David Burtka’s Zesty Shrimp & Slaw Tacos
with Creamy Guac, Salsa & Blue Corn Chips
- Sesame
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
Professional chef David knows a terrific taco comes down to the details: slaw tossed with pickled onion and cilantro, creamy guacamole with a hint of lime zest, and succulent shrimp seasoned with a curated blend of Mexican spices. These tacos also star a side of chunky salsa with tomato, corn, black beans, bell pepper, and jalapeño—perfect for dipping with blue corn tortilla chips. His husband Neil Patrick Harris gives this dish five stars, which can only mean one thing: When it comes to tacos, David knows best!
Ingredients
1 unit
Red Onion
5 teaspoon
Rice Wine Vinegar
4 tablespoon
Sour Cream
3 ounce
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
(Contains: Sesame)
10 ounce
Shrimp
(Contains: Shellfish)
1 unit
Jalapeño
1 unit
Black Beans
4 ounce
Shredded Red Cabbage
2 unit
Tomato
2 unit
Lime
6 unit
Flour Tortillas
(Contains: Wheat, Soy)
4 tablespoon
Guacamole
1 tablespoon
Mexican Spice Blend
1 unit
Bell Pepper
¼ ounce
Cilantro
1 unit
Corn
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion; finely dice remaining half. Zest one lime and quarter both (zest two and quarter four for 4 servings). Roughly chop cilantro. Dice tomatoes into 1⁄4-inch pieces. Halve, core, and chop half the bell pepper into 1⁄4-inch pieces (whole pepper for 4). Drain corn. Drain and rinse beans. Mince jalapeño, removing ribs and seeds for less heat.
• In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine sliced onion, juice from one lime (two limes for 4 servings), and 1⁄2 tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4). Microwave until onion is bright pink, 30 seconds. Let cool slightly. • Stir in cabbage, half the sour cream, and half the cilantro; season with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, diced onion, bell pepper, vinegar, half the corn, half the beans, remaining cilantro, 2 TBSP olive oil, 1 tsp Mexican Spice Blend (you’ll use the rest later), juice from one lime, and as much jalapeño as you like. (For 4 servings, use all the corn, all the beans, 3 TBSP olive oil, 2 tsp Mexican Spice Blend, and juice from two limes.) • Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine guacamole, remaining sour cream, and half the lime zest (you’ll use the rest in the next step). Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse shrimp* under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season all over with remaining Mexican Spice Blend, salt, and pepper. • Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over high heat. Once pan is hot, add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. • Remove pan from heat; add remaining lime zest and toss until shrimp are evenly coated.
• Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30 seconds. • Divide tortillas between plates; fill with slaw and shrimp. Top tacos with creamy guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the fresh, zesty flavors, especially the salsa and seasoned shrimp. Some found it bland; consider adjusting spices to taste.
- Ease of prep: Prep time was longer than expected, with lots of chopping. Consider prepping ingredients in advance for a smoother cooking experience.
- Suggestions: Try adding the salsa to the tacos for extra flavor. Consider reducing onion in slaw and salsa if you find it overpowering.
- Portions: Generous servings, with plenty of leftover salsa. Perfect for those who enjoy extras, but some found it too much for two.
- Texture: The slaw added a nice crunch, but a few found it dry. Consider adding extra sour cream or dressing to taste.
Reviews from our home cooks
Fantastic meal! The flavors of the shrimp and slaw were so good and distinctive without being overpowering. Loved the salsa and creamy guacamole too. A wonderfully complete meal.
I loved adding the lime zest to the shrimp after they were done cooking. So simple, but made a huge impact on the flavors.
So much fun to make and eat. Loved the fresh salsa and chips. I don't like black beans so I made one with and one without beans. Delicious. I like that I can remove something for myself and let my husband eat black beans. Loved the slaw and pickled onions. They added so much favor.
This is a winner! The seasonings for the shrimp were amazing and the salsa mix was amazing! Everything was so good.
Very delicious and easy to make. I was really surprised how well the slaw, black bean & corn salsa pair so well.
Everyone loved it. Not spicy if you take the seeds and veins out of the jalapeño & skip adding the hot sauce to it when plating your tacos. It was good!
The shrimp tacos and slaw were AMAZING -- however, I have to give the boxed corn and beans a BIG thumbs down. It RUINED what would have been an otherwise delicious salsa. The corn and beans are not necessary and the flavor of the boxed corn especially overpowered the salsa -- I had to just throw it out.
The corn salsa was really good! Ate the rest as a snack the next day. Seasoning on the shrimp was also really good.
Delicious! Could have had more guacamole and sour cream. Love the lime with slaw!
So good! I needed more shrimp though and more guac crema. I added more cilantro because who doesn't need more cilantro!
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