Popcorn Shrimp Tacos

If you love regular shrimp tacos, just wait until you try popcorn shrimp tacos. The bite-sized shrimp are coated in crispy seasoned bread crumbs before being air-fried, then tucked into warm corn tortillas along with zesty coleslaw. They’re the best way to put a fresh spin on taco night.

Popcorn shrimp are traditionally made by breading and frying small shrimp, which become bite-sized morsels that bear enough resemblance to popped corn kernels to earn their name. Frozen breaded shrimp have become common in grocery stores, but you’ll get the crunchiest popcorn shrimp if you apply the bread-crumb coating yourself. An air fryer quickly turns that breading golden and crisp without the hot oil and mess of deep-frying.

Ingredients for Popcorn Shrimp Tacos

• Coleslaw: The coleslaw used as a topping comes together quickly with ready-to-use coleslaw mix, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt and jalapeno. The flavors and texture play well with the seasoned shrimp and mild avocado.
• Eggs and milk: Combine eggs and milk to use in the first step of the breading process.
• Flour: The shrimp are dipped into all-purpose flour, giving the coating something to stick to.
• Panko bread crumbs: Panko gives the shrimp their extreme crunchiness. These coarse Japanese-style bread crumbs are slow to absorb oil and have hardly any flavor. They also have a thicker, crispier texture than regular bread crumbs. If you prefer a finer coating, pulse the panko in a food processor for a few seconds.
• Seasonings: Ground cumin and garlic powder add taco-inspired spice to the shrimp.
• Uncooked shrimp: Raw shrimp are necessary when it comes to making these air-fried morsels; precooked ones will become tough and chewy. This breaded shrimp style is bite-sized by definition, so choose small shrimp (41-50 per pound) for the classic combination of crunchy and juicy. You could use larger shrimp to speed up the cleaning and dredging, but it would alter the texture.
• Corn tortillas: Six-inch corn tortillas are the traditional size for tacos. You can buy your favorite brand or make corn tortillas from scratch (it’s super easy!). You can also use flour tortillas if you prefer. Either way, warm them up to make them pliable.
• Avocado: Rich, creamy avocado balances the crisp, tangy slaw and spiced shrimp. You can also add your other favorite taco toppings.

Directions

Step 1: Make the slaw

In a small bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt and, if desired, jalapeno. Toss to coat.

Editor’s Tip: The oils in chiles can burn your skin, so pull on disposable gloves before you handle the jalapenos. Avoid touching your face as you work, then remove the gloves carefully and wash your hands as soon as you finish.

Step 2: Set up the dredging station

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until they’re thoroughly combined. Place the flour in a separate shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, mix the panko, cumin and garlic powder.

Step 3: Coat the shrimp

Dip the shrimp into the flour to coat both sides, then shake off the excess flour. Dip the shrimp into the egg mixture, again letting the excess drip off, and then into the panko mixture. Pat each shrimp gently to help the coating adhere to it.

Editor’s Tip: Be sure to dredge each shrimp completely in flour and shake off the excess; too little or too much flour (or binder or bread crumbs) can loosen the coating until it falls off.

Step 4: Air-fry the shrimp

In batches, arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a greased tray in the air-fryer basket, and then spritz them with cooking spray. Cook the shrimp until the panko is golden brown, two to three minutes. Turn the shrimp, spritz them again with cooking spray, and continue cooking until the crust is golden brown and the shrimp turns pink, two to three minutes longer.

Step 5: Make the tacos

Serve the popcorn shrimp in the warm tortillas with the dressed coleslaw mix and sliced avocado.

Editor’s Tip: Tortillas should be refrigerated to extend their shelf life, but even room-temperature ones can be stiff enough to crack when folded. Soften them for a few seconds in a hot stovetop skillet or the microwave just before serving, or slide a bundle wrapped in aluminum foil into a toaster oven on the warm setting to keep them supple until the shrimp are ready.

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Popcorn Shrimp Taco Variations

• Make the coleslaw from scratch: Most coleslaw mixes just contain shredded cabbage and grated carrots. Shredding the cabbage and carrots yourself saves money, ensures freshness, and guarantees crunch.
• Expand on the coleslaw mix: Throw in thinly sliced red or green onions for extra zing, or chopped cranberries, mango or sweet pepper for sweet-tart notes. If you made a big batch of one of these crunchiest coleslaw recipes, tuck the leftovers into the tacos as a follow-up meal.
• Bake or deep-fry the popcorn shrimp: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can still make the popcorn shrimp for these tacos. To bake them, arrange them in a single layer on a greased baking tray and spritz them with cooking oil, then add them to a 400° oven for six to eight minutes per side. To deep-fry the shrimp, add oil to a deep fryer, electric skillet or Dutch oven, heat it to 375° and cook them in batches for two to three minutes. Once they’re golden, drain the shrimp on paper towels.
• Change the wrapping: For maximum crunch, use hard taco shells instead of soft corn tortillas. Wrap the filling in butter lettuce leaves or very thinly sliced jicama for a lower-carb option. Overfilled taco shells and lettuce leaves tend to split, so use a light hand when adding the shrimp and vegetables, and hold each taco gently as you bite into it.

How to Store Popcorn Shrimp Tacos

Popcorn shrimp is best straight from the air fryer. If you have leftovers, pack the cooled popcorn shrimp in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for three to four days. The coating will get soggy the longer they sit, but they’ll still taste good when reheated. To avoid soggy breading, use an oversized container and space the shrimp in a single layer so they don’t stick together. Store the coleslaw and tortillas in separate airtight containers in the fridge.

Can you freeze popcorn shrimp?

You can safely freeze air-fryer popcorn shrimp for two to three months, but the texture will change when they’re thawed and reheated.

Should you reheat popcorn shrimp for tacos?

Reheating popcorn shrimp might mean overcooking it and making it rubbery, but it’s the only way to revive the original crunchy coating. Reheat popcorn shrimp, in batches as needed, in a single layer in a 350° air fryer or toaster oven until the shrimp are warmed through and the breading is crisp again. It only takes a few minutes, so watch closely to ensure the crust doesn’t burn.

Popcorn Shrimp Tacos Tips

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What’s the best way to clean and devein shrimp?

Unless you have access to fresh, live shrimp, buy frozen shrimp and thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, remove the entire shell, including the tail. The tail gives you something to hold on to when you’re eating popcorn shrimp by the handful, but you don’t want bits of shell in your popcorn shrimp tacos.

If you need to clean shrimp, grip the meat at the head end and pull the shell away from the flesh, gently wiggling and twisting until the body and tail shell pop free. Check the backside for a dark vein; if you see one, tease it out with a paring knife. Rinse the shrimp to ensure you’ve removed all the shells, and pat them dry before dredging them. The drier the shrimp, the better the coating will stick.

What can you serve with popcorn shrimp tacos?

Make popcorn shrimp tacos the centerpiece of your next taco night. Start the meal with tortilla chips and an array of fresh salsas, from pico de gallo to salsa verde. Once the shrimp are crispy, serve the tacos with filling sides like cilantro-lime rice and Instant Pot black beans. Grill Mexican street corn and toss together a refreshing tropical fruit salad for lighter options. Mix up Cadillac margaritas for the adults to sip.