Sriracha Shrimp Tacos
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.
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.
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.
How To Make Sriracha Shrimp Tacos
Ready to make your spicy shrimp taco recipe?
- Mix together shrimp, garlic, honey, sriracha, cilantro and lime juice.
- Cook shrimp until fully cooked and no longer translucent.
- 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.
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
Yes, you can easily grill the shrimp. You can even put them on skewers for easy cooking.
It’s best to eat your spicy shrimp tacos right after cooking it, but you can make the watermelon salsa the day before.
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 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
- Mix together the shrimp, garlic, honey, sriracha, cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of kosher salt.
- 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.
- Remove from the heat, divide among the tortillas, then top with watermelon salsa. Serve immediately.
Refrigerate leftover shrimp for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out my Fajita Shrimp Tacos with Dragon Fruit Salsa and Asian Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa.
First published June 3, 2015
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Watermelon season is the best!! I love that salsa–I bet it takes those tacos to a whole new level.
It sure does, especially since the shrimp are spicy with sriracha. No need to drink milk to cool down your tongue ;)
Adding watermelon to tacos is a great idea – so perfect for summer! It still isn’t that warm here in Chicago (high of 70 today). This recipe makes me want some serious days in the 80’s :)
Hope it warms up soon so you can enjoy these tacos! ;)
This salsa looks so refreshing! I’m also going to use your frozen watermelon cubes idea to cool down my drinks this summer!
I hate how ice waters down my drinks, but the watermelon cubes won’t. Watermelon drink to go with these tacos ;)
Such a good idea! I don’t know why I don’t use more watermelon, this looks totally amazing!
Thanks, Becky!
Carla, I love this idea, and i’m a huge fan of your watermelon week. So many delicious ideas!
Thanks, Aida!
Loving the added sweetness that the watermelon gives to these tacos — they look like the perfect summer meal!
I have had a ton of mango and pineapple salsa, but NEVER watermelon salsa! How creative are you?! I love how refreshing it is paired with that spicy shrimp goodness! Pinned!
Looks fabulous- I pinned to my Watermelon Pinterest board! I love watermelon all summer long!
I love that sweet and spicy combination! I bet this salsa is delicious with the shrimp tacos. Totally my kind of food.