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    Home » Seafood

    Mini Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple

    Published: Oct 20, 2017 · Modified: Dec 26, 2020 · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    These Mini Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple are filled with slightly spicy shrimp and diced pineapple, and topped with a creamy yogurt sauce.  These tiny tacos are healthy, easy, and perfect for parties!

    Pineapple Shrimp Mini Tacos on a Serving Tray with limes on the side.

    There’s a new(ish) tapas restaurant that opened up downtown, and I am EXCITED about it!

    My wallet is less excited, however, so I’ve had to space out our visits.

    The idea of tapas— or small plates of finger food meant to be shared with friends— isn’t new at all, but finding a tapas restaurant in my small corner of Central Appalachia is still pretty rare.

    On my last visit to the local tapas place, I was surprised to find fish tacos on the menu, since that seemed more like a meal, and less like a small plate.

    I quickly decided that I didn’t care if it seemed too big, and ordered them anyway. 

    It made me think though, and I decided that yes– tacos could DEFINITELY be an appetizer!

    These Mini Tacos with Shrimp and Pineapple are a healthy appetizer option, and are perfect for dinner parties, cocktail parties, and game day.

    Want full-size tacos? Try these grilled fish tacos, potato tacos, and halibut tacos. Pair them with Instant Pot refried beans. homemade hot sauce, and some fire-roasted salsa!

    Mini Tacos on a Serving Tray with limes on the side.

    Making Tacos into Appetizers

    How do you turn tacos into appetizers?

    Make them smaller! 

    Most grocery stores should have mini taco shells– these are 4″ shells that are just toooooo cute!  

    These shells are perfect for mini tacos, and hold just enough fillings to make tiny Pineapple Shrimp Tacos fantastic.

    The other issue you might run into with your taco appetizers is that tacos… well, tacos don’t stay put.

    If you happen to have a taco serving tray, use that, but otherwise I recommend holding the tacos in place with toothpicks.

    Specifically, the longer decorative toothpicks, because they’re just big enough to make them visible for any unsuspecting taco eater.

    Trust me, you don’t want invisible taco toothpicks.  It’s not safe.

    Want More Seafood Appetizer Ideas?  Try these: Crab Fries, Cajun Shrimp and Grits Appetizers, Albondigas de Pescado: Fish Meatballs, Canned Sardine Recipe: Mini Fish Cakes

    Squeezing lime juice onto Pineapple Shrimp Tacos.

    Making Mini Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple

    To make these tiny little tacos, start by tossing some raw, peeled shrimp in cayenne and smoked paprika.

    Don’t worry- these won’t be super spicy because the cheese and yogurt sauce tame the spice.

    Next, sauté them for a few minutes until the shrimp are bright pink.  Take them off the heat.

    Heat your tortillas, and then divide the shrimp up into the taco shells.

    Top the shrimp with a few pieces of pineapple, a dollop of the yogurt sauce, a little freshly grated queso, and then add fresh herbs.

    Learn More about Buying Shrimp: Read Types of Shrimp in the Grocery Store and Wild Caught Shrimp vs Farmed: How to Buy Sustainable Shrimp

    These Pineapple Shrimp Mini Tacos are filled with slightly spicy shrimp and diced pineapple, and topped with a creamy yogurt sauce. These tiny tacos are healthy, easy, and perfect for parties!
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Mini Tacos with Shrimp and Pineapple

    This recipe makes 8 mini tacos, and assumes one taco per person, but is EASILY doubled or tripled.  
    As written, this recipe uses mini taco shells, but it could easily be adapted to full size tacos or even burritos by using larger shells.  
    Ingredient measurements in these tacos are estimates- use more or less of each ingredient according to preference, but avoid over-stuffing mini taco shells.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 110kcal
    Freezer Friendly?

    No

    Will It Keep?

    No

    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Shrimp:

    • 1 pound raw shrimp, thawed (tails off, medium size)
    • 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
    • pinch sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    Yogurt Sauce:

    • ½ cup plain yogurt
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ lime, juiced

    Tacos:

    • 8 4" mini flour tortillas Look for "street taco" tortillas
    • 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple
    • 2 ounces queso fresco (use more if desired)
    • 2 limes, quartered
    • (Optional) fresh cilantro, green onion, or chives

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400ºF. 

    Shrimp:

    • Toss shrimp in salt, cayenne, red pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
    • Add olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. When the oil is shimmering and the pan is hot, add the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to cook, untouched, for 1-2 minutes, or until one side is completely pink. Flip shrimp, continue cooking until all the shrimp are pink.
    • Remove shrimp from the pan, and set aside. 

    Yogurt Sauce:

    • Add yogurt, garlic, lime juice, and salt to a bowl and stir together.

    Tacos:

    • Heat taco shells on the racks of your preheated oven for about 2 minutes, or until they start to bubble up.  Use tongs to pull them out of the oven.
    • Begin filling taco shells by dividing the shrimp and pineapple into the shells.  Drizzle each taco with a little yogurt sauce.  Grate the queso onto the tacos, and top with fresh herbs (if desired).  Serve with lime quarters, or drizzle fresh lime juice over just before serving.

    Notes

    Prep Time does not include preparing shrimp.  It is difficult to know how long shrimp prep will take, because shrimp can be purchased in all stages of preparation.  Be aware that if your shrimp need to be fully prepped, it will increase the prep time.
    Serving Tips:  Serving pre-filled tacos on a party platter can be tricky if you don’t have a taco serving tray.  To hold them together, you can use toothpicks, but make sure that the toothpicks are visible so that no one accidentally bites into one!
    Food Safety Tips:  Avoid leaving the shrimp out at room temperature for hours.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 110kcal (6%) | Carbohydrates: 14g (5%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 5g (8%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg (2%) | Sodium: 295mg (13%) | Potassium: 112mg (3%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 4g (4%) | Vitamin A: 243IU (5%) | Vitamin C: 16mg (19%) | Calcium: 86mg (9%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
    « Lox Rice Bowl
    Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Bourbon »

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dana

      October 21, 2017 at 1:59 pm

      Fish tacos are yummy and all, but shrimp tacos are hands down the BEST tacos. I’ve yet to meet a shrimp taco I didn’t like. I’m diggin’ the inclusion of pineapple. Perfect for those winter days when you need a brightly flavored pick-me-up!

      Reply
    2. Britt

      October 21, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      These look so delish! It never gets cold down here in Miami, so this is going to go perfectly for dinner next week. Thanks!

      Reply
    3. Hannah Hossack-Lodge

      October 21, 2017 at 7:06 pm

      Shrimp tacos are my favourite and i love the addition of the pineapple. Because they are mini that means I can eat more of them right? 😛

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes

        October 23, 2017 at 6:22 pm

        Haha totally! Eat them all! 😀

        Reply
    4. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables

      October 21, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      My husband looooves shrimp tacos so I know he’d enjoy these! Your photos are beautiful!

      Reply
    5. Trang

      October 21, 2017 at 11:36 pm

      5 stars
      You combined two of my favorite foods: pineapple and shrimp!! Can’t wait to try 🙂

      Reply
    6. Meg | Meg is Well

      October 28, 2017 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      Yum! I love the combo of shrimp, queso fresco, and pineapple! I would have a hard time not eating a lot of these.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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