These fish tacos are fresh and flavorful, with seasoned white fish, crunchy cabbage, avocado and the best creamy fish taco sauce. This fish taco recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make, so it’s perfect for any day of the week!
These Fish Tacos are Simply the Best!
When Brad and I traveled to Maui, we just couldn’t get enough of the fish tacos from this one restaurant that was within walking distance of our hotel. They were simple and flavorful and I just knew I had to recreate them as soon as we got home. I got to work recipe testing in the kitchen and this fish taco recipe is the result. I could not love these more!
These fish tacos have flaky seasoned fish, crunchy cabbage and buttery avocado, wrapped in tortillas and drizzled with spicy, creamy fish taco sauce. They’ve become a regular in our meal rotation and I think you’ll love them too!
Many fish taco recipes seem overly complicated and too much to handle on a busy night. My goal with this recipe was to keep it simple without sacrificing any flavor. You won’t have to make a slaw for the fish tacos – crunchy cabbage stands on its own as a satisfying slaw, especially combined with the creamy sauce. The sauce comes together in minutes with just a few simple ingredients. And a few pantry seasonings bring spicy, smoky flavor to mild white fish.
These fish tacos are completely crave-worthy and so easy to make. They’re perfect for a midweek taco night!
This are legit the best fish tacos I have ever had and I made them at home which is even better!! I used 1/8 a cup Mayo for a little fat and then the rest nonfat greek yogurt for the sauce and it was SO good! I also love how simple this recipe was and do not need to prep a coleslaw ahead of time.
Stephanie
Fish Tacos Ingredients
- Fish and Seasonings: The best fish for fish tacos is any type of mild, white fish. Cod, halibut, tilapia, and mahi mahi are all good options. I’ve seasoned the fish with chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. It’s slightly spicy and smoky thanks to the smoked paprika. For extra spice, add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the fish taco seasoning mix.
- Fish Taco Sauce Ingredients: The sauce is made with plain Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic powder, sriracha and salt. The Greek yogurt keeps the sauce light, healthy and tangy. You can make the sauce with mayonnaise and sour cream if you prefer.
- Tortillas and Toppings: Red cabbage, avocado, cilantro and fresh lime juice balance out the flavors and textures in this easy fish taco recipe. I prefer corn tortillas for the tacos, but you can also use flour tortillas.
How to Make Fish Tacos
Unlike Baja fish tacos, which are beer-battered and fried, I pan sear the fish for these tacos in a skillet until it has a nice flavorful crust on the outside and is moist and flaky inside. Making fish tacos this way is easier, healthier and much less messy!
There are three steps to making the fish tacos: prepare the fish, mix up the sauce, and prep the (simple) taco toppings.
You’ll start by seasoning the fish. Pat it dry with paper towels. Mix the seasonings together and sprinkle them over both sides of the fish. Gently pat the seasonings onto the fish to help them stick.
Cook the fish in olive oil in a nonstick skillet, cast iron skillet or grill pan. It will take 4 to 7 minutes per side to cook through. It’s done when it registers 145° F on an instant read thermometer.
Best Fish Taco Sauce
While the fish cooks, make the sauce. In a bowl whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until well blended. Taste and adjust the amount of sriracha to make the sauce spicier if desired. If the sauce is too thick you can whisk in water, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Note: If you like a lot of sauce, you’ll want to double the fish taco sauce ingredient amounts.
Next, the Toppings!
Finally, gather your toppings. Thinly slice the cabbage. I find that fresh cabbage adds the best crunch but you can can use packaged coleslaw mix if you’re really short on time. Slice an avocado and chop some fresh cilantro. Cut a lime into wedges for squeezing over the fish in the tacos.
I love to warm and slightly crisp the tortillas before filling them. To do this, place the tortillas in a hot skillet on the stove, one at a time. Cook briefly on each side, until warm and crisped slightly. Alternatively, you can warm the tortillas all at once in the microwave.
Serving Ideas
These fish tacos are a filling entrée, so you won’t need many side dishes for your meal. I usually choose one of these to serve with them:
- Guacamole, Salsa or Pico de Gallo and tortilla chips
- Instant Pot Black Beans or Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Corn Salad or Mexican Street Corn
- Instant Pot Spanish Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
More Favorite Taco Recipes
This fish taco recipe is one of our very favorite taco recipes. Here are a few more that you might enjoy:
- Shrimp Tacos
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Ground Turkey Tacos
- Breakfast Tacos
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4.95 from 19 ratings
Best Fish Tacos Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 12 minutes mins
Total Time: 27 minutes mins
The best fish taco recipe! Easy to make, fresh, and flavorful with seasoned white fish, crunchy cabbage, avocado and the best creamy fish taco sauce! These fish tacos take less than 30 minutes to make, so they're perfect for any night of the week!
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Ingredients
Fish
- 1 ½ pounds cod, halibut, tilapia or mahi mahi, or other mild white fish
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Fish Taco Sauce*
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, or 5 tablespoons sour cream plus 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon sriracha sauce*, or to taste
- pinch of salt
- water, as needed to thin sauce
For Serving
- 8 small corn or flour tortillas
- ½ small red cabbage*, shredded
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Prepare the Fish
Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over both sides of the fish and gently pat the seasoning onto the fish.
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the fish to the pan and cook until the internal temperature reaches 145° F, about 4-7 minutes per side. Turn off the heat.
Make the Fish Taco Sauce
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the plain Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic powder, sriracha and salt. If the sauce is too thick you can thin it with a little water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Set aside.
Warm the Tortillas
(Optional) Warm and slightly crisp the tortillas, one at a time, in a hot skillet on the stove. Alternatively, you can warm the tortillas all at once in the microwave.
Assemble Tacos
To serve, fill each tortilla with shredded cabbage, cooked fish, avocado slices, fish taco sauce and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- To make the seasoning on the fish spicy, add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- If you like a lot of sauce, you’ll want to double the fish taco sauce ingredient amounts.
- If you can’t find sriracha sauce, you can use 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce from canned chipotle in adobo, or to taste.
- Packaged coleslaw mix may be used in place of the fresh shredded cabbage, if desired.
- Be sure to use gluten-free tortillas if you need the tacos to be gluten-free.
Serving: 2tacos, Calories: 414kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 313mg, Potassium: 1315mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1482IU, Vitamin C: 54mg, Calcium: 146mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Main Course
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