You don’t need to deep fry to make terrific Fish Tacos. You just need a really great marinade! A seriously delicious way to serve up white fish fillets, this recipe can be cooked on the BBQ or stove. Either way, they’re healthy, fresh and bursting with serious taco goodness!
Bonus: they happen to be HEALTHY 💪🏼
Fish Tacos
A bad fish taco is worse than a bad chicken taco.
And while most people would be turned off after multiple dismal experiences, I persevered, believing there to be better.
I mean, tacos. They have always been one of my favourite foods, ever since the first time I tried them.
And I’m thankful I didn’t give up. Because it just got better and better. Went to Mexico, tasted the real deal, then used that as my benchmark to make my own.
And now I’ve got The Fish Taco recipe. Well, at least, what I think is the BEST Fish Taco recipe. 🙂
What I like to do is load the fish with flavour with a chipotle lime marinade. You just know by looking at it that it’s gonna be good, right??!
Will you LOOK AT THAT!!! Tender and juicy on the inside, deep golden brown on the outside, flavoured all the way through with just a quick 20 minute marinade!!
What to serve with Fish Tacos
Here’s what I serve with Fish Tacos:
The chipotle marinated fish;
“Pink Taco Sauce” – 2 ingredient, mildly spicy sour cream or yogurt sauce, goes very well with the fish;
Quick pickled cabbage; and
lime wedges and coriander/cilantro leaves.
What you need for Fish Tacos
Here’s what you need to make fish tacos.
Any firm white fish fillets will work fine here, especially if they are fleshy.
My favourites are snapper and barramundi. They have “meaty” flesh which I particularly enjoy in tacos.
Other common fish that are ideal include: tilapia, basa, cod, John Dory and Silver Dory, ling, bream, haddock, pollack, monkfish.
I recommend avoiding:
really lean fish – like swordfish, tuna and kingfish
very delicate fish – like dover sole and flounder
Quick Pickled Cabbage for Tacos
I serve these tacos with a quick pickled cabbage. Pickling it makes the cabbage floppy so it kind of melds together better with the fish (raw cabbage would be too pokey and crunchy for tender fish), and the slight tang is a classic pairing with seafood.
Here’s what you need for the pickled cabbage:
Don’t restrict yourself to using this pickled cabbage just for Fish Tacos! It will go with any type of tacos – chicken, old school beef tacos, shredded beef, beef barbacoa, or pork carnitas.
How to make it
I think I’ve pretty much talked through the making part, but here’s a visual anyway!
20 minute fish marinade – no longer, because otherwise the lime juice in the marinade will “cook” the fish;
cook it, flake it;
quick taco sauce – sour cream and sriracha. I call it my Pink Taco Sauce;
pickle the cabbage – 20 minutes to become floppy (same as the fish marinating time, nice and convenient!);
stuff and devour.
I typically cook Fish Tacos on the stove for midweek meals. But this is fantastic food for a barbecue with friends! It cooks so quickly so it doesn’t take you away from your guests and you can throw the tortillas onto the BBQ to warm up.
It also scales up easily, and you can lay everything out on the table and let everyone help themselves. Definitely my preferred method of entertaining!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Fish Marinade
- 1.2 lb / 600g firm white fish fillets (Note 1)
- Zest of 1 lime
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp chipotle powder (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp canned jalapeno , finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro / coriander , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Quick Pickled cabbage
- 4 cups red cabbage , finely shredded
- 3 green onion stems , finely sliced on the diagonal
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar, cider vinegar)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Pink Taco Sauce
- 3/4 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
- 2 – 3 tbsp sriracha , adjust to taste (Note 3)
To Cook & Serve
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 small tortillas (corn or flour), warmed
- lime wedges
- coriander/cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Marinade fish: Combine Fish Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Set aside for 20 minutes to marinate – no longer than 1 hour.
- Pickled Cabbage: Place Pickled Cabbage ingredients in a bowl. Toss to combine and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain excess liquid, scrunch cabbage with your hands (to help soften). Set aside.
- Pink Sauce: Mix to combine.
- Cook fish: Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook fish for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked.
- Remove fish onto plate then flake into large pieces.
- To assemble tacos, top with cabbage then fish, a dollop of sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice. Fold tortilla over and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- lean fish – like swordfish, tuna, kingfish (unless you can get fatty kingfish)
- very delicate fish – like dover sole and flounder
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2016. Updated with new photos and video, and most importantly, new Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
Helping shop for new appliances!! Need an industrial strength washing machine that can cope with all this darn FUR.
How about taking us all on a tour of Japan and/or Australia as our tour guide?
Hi Janice – take a look here 🙂 https://letfedtende.today/category/japan-travel/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I have never eaten Fish Tacos before so I have nothing to compare them too, but these were great. As for Dozer’s shopping for toys it looked to me that he had his eye on the very one he wanted! I hope he got it. Dozier is such a wonderful companion for you. I wish you both the best year ever.
Thanks so much Redonia, that’s so kind of you!! I’m so happy you enjoyed the fish tacos! N x
We go fishing in Alaska every summer and I have freezers full of fish. I love your posts and your recipes so this is one I will be trying. Thanks so much for all that you share with us. I have been thinking of you hoping you are safe from all of the fires. 🙂
Perfect Jan!!!
Can’t wait to try. Question on pink sauce. Recipe says sour cream but video at ~0.45 says mayo. Which one is it, or both is fine? Thx!
Thanks for picking this up! You could use sour cream, yogurt or Mayo – they all work great! N x
I will be trying these tacos! I follow you on Instagram and your videos are mouth watering. Thanks Nagi.
Thanks so much Martha!!
This recipe is a definite winner. I make a very similar version with two exceptions. I use shrimp instead of fish and instead of sriracha in the pink sauce I use chipotle in adobo sauce. YUM.
Yum Don! You could definitely sub the fish with shrimp 🙂
Hi,
Is there a recommended substitute for the chipotle? I don’t care for it, too bitter for me.
Thanks
Kat
Hi Kat – smoked paprika will be great!
Thank you. I’ll try it.
I usually wash my dog with a garden hose. Never thought about using “industrial strength washing machine. Do you put Dozer in a front loader or top loader.
I couldn’t find one big enough – will have to settle for the hose unfortunately 😂
I know the question might seem odd, but…
Green onions in the cabbage – are they for the taste or do they have some other function as well? I don’t eat any kind of onions (cooked, uncooked, whatever, doesn’t matter), so I was wondering if I could omit adding them to the pickled cabbage…
Hi Zee, just leave them out! You’ll love it!
Hey Dozer which washing machine did you pick for your furry body 😄😄
Nagi great.timing for fish tacos, I can fantasize it’s spring😄👍💕
Dozer couldn’t decide 😂
Unlike you tacos have but rarely been on my menu, but I adore fish and love interesting fish recipes in any size, shape or form and am dying to try these! Taking my heritage into account pickled cabbage naturally was yet another food which immediately followed Mother’s milk 🙂 ! SO !!! Since I eat raw or pickled herring and anchovies for breakfast almost every day, the thought has arisen could I make this work using marinated fish as is after about 20-25 minutes, ie ‘uncooked’ . . . homework needed . . . but a moreish idea !! Thanks heaps !
Nagi – thank you for your reply to this on IG ! The fish could naturally be cut ‘my’ way but I take your point about cooking down the spices: forgot you were not using fresh chillies 🙂 !
I hope you give this one a go Eha, love to know your thoughts!! The garlic in the marinade needs to be cooked off too – I hate the taste of raw garlic 😝
Love these fish tacos! We had cod in the freezer and I wanted to use it up and it was the perfect Taco Tuesday meal. Even my 12 year old loved it and he’s not a huge cabbage fan. I used Mexican hot sauce instead of sriracha because something about sriracha doesn’t sit well with me. Sharing this recipe with my family as they will love it too! Thanks for another great recipe.
That’s so great to hear Christianne!! Any hot sauce works here – I have a stack of different ones in my cupboard I love to rotate through 🙂
These are fabulous 🙂 I cooked a whole batch of them for my family using fresh blue cod we caught while on holiday in NZ.
Btw, for a great source of hard to find spices in Australia, I use Herbies… they have everything you could vever want including chipotle: https://www.herbies.com.au/shop/herbs-and-spices/spices/chilli-chipotle-powder-30g/
Sounds amazing Mike!! I’ve found Harris Farm stock most things now as well 🙂
This recipe comes at a fantastic time, as I just bought ceramic taco stands/holders at a specialty store last week. And now I know how I will utilize them. Wishing you and Dozer a happy, health holiday!
Meant to say ‘Another success story…’.😁
Any success story for dinner tonight! Thanks for this taco recipe. The seasoning for the fish was great even though i substituted as per your suggestion because I did not have the chipolte powder.
I’m so glad you loved them Munlee!
Hi Nagi,
I’ve been hoping to make this dish for months now but with a newborn have somehow whenever I thought about making it I managed to forget at least one ingredient everytime I went shopping! Finally after a few good nights of more than 3 hours sleep I made it! And boy was it worth the wait! So so good and so simple and easy to make!! Can rest assured this will now be a staple during the week! Thank you so much! Will have to try your fish cakes next!!
Just made for lunch & absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Leanne!
Absolutely yummy. It’s the only way I can get my daughter to eat fish. Thank you!
That’s great Alina!
What would be an ideal side dish for these tacos?
Hi Coco, https://letfedtende.today/grilled-mexican-corn-with-chipotle-adobo-sauce-mexicano-restaurant-copycat/%3C/a%3E this is a great side!
Nagi, you are definitely psychic! I wasn’t even actively searching a new recipe for fish tacos – yours found me! And guess what? TODAY is “taco Tuesday” – and I was planning to head across the way to the shopping center with Rubio’s since they do cheap tacos on Tuesdays BUT I can feast in my own home instead. LOVE the idea of pickled red cabbage for flavor and crunch. I have a couple of just-right ripe avocados and some marinated carne asada so I will lay out a banquet of Mexican food tonight! Wish you were here so I could share with you (bring Dozer and Katie will get the door!) I don’t know if I can hold off for dinner time, so I just might have to do what old people do and have dinner at 3:00 PM!
You’d lose some tacos if you let Dozer in the door I fear!!! Gosh, I am so jealous you have a Rubio’s nearby 🙂 I LOVED their fish tacos soo much! N xx