This Honey Lime Shrimp Tacos dish is made with shrimp, olive oil, garlic, jalapeños, limes, butter, and served on a warm tortilla.

This is a super delicious summer dish for anyone who enjoys a sweet and spicy combination. The shrimp absorbs its flavor through marinating with delicious lime juice and zest, jalapeños, and honey. This dish is cooked on the stovetop but I have tried threading them into skewers and grilling and it was absolutely delicious.
If you love this recipe, try my Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza or my Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas.
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Why you will love this recipe
Full of flavor: The combination of the honey, lime and jalapeños gives the tacos a tangy, sweet and spicy combination that the shrimp deserve.
Great for warm weather: I love eating these tacos in the summer months.
Serves a crowd: It is very easy to double the recipe, and shrimp cooks fast too.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Shrimp
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Garlic powder
- Limes
- Butter
- Honey
- Cilantro
- Corn Tortilla
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Shrimp Tacos
Watch video below for step by step instructions.
In a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, olive oil, garlic, honey, jalapeño, lime juice, lime zest, garlic powder, salt and mix. Marinate for 15 minutes.
In a large pan, add butter and wait for it to melt. Add the shrimp without the marinade on the pan. Cook the shrimp 2 minutes on each side, until the shrimp turns pink and opaque.
Remove the shrimp with tongs and leave the sliced jalapeño. The longer it cooks, the less spicy the jalapeño is. Turn the heat off and stir in the honey. With a wooden spoon, blend the butter and honey together. Add the shrimp back in to stir everything together.
Serve serve the shrimp on warm tortillas. Garnish with cilantro and crushed cashews.
Hint: Leave the jalapeño cooking for longer for a milder heat.
Best way to warm a tortilla
- Over a Gas Stove Flame – I love to use this method because it gives the tortilla a light char and it warms up quickly. Toast the tortilla directly over a low flame on a gas stove. Use tongs to rotate the tortilla, about every 20 seconds. Keep close watch as you toast the tortilla.
- On a Cast Iron- Heat a large cast iron over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in a single layer and toast 20 seconds on each side until warm on each side.
Substitutions
Shrimp: I love going to my local fish market to buy the freshest fish possible. I would rather use fresh fish over previously frozen shrimp.
Honey: I love using raw, organic honey for best results. You could use maple syrup instead.
Garlic: For best quality, use fresh garlic. You can opt to using garlic from the jar.
Jalapeños: Ripe jalapeños are usually fat, firm, and develop a bright sheen. When they are ripe, they are bright green, then begin to darken and eventually turn black. You could use serrano peppers instead.
Corn Tortillas: I used corn tortillas in this recipe, but feel free to use flour tortillas instead.
Butter: I love using butter because it complements the honey well. You can use olive oil instead for searing the shrimp.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish. Cook the jalapeños for less time if you prefer a spicier kick.
- Deluxe - add guacamole, crispy onions or chopped green onion.
- Kid friendly - add crushed tortilla chips.
Check out my Cuban Arroz con Pollo.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Shrimp cooks very quickly so do not overcook. It should be 2-3 minutes per side.
Honey Lime Shrimp Tacos Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
This Jalapeño Honey Lime Shrimp Tacos dish is made with shrimp, olive oil, garlic, honey, jalapeños, limes, butter, and salt.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of raw shrimp, deveined with the tail off
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 sliced jalapeño pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- Juice of 1 lime
- Zest of ½ lime
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 6-8 warm corn tortilla
- Crushed cashew nuts
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, olive oil, garlic, honey, jalapeño, lime juice, lime zest, garlic powder, salt and mix. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- In a large pan, add butter and wait for it to melt. Add the shrimp without the marinade on the pan. Cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes on each side, until the shrimp turns pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp with tongs and leave the sliced jalapeño. The longer it cooks, the less spicy the jalapeño is. Turn the heat off and stir in the honey. With a wooden spoon, blend the butter and honey together. Add the shrimp back in to stir everything together.
- Serve serve the shrimp on warm tortillas. Garnish with cilantro and crushed cashews.
Notes
- Shrimp cooks very quickly. Do not cook more than a total of 6 minutes. They should cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan Sear
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 244
- Sugar: 15.1 g
- Sodium: 683 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.6 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 35.3 g
- Cholesterol: 258 mg
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Debra
Do you have a recipe for Mexican chicken soup without tomatoes. My friend lived in Tijuana and her broth was clear with the best, deepest flavor I've ever had...help!
Maxine Dubois
I am so sorry but I don't! I can ask my family if they have any recipe similar to this.