Fish Tacos – Two Peas & Their Pod

We have tacos almost every week, thank you Taco Tuesday! But there really is no bad day to eat tacos. A few of our favorites include: ground beef tacos, cauliflower tacos, black bean tacos, shrimp tacos, and steak tacos.

These Fish Tacos are also a crowd pleaser. They only take 30 minutes to make and taste better than any fish tacos you can order at a restaurant. They are fresh, light, and full of flavor!

The fish is seasoned with a simple homemade taco seasoning made with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Cook the fish in a hot cast iron skillet until golden, tender, and flaky.

Now for the fun part, assembling the tacos! The tacos are topped with a refreshing cabbage slaw, lime crema, pickled red onions, avocado, salty cotija cheese…and whatever other toppings you like.

The next time you are craving tacos, make fish tacos! They make a great quick and easy weeknight dinner or are fun for serving a crowd!

Ingredients

For the Fish:

• Fish– cod is our favorite fish to use for fish tacos, but you can use any lean and flakey white fish that is mild in flavor. Halibut, tilapia, mahi mahi, catfish, snapper, and haddock are all good options. You can use fresh or frozen fish. If you are using frozen, make sure you allow time to defrost.
• Lime juice– use fresh limes.
• Spices– chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. If you want to add a little heat, you can add a little cayenne pepper.
• Avocado oil or olive oil– for cooking.

For the Slaw:

• Cabbage– thinly sliced red and green cabbage for the slaw.
• Shredded carrots– we like to add carrots to the slaw too!
• Apple cider vinegar– the vinegar adds a nice tang to the slaw.
• Honey– if you want a little kick, you can use hot honey.

For the Lime Crema:

• Sour cream– you can also use plain Greek yogurt.
• Cilantro– to stir into the crema.
• Fresh Lime Juice

For the Tacos:

• Tortillas– you can use corn or flour tortillas. Char them over an open flame or warm them up in the microwave. To make the tacos gluten-free make sure you use corn tortillas.

How to Make Fish Tacos

(scroll down to the recipe card for full list of ingredients and instructions)

• Place the fish on a large baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the fish and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

• To make the slaw, combine the cabbage, carrots, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss well and set aside.

• To make the lime crema, combine the sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

• Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly on both sides of the fish, making sure it is well coated.

• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the hot pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. The fish is done when it is opaque all the way through and breaks apart easily. Time will vary depending on how thick your fish is.

• Transfer the cooked fish to a platter and use a fork to gently break it into large chunks.
• To assemble the tacos, place a few pieces of fish in a warm tortilla. Top with a little cabbage slaw, lime crema, and your favorite taco toppings.

Taco Toppings

The cabbage slaw and lime crema really elevate the fish tacos, don’t skip those two toppings! If you want to add more toppings, go for it! Here are some of our favorite taco toppings.

What to Serve with Fish Tacos

Here are a few side dishes that go well with fish tacos.

How to Store

If you have leftover fish, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I don’t recommend storing assemble tacos, they will get soggy. You can store the slaw, lime crema, and other toppings in individual containers in the fridge.

Reheat the fish in a skillet or in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave because the fish might get a little rubbery.

More Taco Recipes

Main Dishes

Fish Tacos

Perfectly seasoned white fish served in tortillas with a refreshing cabbage slaw, lime crema, pickled red onions, avocado, and cotija cheese. You only need 30 minutes to make these fresh and flavorful fish tacos, they are a weeknight favorite.

For the fish:

• 1 1/2 lbs cod (or other white fish like tilapia or halibut)
• Juice of 1 large lime, 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil

For the slaw:

• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or hot honey
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the lime crema:

• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the tacos:

• Corn or Flour tortillas
• Avocado slices
• Jalapeño slices
• Pickled red onions
• Cotija cheese
• Lime wedges

• Place the fish on a large baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the fish and let sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

• In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

• To make the slaw, combine the cabbage, carrots, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss well and set aside.

• To make the lime crema, combine the sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

• Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly on both sides of the fish, making sure it is well coated.

• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the hot pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. The fish is done when it is opaque all the way through and breaks apart easily. Time will vary depending on how thick your fish is.

• Transfer the cooked fish to a platter and use a fork to gently break it into large chunks.

• To assemble the tacos, place a few pieces of fish in a warm tortilla. Top with a little cabbage slaw, lime crema, avocado, jalapeño slices, pickled red onions, and cotija cheese, or your favorite toppings. Serve lime wedges on the side and serve immediately.

Calories: 322kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 752mg, Potassium: 1056mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 4067IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 132mg, Iron: 2mg

Have you tried this recipe?

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