Shrimp Tacos with Corn, Bacon and Lime Crema
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These shrimp tacos are fast, fresh, and loaded with bold flavor—think crispy bacon, sweet corn, and a zesty lime crema to tie it all together.
The inspiration for these crazy-good shrimp tacos with corn, bacon, and lime crema comes from a fabulous cookbook called Taqueria: New-Style Fun and Friendly Mexican Cooking by Australian chef Paul Wilson (Hardie Grant Books, 2017). Wilson writes, “This is one of the most popular summer dishes in my kitchen. It’s fast, simple to prepare, and the three main ingredients work very well together in a warm tortilla.” I can confirm: my family literally devours these.
To round out the meal, try serving these tacos with a simple guacamole, chips and salsa, and a pitcher of margaritas. And if you’re looking for a more classic take, don’t miss my go-to shrimp tacos with avocado salsa—a longtime reader favorite.
“This is a family favorite! I have to double the recipe so we don’t run out!”
What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp Tacos with Corn, Bacon & Lime Crema
- Sour cream, fresh lime juice, and salt – Whisked together to make a cool, tangy crema that cuts through the richness of the filling and ties everything together.
- Bacon – Adds smoky richness and crisp texture, and gives the corn and shrimp an instant flavor upgrade. For best results, use good quality thick-cut bacon; Wright or Smithfield are both easy-to-find brands that work well here.
- Fresh corn, scallions, and garlic – A sweet and savory veggie trio that brings crunch, freshness, and big flavor to every bite.
- Shrimp – I use large shrimp for this recipe, often labeled 31/35 per pound. Once cooked, they’re just the right size to pile into tortillas without needing to chop them.
- Cumin, ancho chili powder, and salt – This trio adds warmth, smokiness, and just the right depth of flavor to the shrimp without overpowering them.
- Lime juice and cilantro – Stirred in at the end to brighten everything up with a burst of citrus and herby freshness.
- Corn tortillas – Soft, toasty, and just sturdy enough to hold the filling. I recommend Mission Super Soft Corn Tortillas for store-bought, or you can make your own tortillas if you’re up for it.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the corn. To begin, cut the raw kernels off of the corn cobs. The best way to do this is to this (without having the kernels fly all over the kitchen) is to invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl. Hold the cob upright on top of the inverted small bowl, with the flatter end of the cob down, and use a sharp knife to slice downward as close to the cob as possible.
Step 2: Cook the bacon. Next, place the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until crispy and golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Step 3: Cook the corn. Add the corn to the reserved bacon fat in the skillet. Season with salt and cook until the corn is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
Step 4: Cook the shrimp. Spoon the corn into a bowl and set aside. Add the shrimp, scallions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 5: Put it all together. Add the corn, bacon, cilantro, and lime juice to the shrimp. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat and cover to keep warm while you heat the tortillas and make the lime crema.
Step 6: Make the lime crema. Simply stir together the sour cream, fresh lime juice, and salt. (Feel free to make the crema ahead; it will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.)
Step 7: Serve. Warm the tortillas according to the package instructions. Place the tortillas on serving plates and top with the shrimp mixture and generous spoonfuls of the lime crema. Serve immediately with the rest of the crema on the side. Enjoy!
More Taco Recipes You May Like
Street-Style Shrimp Tacos with Corn, Bacon and Lime Crema
These shrimp tacos with corn, bacon, and lime crema make a fast, fun, crowd-pleasing meal.
Ingredients
For the Lime Crema
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- Pinch salt
For the Shrimp Tacos with Corn and Bacon
- 4 slices (6 oz) thick-cut bacon, diced
- 4 corn cobs, uncooked kernels removed
- 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 lbs large (31/35) shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and tail removed, thawed if frozen
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- Salt
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- 12 small corn tortillas
Instructions
For the Lime Crema
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, fresh lime juice and salt.
For the Shrimp Tacos with Corn and Bacon
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon, stirring frequently, until crispy and golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the corn to the fat in the skillet and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook the corn, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Spoon the corn into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the shrimp, scallions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the corn, bacon, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice to the shrimp. Stir to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning with more lime juice or salt, if necessary. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm while you heat the tortillas.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave or in a skillet according to the package instructions. Place the tortillas on serving plates and top with the shrimp mixture and generous spoonfuls of the lime crema. Serve the rest of the crema on the side.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The lime crema can be made up to four days ahead of time and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. The shrimp mixture can be made one day ahead of time and refrigerated; just keep the cooked bacon and cilantro separate until you reheat the dish. Reheat the shrimp mixture in a skillet over medium heat until just heated through.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 taco
- Calories: 245
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sodium: 636 mg
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Delicious!!! I was going to share with others but ended up eating it all myself!! hahahah. Amazing flavors and definitely a go to recipe for parties and small gatherings!!! Keep it simple, keep it flavorful and keep it interesting. As in life! Thank you, Jenn!
I have got to be one of your biggest fans ever, and this recipe blew us away! One of your best ever! Thank you for making me look so good. 😊
💕
Can this recipe be made without bacon ?
Hi Sophia, the bacon definitely adds a lot of flavor and smokiness, but you can make these without it. You will need a few tablespoons of butter to cook the corn and shrimp (since you won’t have the bacon fat) and you’ll definitely need to add a bit more salt to taste. A pinch of smoked paprika would be good, too. Please LMK how they turn out!
Incredible! We stopped in Hatch New Mexico on our way from Tucson to Plano. Since it was not chile season, we purchased frozen medium hot green chiles and made salsa verde upon arrival because the packages had begun to thaw. My sister had just seen your shrimp street tacos recipe, so we decided to sub my sauce for the lime crema. We added a little sour cream to the green sauce, some lime juice to the filling just before serving, and also thin slices of avocado—because this recipe was screaming for avocado! Definitely 5*
Delicious dinner! I used nonfat plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream (personal preference) and added a little lime zest because we love lime! Everything else was according to directions. My husband wants me to make them again. He also loved the lime crema and wants to use it for a marinade for chicken on the grill.
These were really good! Thank you for the recipe! I had one question-I always struggle with corn tortillas breaking/cracking once filled. Do you have a brand you recommend?
Hi Amy, I use Mission brand, so nothing special. I know that corn tortillas can be challenging to work with when what you put in them makes them a bit soggy, but these ingredients have less moisture, so you should less of a problem here. Hope that helps!
I made this last night, and – like every recipe I have cooked from your website – it was fantastic! It will be repeated many times. I could also imagine that the shrimp and corn mixture would be delicious served over yellow rice and beans or pasta.
Yummmmm. Made these for dinner tonight and added some lime zest to the creama with extra fresh cilantro on top and fresh tortilla land corn tortillas. Perfect fresh summer taco. Without a doubt will be making again and again! The shrimp and corn mixture is delicious alone or would make a yummy salad topper too with some Trader Joe’s cilantro dressing!
I am allergic to shrimp. Can fish be substituted for the shrimp in this recipe?
Hi Stephanie, I haven’t tried these with fish, but I think it could work. You may also want to give these Baja Fish Tacos a whirl. 🙂
My family asked if we can have it once a week. Sure thing- so easy to make.
I made these last weekend and they were fantastic! Lots of Great feedback from all guests!
Hi Jen
I love all your recipes. I want to make this for a party this weekend. Can I make it somewhat ahead and just cook the shrimp right before serving?
Thanks
Sure Amy, that would work. You can also do the whole thing ahead — see the bottom of the recipe for guidance. Hope you enjoy!
This was excellent. My husband said to add it as a keeper. That is high praise.