Super easy and sure to impress your guests, these fish tacos are not just for taco Tuesday! Made with simple, everyday ingredients, these tacos are bursting with fresh flavors. They’re so light yet filling and these tacos hit the spot every time.
Tender seasoned fish with an array of toppings on a corn tortilla, these tacos are a household favorite. They’re pretty effortless to make as you can throw everything together in a few minutes so you can enjoy these homemade tacos, no matter how busy your weeknights are. If you want another healthy and tasty taco recipe for taco night, try my cauliflower taco recipe and carne asade taco recipe.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Fish — You can use any white fish of your choice as the flavor is often mild and on the sweeter side. Cod, tilapia, and halibut are popular choices. Buy fillets with the skin and bones already removed to save time.
- Seasoning — I use a combination of cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper but feel free to use your favorite seasoning. Just be sure to season generously as the fish itself doesn’t have a strong flavor profile.
- Sauce — I whip up a homemade sauce with sour cream, mayo, and lime juice. I don’t recommend skipping it as I feel that the fish tacos aren’t complete without it! Feel free to tweak the ingredients to be more zesty, creamy, or thick.
How to Make Fish Tacos
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Melt the butter and drizzle over the fish along with the olive oil.
Step 3: Sprinkle the seasoning over all of the fish.
Step 4: Bake the fish at 375 F for 15 - 20 minutes.
Step 5: While the fish is baking, make the sauce by whisking together the sour cream, mayo, and lime juice.
Step 6: Toast the corn tortillas over a low flame on the burner before assembling the tacos.
Tips For This Recipe
- If you do not have a gas stove to toast the corn tortillas, add them to a large dry skillet or griddle over medium heat instead.
- Careful not to over-cook the fish as it’ll become rubbery instead of tender and flaky.
- If you’re unsure if the fish is cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Cooked fish’s internal temperature is 145 F.
- You don’t have to worry about getting the same size fillet as you roughly chop or flake the fish to add to the tacos. If the fillets vary in size, you can use two small sheet pans to remove the smaller fillets first.
- Pat dry the fish before using. This helps the butter and oil stick to the fish so that the seasoning will stick better.
- Don’t have lime? Use lemon instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t feel limited to what I used here! Some more ideas of what you can top your tacos with are guacamole, pico de gallo, chopped onions, sliced jalapeños, sliced radishes, shredded lettuce, feta cheese, coleslaw, refried beans, sliced avocados, mango salsa, shredded cheese, and corn salsa.
Corn tortillas are my go-to option for tacos, but use whatever you like best. If you prefer flour tortillas or crunchy taco shells, go for it!
No, you don’t. If you don’t want to heat your kitchen by turning on the oven, you can pan-sear the fish in a large skillet instead. Sear for around 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fish.
If you cannot find fresh white fish, frozen fillets are great. They usually freeze fish after being caught, so they’re quite fresh. I don’t recommend cooking from frozen, so be sure to thaw the fillets in the fridge overnight. After thawing frozen fish, you’ll need to pat them dry of any moisture before using them.
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If you’ve tried this Fish Taco Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- small corn tortillas
- 1 lb white fish like cod or halibut
- ½ tsp cayenne powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
For the Toppings:
- 1 cup purple cabbage thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 cup Cotija cheese
- lime wedges to squeeze
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the spices: cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Melt the butter and drizzle over the fish along with the olive oil. Sprinkle the seasoning over all of the fish.
- Bake the fish at 375 F for 15 - 20 minutes.
- To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.
- To serve the tacos, toast the corn tortillas over a low flame on the burner and then add the fish, toppings, and drizzle of the sauce. Garnish with the cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and squeeze of lime juice.
Video
Notes
- If you do not have a gas stove to toast the corn tortillas, add them to a large dry skillet or griddle over medium heat instead.
- Careful not to over-cook the fish as it’ll become rubbery instead of tender and flaky.
- If you’re unsure if the fish is cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Cooked fish’s internal temperature is 145 F.
- You don’t have to worry about getting the same size fillet as you roughly chop or flake the fish to add to the tacos. If the fillets vary in size, you can use two small sheet pans to remove the smaller fillets first.
- Pat dry the fish before using. This helps the butter and oil stick to the fish so that the seasoning will stick better.
- Don’t have lime? Use lemon instead.
Hi Brian!
My name is Bina Takeuchi and I'm currently a film student attending Pasadena City College. I fell in LOVE with your videos and the way that they're made. I was wondering if you needed an assistant or if you were offering any internships at the moment? I'm so eager to learn how to produce well-made videos like yours and the process behind creating them.
Please let me know!
Best,
Bina