The BEST fish taco recipe around! These tacos are light and healthy, topped with a zesty crema and quick and easy enough for a 25 minute weeknight meal.
Fish tacos are one of the best quick and easy dinner recipes out there and a great way to get more seafood in your diet. When done right, they’re fresh and bursting with flavor and absolutely irresistible.
What Makes This the Best Fish Taco Recipe
Well friends, let’s talk fish tacos for a minute. Have you ever had fish tacos that suck? I have and I assure these are not those tacos. I promise you that.
This recipe has just the right blend of ingredients, is cooked easily on the stovetop and only dirties up one pan. The seasoning blend is absolutely divine together with just the right balance of salty goodness, lime and classic taco flair.
Plus, the rest of the fixings are included right there in the ingredient list so you won’t forget a thing. They’re factored right into the nutrition facts too unlike many taco recipes so you can get a complete idea of the nutrients you’re consuming.
Overall, I’ve tried many fish taco recipes and this is the best combo I’ve found. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Ingredients
Ingredients are everything in a recipe like fish tacos! I used cod but you can easily sub with tilapia or something more budget friendly if needed. Just make sure that it is FRESH. Freshness is critical with seafood.
While the fish is the star of the recipe obviously, the end result requires just the right spice blend and toppings to make the tacos come together seamlessly. Here’s what you’ll need to make fish tacos and taco sauce:
- white fish (cod, haddock, tilapia, mahi mahi, halibut, flounder, grouper – whatever, just make sure its a white, salt water fish and that it is FRESH!)
- oil (since you’re searing on semi-high heat, use an oil with a high smoke point like avocado oil)
- cumin
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- paprika
- lime
- yogurt
- mayonnaise
- hot sauce
And now for the toppings and fixings! Here are the goodies I used, but feel free to use whatever you prefer:
- tortillas
- purple cabbage
- salsa
- avocado
- tomatoes
- cilantro
- cheese (we love cotija!)
- red onion
How to Make Fish Tacos
Although there are a few steps to the recipe, fish tacos are pretty easy to make. Since the fish cooks quickly it is best to get everything prepped before you even start on the fish.
- First and foremost, prep all of those ingredients. Get the cabbage thinly sliced, chop the tomatoes, slice the avocado, and crumble the cheese. The fish cooks pretty quickly so you won’t want to save this for the last minute like you can with other taco recipes, like these turkey tacos.
- Make the sauce. It’s easy as can be since all you do is place the yogurt, mayo, lime, garlic powder, cumin, and hot sauce in a bowl and stir it together. Make sure to season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and rub the fish down with the seasoning blend: cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. If you’re using a cast iron skillet, start heating at low heat for a few minutes before raising the heat to medium-high since cast iron needs to be warmed up slowly.
- Sear the fish on one side for 4-5 minutes. then flip and cook on the other side. Break the fish up in to small pieces and squeeze lime over the top. Make sure not to overcook the fish!
- And the best step of all, serve with all of the fixings and enjoy!
Making Fish Taco Sauce
This fish taco sauce recipe elevates the tacos into something close to godliness. The best part is it takes 2 minutes to make. Seriously, it will probably take you more time to find the ingredients in your kitchen than it will to actually make the sauce.
To make the fish taco sauce, you simply stir the yogurt, mayo, cumin, lime juice, garlic powder, hot sauce and a dash of salt and pepper together. Taste and add a touch more salt if needed.
You can also add more hot sauce if you want it spicier, but I prefer it more creamy since you can always heat things up with a spicy salsa.
What to Serve with Fish Tacos
Tacos are a main dish that needs no sides. That being said, if I’m having company over, I typically make a few extra complementary items to serve with them. Here are a few of my favorites:
- This blender pico de gallo is easy, fresh and just as good as the kind that takes half hour of chopping to make.
- Or for a fresh fruity change of pace, this mango avocado salsa is one of the best additions you can possibly make to fish tacos – sooo good!
- This layered bean dip would be an awesome appetizer or if you’re short on time, this blender black bean dip is easy and delish.
- These pickled red onions bring tacos to the next level.
- Cilantro lime salad is a great healthy side dish that perfectly complements any taco recipe.
- These coconut margaritas from Foodie Crush are seriously life changing.
Best Fish Taco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil (or other oil with a high smoke point and minimal flavor)
- 1 1/2 lbs. Cod (or similar white fish)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
Taco Fixings
- 18 6" tortillas, corn or flour
- 3 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 2 large avocados, sliced (or guacamole)
Fish Taco Sauce
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt (I use whole milk yogurt)
- 1/4 cup mayonaise
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Tapatio or other hot sauce
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep all taco toppings and set aside. Make sauce by stirring all taco sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. If yogurt is chunky, use a whisk to make sauce smooth and creamy (do not use a blender!). Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. While oil is warming up, stir taco seasonings (cumin, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper) together in a small bowl and rub onto all sides of the fish to coat evenly.
- Once oil is hot, place piece(s) of fish in pan. Let cook on one side for 3-5 minutes and then use a flat spatula to flip each piece of fish in the pan. Cook on other side for another 3-5 minutes (cooking time will depend on thickness of fish).
- Break fish up into smaller pieces in the pan and cook 1-3 minutes longer until fully cooked but be careful to not over cook.
- Remove from heat and pour lime juice or squeeze lime over fish. Toss with spatula to coat fish evenly with lime juice. Serve with taco fixings and taco sauce.
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