• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

  • My RecipeTin
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cake recipes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • ✨Party✨
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • eBooks
      • The Food Photography Book
      • Chicken Wings Cookbook
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Fish Recipes

Fish Tacos

By:Nagi
Published:15 Jan '20Updated:18 Feb '20
225 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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 💪🏼

Close up of Fish Tacos on a plate, ready to be eaten

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??!

Cooking marinated fish for Fish Tacos

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!!

Close up of two forks flaking fish for tacos

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.

Fish Tacos with sides and toppings - pickled cabbage and fish taco sauce

What you need for Fish Tacos

Here’s what you need to make fish tacos.

What goes in 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:

Pickled cabbage for fish tacos

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, 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.

How to make the BEST easy Fish Tacos

Close up of Fish Tacos, ready to be eaten

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

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Close up of Fish Tacos on a plate, ready to be eaten

Fish Tacos

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Marinating & pickling: 20 mins
Total: 45 mins
Dinner
Mexican
4.94 from 59 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. Fish marinated in classic Mexican fresh flavours, seared until golden, are perfect for tacos. The lightly pickled red cabbage is a perfect accompanied for the soft fish, a great texture contrast. A wonderful recipe for white fish fillets, you will NOT miss deep fried fish!

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:

1. Fish - my favourites are snapper and barramundi. They have "meaty" flesh which I particularly enjoy in tacos. Other good fish include: tilapia, basa, cod, John Dory and Silver Dory, ling, bream, haddock, pollack, monkfish.
Recommend avoiding:
  • lean fish - like swordfish, tuna, kingfish (unless you can get fatty kingfish)
  • very delicate fish - like dover sole and flounder
2. Chipotle powder - can still be irritatingly difficult to find in Australia! Not sold in all major supermarkets (yet) but you can find it in fruit & veg stores (eg Harris Farms), delis and gourmet/speciality stores (e.g. Thomas Dux). It does not cost much more than ordinary spices. It can be ordered online from Firework Foods (Aus only).
If you can't track it down, I think the best substitute is ½ tbsp each SMOKED paprika, cumin and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.
3. Sriracha - Asian chilli sauce that's very common nowadays (sold alongside chilli sauces and in Asian section). Great "cheat" ingredient to quickly add flavour into things as it's made with more than just chilli. To reduce spiciness of sauce, sub with some (or all) ketchup instead.
4. Nutrition for 3 tacos (tortilla + fish + pickled cabbage), assumes 2 of the 3 tbsp of oil in the marinade is discarded.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 309gCalories: 410cal (21%)Carbohydrates: 38.8g (13%)Protein: 28.3g (57%)Fat: 17.3g (27%)Saturated Fat: 2.9g (18%)Cholesterol: 61mg (20%)Sodium: 378mg (16%)Potassium: 278mg (8%)Fiber: 6.1g (25%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 100IU (2%)Vitamin C: 41.3mg (50%)Calcium: 110mg (11%)Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
Keywords: fish tacos, healthy tacos, mexican fish, white fish fillets recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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.

Dozer the golden retriever buying washing machine

 

Previous Post
Pad Thai
Next Post
Truly Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Beer Battered Fish and Chips in a basket with tartare sauce

Crispy Beer Battered Fish

Crispy Skin Salmon in a skillet, fresh off the stove

Crispy Skin Salmon

Goan Fish Curry in a bowl with basmati rice

Goan Fish Curry (Indian)

More Fish Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




225 Comments

  1. LisaR says

    January 24, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    5 stars
    These fish tacos were full of flavor, delicious and quick! We will definitely make these again. Spice level was a bit much for my husband and two teenage kids so I’d use about half the chipotle next time.

    Reply
  2. Flip says

    January 17, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious and so easy to make! It’s everything I’ve always wanted fish tacos to be! We like to play with the toppings now that we’ve mastered the basics but highly recommend you try this! We’ve also made for friend’s kids that don’t like as much chilli heat by making with less jalapeno and sriracha!

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    January 5, 2021 at 11:22 am

    I’m going to try this recipe for my kids tonight. Just wondering if I don’t add the jalapeño and chipotle powder, would it still taste ok? Just that my kids can’t take food that’s too spicy/ hot. Thank you

    Reply
  4. Mpho says

    January 2, 2021 at 3:48 pm

    I made these today using barramundi and it was so good, I added sliced avocado to mine and it really was a game changer. I love your recipes ❤️

    Reply
  5. Charlotte Walton says

    January 1, 2021 at 12:33 pm

    Hi! I made these tonight and I had a fast question if you have time. 🙂 It didn’t really seem like the marinade flavor soaked into the fish (I used tilapia) and I was wondering if you might have any tips or suggestions to get a stronger flavor in the fish. All of the comments say they had great flavor and mine were kind of bland 😅 Any help you could give would be appreciated!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Developed by Zao © RecipeTin Eats 2021 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top