettuce to tortillas, topping with the salsa, then add the cooked crispy prawns and a drizzle of the coriander sauce.
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 prawn 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.
Prawn Taco Toppings
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.
Other toppings that work well on these prawn tacos are our Restaurant Style Salsa or The BEST Guacamole. If you want more of a fruity salsa on top, then why not try our Pineapple Salsa or Mango Salsa.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Make these prawn tacos 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 cook the prawns when you are ready to eat.
- Don't forget to warm the tortillas before filling. You can do that in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds each side.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
More Mexican Recipes
If you've tried these prawn tacos, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Crispy Prawn Tacos
Ingredients
- 6 Mini flour tortillas
- 150 g (5.25 oz) King prawns
- 1 Egg
- 50 g (0.75 cups) Panko breadcrumbs
- 0.5 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoon Plain flour
- 4 Tomatoes - diced
- 2 Shallots - diced
- 8 g (1 cups) Fresh coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
- 8 g Fresh coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
- 1 Limes - juice only, for the salsa
- 1 Limes - juice only, for the sauce
- 1 Jalapeños - finely diced (or 2 heaped tablespoon of pickled jalapeños)
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper - for the salsa
- 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper - for the sauce
- Iceberg lettuce - shredded
- 6 tablespoon 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt
- 1 Garlic clove - crushed; for the salsa
- 3 Garlic clove - crushed; for the sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- In a bowl, mix together 4 Tomatoes, 2 Shallots, half the 8 g Fresh coriander (cilantro), juice of 1 Limes, 1 Garlic clove, 1 Jalapeños and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper and set aside. This is the salsa.
- In another bowl, mix together 6 tablespoon 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt, juice of 1 Limes, 8 g Fresh coriander (cilantro), 3 Garlic clove and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper and set aside. This is the coriander sauce.
- Put 3 tablespoon Plain flour and 0.5 tablespoon Cayenne pepper on one plate and mix. Put 50 g Panko breadcrumbs on another plate. Whisk 1 Egg in a bowl.
- One by one, dip 150 g King prawns in flour, then in the egg and then into the panko breadcrumbs making sure they are coated.
- Put the prawns on a lined and oiled baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Start making your tacos by adding some shredded Iceberg lettuce to a 6 Mini flour tortillas, add some salsa, crispy prawns and then top with some creamy coriander sauce.
Recipe 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.
- Don't forget to warm the tortillas before filling. You can do that in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds each side.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Mark says
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 says
Wow - what a compliment. Thank you! So glad you enjoyed them :)
Mandy Dennelly says
So simple so tasty. Can I check, raw or cooked prawns. I made it witj cooked but wanted to check
Dannii says
We used cooked prawns.
Traci says
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 says
love the article, Amazing post :)
Gabriella Manchester says
Wow definitely trying these, they look delicious!
Louise says
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 says
This looks so healthy and delicious! I bet my family would love it.