These tacos bake the spiced shrimp and veggies on one sheet pan for a speedy weeknight meal. The star of the recipe is the sauce that combines tangy lime juice, creamy cashews, and smoky paprika for an ultra-creamy and flavor-packed taco topping that also gets used to make a creamy cabbage slaw. You could easily substitute fish for the shrimp or make it vegetarian using black beans (read the substitutions section!).
Ingredient Highlight
Shrimp! These little nutrient-packed crustaceans are an excellent source of selenium, vitamin B12, iodine, choline, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, to name a few! They are also rich in the antioxidant astaxanthin, a carotenoid that gives shrimp (and lobster and salmon) their pink hue.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped veggies (bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, cabbage, etc…)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 small or 4 medium flour or corn tortillas
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
For the smoky cashew sauce:
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight*
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the slaw:
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- ¼ cup Smoky Cashew Sauce (recipe above)
- Pinch of salt
- * Quick soak method: add cashews to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and use!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add veggies, 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are cooked through and starting to darken in spots. Stir the veggies around and spread them out again.
- Toss the shrimp with cumin, garlic, pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt to coat. Scatter the shrimp over or nestle them among the veggies and bake for 10-12 more minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, add all sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. If too thick, just add a bit more water (it should be very drizzle-able)..
- To make the slaw, in a medium bowl, add cabbage, ¼ cup of sauce, and a pinch of salt and toss to coat.
- Warm your tortillas and top with shrimp, veggies, slaw, and generously drizzle sauce over top. Top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Finely chop 4 cups veggies
- Make smoky cashew sauce
- Make cabbage slaw
- Peel/devein shrimp if they aren’t already
- Toss shrimp in spices, oil, and salt
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, substitute the shrimp with 2 (15 oz) cans of black beans – drain and rinse them and toss them with the spices, oil, and salt and add them to the baking sheet (same as the shrimp).
- Easily sub shrimp with your favorite flaky fish – just rub the fish in the spices, salt, and oil and add it to the sheet pan (same as the shrimp).
- To make nut-free, substitute the cashews with sunflower seeds.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Shrimp/veggies: up to 4 days in the fridge
- Sauce: up to 6 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months
- Slaw: up to 6 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Turn it into a rice bowl!
- Use leftover sauce on top of bowls for lunches (rice/grain, protein, veg, sauce, toppings).
- You could also use leftover sauce to make nachos, burritos, enchiladas, or make a mexican-style breakfast with eggs, beans, sauce, etc….
