Easy Buffalo Shrimp Tacos

15 minutes is all you need to get Buffalo Shrimp Tacos on the table for an easy, weeknight dinner! Perfect for game night or Friday night!

Get ready to devour this easy shrimp tacos recipe! Shrimp is the name, finger licking’ is our game!

Easy meal prep hacks are my specialty and I’m about to spread some Buffalo food love!

Second to tacos, buffalo everything is one of my very favorite things.

You may have seen my buffalo chicken sliders or crowd pleasing slow cooker buffalo chicken dip. 

I’m marrying my love for tacos with my love of all thing buffalo sauce in this buffalo shrimp recipe. Basically, this is a spicier cousin to the equally delicious baked fish taco recipe.

Why you'll love Buffalo Shrimp Tacos

They’re fast - lightning fast, practically. 

I mean, hello, have you met me?!?

I’m all about finding ways to make delicious food in the least amount of time. Because hey - we are super busy and even for those of us who enjoy cooking, we've got work to do.

Don't even get me started on those of us who try to only enter the kitchen on an as needed basis.

Regardless of what kind of cook you are, this oh so delicious and super easy recipe is perfect for you!

Because basically, we're wrapping spicy bites of Buffalo shrimp in a big taco hug. Taco Tuesday will never be the same.

Ingredients

Whether you’re on team ranch or team blue cheese when it comes to Buffalo shrimp, I’ve gotcha covered. Read on...

coleslaw mix - I use pre chopped cabbage to make fast recipes like my Egg Roll in a Bowl. Work smarter, not harder, right?? 

blue cheese or ranch dressing - I used blue cheese but our daughter won’t touch it unless it has ranch dressing

unsalted butter

hot sauce or buffalo sauce - I used Crystal hot sauce although Franks hot sauce has a place in my fridge, too.

frozen shrimp - peeled and deveined extra-large shrimp, thawed (I used 26/30)

all-purpose flour - to make this recipe gluten free, substitute a 1:1 gluten free flour

vegetable oil - only a small amount is used for cooking the shrimp in a skillet. It’s a much healthier alternative than if we made deep fried shrimp.

flour tortillas - I used flour tortillas, however you could use corn tortillas if that’s your preference or you want to make this recipe gluten free

What to put on buffalo shrimp tacos

If you want to really go all in, you can add extra blue cheese crumbles, diced red onion or sliced green onions to all the deliciousness listed above

How to make shrimp tacos

Step 1: Make the coleslaw. Okay, this is kind of an overstatement because all you have to do is open the bag of shredded cabbage and add some bottled blue cheese dressing.

Will it get you an award in culinary school? Probably not. But it will get dinner on the table for your family and that's a win.

Step 2: Make the buffalo sauce. Basically, when you buy wing sauce at the store, it's hot sauce with butter added. Not rocket science, right?

So we're making our own by combining - you guessed it - hot sauce and butter. The recipe card says to melt these in a small saucepan but there's no shame in your game if you go the microwave route.

Step 3: Prep the shrimp. The hard work for the frozen shrimp has been done for you. They've already been peeled and deveined. All you need to do is thaw them and toss them in some flour.

Boom.

Step 4: Cook the shrimp. Add a little oil to your pan over medium heat. Cook the shrimp on one side for a few minutes, then give 'em a flip to cook the other side.

This should only take about 5 minutes because shrimp cook up super fast.

You might have to cook the shrimp in two batches, but all things considered, I think you can handle it in this recipe! Give them a drain on a paper towel lined plate, then toss them in the sauce we made.

That's it, friends!

From here, you can load them up with the cabbage slaw and sliced celery. Or, go crazy with the extra toppings of your choice.

Psssst...you can never go wrong with more cheese!

It's a thing of beauty, really.

How to make buffalo shrimp tacos on the go

Farm friends, you can make this as a field meal.

Non farm friends, you can make this as an easy party food for tailgating, Cinco de Mayo, you name it.

To make these shrimp tacos to go, I recommend going up a size with your tortillas.

Basically, turn the crispy buffalo shrimp into their granddaddy, burritos. Roll them up and serve warm or serve them chilled.

For real, they're good both ways!

FAQS

Are these healthy?

Healthy is a relative word, but I can say these are healthier than what you'd get at the drive through. Some of it will depend on how much topping restraint you use. I recommend you go wild with abandon.

What shrimp should I use?

Frozen shrimp! All you have to do if thaw them. I used 26/30 shrimp which is on the package. This just refers to how many shrimp are in a pound.

So these shrimp have 26-30 shrimp in a pound but that's probably more than you wanted to know, anyway.

Can I make this ahead of time?

The best way to make these buffalo shrimp tacos ahead of time would be to transform them to burritos and serve chilled, as mentioned in the tacos on the go above.

I never would have thought of this until our local food truck (hey there, Wild Carrot!) served buffalo chicken wraps that were chilled and they were delicious!

How to make this recipe gluten free

To make this recipe gluten free, change out the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour replacement. Also be sure to use gluten free corn tortillas or another gluten free tortilla that you like.

Side dishes for shrimp tacos

You can serve these alongside chips and pico de gallo or salsa, with cilantro lime brown rice or with a side of black beans.

For more meatless recipes, check out my Lenten Dinner Recipes!

The next time  you make these buffalo shrimp tacos with slaw, leave a review below and tell me what you think!