Sriracha Shrimp Tacos are spicy shrimp tacos with honey and a refreshing watermelon salsa on top. Make them as a healthy summer dinner to keep you cool.


Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Salsa


With this record-breaking heat wave, I’m doing anything and everything I can to avoid turning on my oven.

My air conditioning is working full time and stuck my head in the freezer a few times (you know, to figure out what to make for dinner…).

That means planning my weekly dinner menu around other cooking methods – stovetop, Instant Pot, air fryer, even the slow cooker.

When you think about serving watermelon, what immediately comes to mind? Watermelon sangria? Watermelon popsicles? Just a bowl of cut fruit for breakfast?

Be honest – did you think about dinner at all (and I don’t mean just a few slices of watermelon as a side)?

Lucky for you, you can eat watermelon all times of the day, even dinner. One of my favorite quick and easy summer dinners to make are Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with watermelon salsa on top.

There’s only a little bit of stovetop cooking involved with the honey sriracha shrimp, which is ideal for those record-breaking hot days.

Instead of coleslaw, I added watermelon salsa as the contrast between the heat from the spicy shrimp and the coolness of the melon balances each other out.

It’s fresh. It’s vibrant. It’s everything that summer is about wrapped up in tacos.


Sriracha Shrimp Tacos on white plate with watermelon salsa

Ingredients For Sriracha Shrimp Tacos

Here’s what you need to make your honey sriracha shrimp tacos:

  • Watermelon salsa: Watermelon is the fruit I’m focusing on, but you can easily substitute another juicy fruit such as pineapple, mango, peaches, or even strawberries.
  • Shrimp: I usually buy raw medium sized shrimp. Make sure they’re raw and not pre-cooked.
  • Garlic: Adds flavor to the shrimp
  • Honey: Adds sweetness to balance the heat
  • Sriracha: Adds heat to balance the sweetness
  • Cilantro: A bit of freshness
  • Lime juice: Acidity to balance both the sweet and heat
  • Olive oil: Used for cooking the shrimp
  • Corn tortillas: Traditionally corn tortillas are used, but you can also use flour tortillas.

What is sriracha?

Sriracha is a hot chili sauce used a lot in Thai cuisine, similar to sweet chili sauce but much spicier.

You may recognize the bottle with its iconic rooster logo on it. If you’re new to sriracha, start out with a little bit in the shrimp to see how well you can handle the heat.

If you’re too hesitant to try it or you know you don’t like it, don’t worry – you can substitute sweet chili sauce for a more mild flavor.


Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Watermelon Salsa

How To Make Sriracha Shrimp Tacos

Ready to make your spicy shrimp taco recipe?

  1. Mix together shrimp, garlic, honey, sriracha, cilantro and lime juice.
  2. Cook shrimp until fully cooked and no longer translucent.
  3. Assemble tacos and eat!

Spicy shrimp tacos are best eaten immediately, but you can refrigerate leftover shrimp for up to 3 days.

What To Do With Leftover Watermelon

Watermelon is a versatile and budget friendly ingredient, which is very helpful if you are stretching your grocery budget.

However since this is a small batch recipe blog, you’re going to have lots of extra watermelon.

Although you can buy pre-cut slices, they’ll likely not be as fresh, maybe even a little dried out. Plus more expensive.

The best way to use up leftover watermelon is to freeze cubed watermelon to use as “ice cubes”. Use them in drinks or turn them into watermelon slushies and margarita popsicles.

A little warning – if you do prep a whole watermelon, make sure you have enough counter space. Here’s a good laugh from my old apartment. Hello, tiny Pittsburgh kitchen.


Honey Sriracha Shrimp Tacos on plate with lime and salsa

What To Serve With Spicy Shrimp Tacos

I highly recommend serving your honey sriracha shrimp tacos with green onion salad or freekeh salad for a refreshing, healthy side dish.

Sriracha Shrimp Tacos FAQ

Can I grill the shrimp instead of frying or sautéing?

Yes, you can easily grill the shrimp. You can even put them on skewers for easy cooking.

Can I make the shrimp ahead of time?

It’s best to eat your spicy shrimp tacos right after cooking it, but you can make the watermelon salsa the day before.

Can I leave out the sriracha if I don’t like spicy?

Yes. I do recommend some form of heat, even if it’s a pinch of chili powder to balance the honey. However, you can try adding more lime and garlic to make up for it.

More Shrimp Recipes

Sriracha Shrimp Tacos

Sriracha Shrimp Tacos

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Sriracha Shrimp Tacos are spicy shrimp tacos with honey and a refreshing watermelon salsa on top. Make them as a healthy summer dinner to keep you cool.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and patted completely dry
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 corn tortillas, warmed up
  • 1 cup Watermelon Salsa (get recipe here)

Instructions

  1. Mix together the shrimp, garlic, honey, sriracha, cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of kosher salt.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook until brown, about 1-2 minutes. Flip then finish cooking until pink and no longer transparent, about another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat, divide among the tortillas, then top with watermelon salsa. Serve immediately.

    Refrigerate leftover shrimp for up to 3 days.

Notes

Did you make this recipe?

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First published June 3, 2015