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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Made this last night with my 15yr old son helping. It turned out fantastic, super flavourful and quite easy too!
My daughter, with her trademark seriousness looks at me and says, “Dad, you can make this again”, which is high praise indeed. She loves to cook and also is artistic so her standards and expectations are stringent to say the least.
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe! The flavours from the bacon gives this dish a perfect smokiness. The crema is bang on! A little squeeze of lime on top and a perfect drizzle of my favourite hot sauce, Valentina……..my hubby and I are happy campers 😊Thank you for another fantastic recipe!!!
Chef Jenn,
What brand /size corn tortillas do you use?
Your tortillas in your photos looks so fresh…
Hi JooJoo, they a Mission 6-inch super soft. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Thinking of making this. Can you recommend a brand of bacon that you like? I tried the Peter Luger one and although it was thick, it was very fatty. Thank you!
You are the best!!
-Jackie
Hi Jackie, It depends on the store I’m shopping in, but I’ve generally bought Smithfield or Wright brands. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the tacos!
Hi Jenn,
I made this last night I used corn in the can because that’s what I had and it was really good I even double the recipe just for me and my husband we finished them all. Next time I will triple the recipe . Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Rose🌹
I enjoy cooking and am constantly trying out new recipes for our family. This one, however, was a real stand out. The flavors were scrumptious and perfectly balanced, and the recipe itself was easy to follow. I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it came out perfect. Looked & tasted like a dish you would see on a high-end menu. All guests were incredibly impressed, and couldn’t stop saying how delicious they thought it was. Will definitely be making again!
I made this and instead of using the lime creama, I made the avocado salsa from your other shrimp taco recipe. The combination was delicious.
I am allergic to shrimp so I made mine with scallops which worked great!
Yummy!
We love the street style shrimp tacos. The Le Crema topping adds to the distinct flavors of the bacon and corn and rich Mexican taste. The first time I made these, my husband said the only thing missing was the Margarita and the seaside table in Puerto Penesco, Mexico.
Kim COoper
Scottsdale, AZ
These tacos are so delicious and yet so simple. The flavors all work so well together and the lime crema is like the cherry on top!
I tried this recipe on a whim. My husband loves it and asks for it frequently. We both love the combination of flavors and I especially love the lime. Great fresh tasting dinner option!
After I found this recipe, I made it 3 times in 2 weeks! So delicious and easy.