What to Serve with Shrimp Tacos? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Does anything scream Mexican more than tacos? According to a popular theory, this world-famous finger food originated in Mexico in the 18th century.

Shrimp tacos are a unique take on traditional tacos that contain vegetables, sauces, proteins, and cheese wrapped in a tortilla.

Since you can use a variety of ingredients, they are highly versatile and customizable.

See that you don’t overcook the shrimp if you don’t want a rubbery and chewy texture.

If you’re planning to make it, you’ll surely be wondering what to serve with shrimp tacos for a complete meal.

Keep reading to find a list of the ten best side dishes for shrimp tacos you can serve on any occasion.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Shrimp Tacos?

Sure, tacos are packed with flavor, crunchy, and crispy, and have all the goodness we look for in a dish.

But they are finger foods and do not make a complete and balanced meal on their own.

Therefore, you need to consider serving side dishes with shrimp tacos.

When paired with the right flavors and textures, you and your guests get to enjoy a hearty and nutritious meal.

While looking for side dishes to serve with shrimp tacos, you’d want to remember whether you’re using hard or soft taco shells and choose the pairings accordingly.

What to Serve with Shrimp Tacos? 10 BEST Side Dishes

1 – Pico De Gallo

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Use it as a topping or side for shrimp tacos- you can’t do anything wrong with pico de gallo.

The ingredients of this side dish and the way they are assembled might resemble salsa.

But don’t be fooled- pico de gallo is quite different from it.

It is a classic Mexican dish consisting of cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeno, and onion.

Dice the vegetables into small pieces, and you can serve them with shrimp tacos for a fresh and healthy meal.

The difference between salsa and pico de gallo is that the latter has a chunkier texture.

You can prepare the ingredients and refrigerate them before serving to add coolness to the meal.

2 – Frijoles De La Olla

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Another classic side dish belonging to Mexican cuisine is frijoles de la olla.

It is a dish consisting of pinto beans slow-cooked in broth to create a comforting dish for any day.

You can use black beans, flor de Junio, pinto, or flor de mayo for this dish.

Other ingredients used are epazote leaves, garlic, white onion, and salt.

It takes approximately two hours and 30 minutes to cook frijoles de la olla, but the exact time varies depending on the beans.

Ensure that the beans are debris-free before adding them to the pot.

You can check them every hour to see that you don’t overcook them.

3 – Caramelized Plantains

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One of the best things about this side dish is that you can serve it hot or cold.

So, you can make them ahead of time if you want.

Caramelized plantains work excellently with shrimp tacos because they add different textures to the main course.

Regardless of the type of taco shell you use, you won’t have any problem pairing them with this side dish.

It tastes best when you serve it on the side instead of stuffing it in the taco.

Plantains have a good amount of mono- and poly-saturated fats.

4 – Mexican Street Corn or Elote

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What’s Mexican without corn? Mexican street corn or elote is a must-have when hosting a Mexican-themed dinner or party.

This corn dish comes with a punch of texture, color, and flavor- you don’t need anything else to make an outstanding meal.

Also, it compliments shrimp tacos perfectly, so you can make it without a doubt when you have nothing else in mind.

Grill some corn; mix it with mayo, cheese, sour cream, and chili powder.

That’s it.

5 – Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho

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Who wants some soup? Don’t just settle for any other soup when you can make a watermelon and tomato gazpacho.

Assemble piccolo tomatoes (about 500 grams), watermelon, cucumber, red wine vinegar, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

You can make this soup in about an hour and a half, but you’ll see it is worth every minute.

The combination of watermelon and tomato will give you the perfect sweetness and refreshing flavors to pair with shrimp tacos like a dream.

Don’t miss out on it if you’re planning to serve soup alongside your main course.

6 – Mexican Corn Cake

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Shrimp tacos are savory, crunchy, and crispy, so it’s only right to pair them with something soft and sweet, like Mexican corn cake.

You might not have much faith in this side dish compared to the others, but it is one of the best options if you ask us.

It is packed with delicious yet subtle flavors that complement shrimp tacos without overpowering them.

You can go all the way by dusting sugar, placing a scoop of your favorite ice cream, or drizzling caramel on top.

We can’t imagine anything sweeter and more indulgent than this for a shrimp tacos dinner.

7 – Mexican Rice

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No one can say no to rice when you’re serving shrimp tacos.

Mexican rice is rich in starch and carbs, so it’s the ideal side dish if you want to make sure your guests are full.

To make an easy Mexican rice, you need olive oil, onion, red bell pepper, tomato sauce, broth, jalapeno, cumin, cilantro, garlic, and long-grain white rice.

Make sure you remove the rice from the heat when it’s al dente (before adding the other ingredients).

It will prevent it from becoming soggy, sticky, and unappealing.

8 – Sopapillas

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If you need a dessert to give the perfect ending to your shrimp tacos meal, sopapillas will do the trick.

They are sweet, puffy desserts, sometimes containing cream, berries, or other sweet fillings.

If you don’t want to do the extra work, you can just drizzle them with honey and powder the top with sugar.

To make sopapillas, you’ll need staple ingredients like flour, baking powder, kosher salt, honey, granulated sugar, whole milk, and shortening (lard, peanut oil, or canola oil).

9 – Jicama Slaw

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Tired of serving the same slaw every time you make tacos? Try jicama slaw.

Native to Mexico, jicama is also called the Mexican turnip.

It is a root vegetable that tastes like a sour apple.

Like lemons, avocados, and grapefruits, jicama is high in mono- and poly-saturated fats.

To make a jicama slaw, you’ll need jicama, carrots, red cabbage, red bell pepper, red onion, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro leaves, rice vinegar (unseasoned), and condiments.

All you have to do is slice the veggies and add the salad dressing.

It is a quick and easy side dish that pairs well with shrimp tacos if you want something refreshing and palate-cleansing.

10 – Avocado Kiwi Salsa Verde

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We’re all about fresh and healthy ingredients when it comes to recommending side dishes for shrimp tacos.

And one dish we cannot go without mentioning is avocado kiwi salsa verde.

If regular salsa recipes don’t excite you, try this for a refreshing take.

In just 20 minutes, you can create a side dish that everybody will love.

This salsa requires ripe kiwi fruit, pomegranate seeds, avocado, green onion, jalapeno chili peppers, olive oil, cilantro, and salt and pepper.

Conclusion

With the right ingredients and complimenting flavors, you can create varieties of side dishes for shrimp tacos.

We hope our list will inspire you to create and serve outstanding dishes along with your tacos at the next lunch or dinner party.

Mix and match the side dishes to always have something unique and delicious for your guests.

Experiment with different flavors to expand the horizon and create dishes out of the box.

With options like Mexican rice, elote, and caramelized plantains, you wouldn’t need to worry about leaving your guests dissatisfied.