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Home Fish

Fish Tacos

By:Nagi
Published:15 Jan '20Updated:30 Mar '21
289 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, 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.

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

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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
4.91 from 87 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 324
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

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Dozer the golden retriever buying washing machine

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289 Comments

  1. Cathy says

    May 23, 2022 at 1:25 am

    Am going to make your fish tacos and cannot find chipotle powder, but have chipotle sauce….what is the ratio??

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 23, 2022 at 2:29 pm

      Chipotle sauces can vary widely Cathy. I would add a teaspoon at a time until you get the marinade to a heat that you like, or use the paprika sub that I have in the recipe notes! N x

      Reply
  2. Jacki says

    April 10, 2022 at 8:32 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi…looove this fish taco recipe, and have made it many times. Thinking of making it on Good Friday for quite a few people, do think the marinade would go ok made in advance, and then just put the fish in for half hour prior to cooking?? I love all your recipes….people think I’m a good cook now (I’m not) 🤣🤣🤣

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 10, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      Absolutely Jackie! You can make the marinade (and the pickling liquid for the cabbage!) ahead of time and keep them in the fridge then just combine 30 minutes before cooking! And I am sure that you ARE a good cook!!! N x

      Reply
  3. Christine K says

    March 28, 2022 at 1:30 pm

    5 stars
    I usually never comment, but this was this no-joke, hands-down the best fish tacos I’ve ever made!!! Hubby and I gobbled it up. Used barramundi. Didn’t have Chipotle powder so I substituted it with a 1tsp of canned Chipotle. Thank you Nagi all your recipes have been a hit so far in this house.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 28, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      I’m happy you both liked it so much! N x

      Reply
      • Christine K says

        March 29, 2022 at 12:55 am

        Of course also love the Dozer posts in each recipe. They add a certain sweetness to the dish 🙂

        Reply
  4. Missy says

    March 22, 2022 at 12:52 am

    I love all of your recipes. Where can I pre order your cookbook?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 22, 2022 at 6:03 pm

      If you are on my mailing list Missy, you will be one of the first to know once it is available for pre-order! N x

      Reply
  5. Alex says

    March 3, 2022 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    This is genuinely delicious. I love fish tacos, which are usually best when fried and crispy with a fleshy inside. But you’re right, bad fish tacos disintegrate and are just awful. These were terrific, the marinade is to die for. Will make again and again.

    Reply
  6. Angela says

    February 14, 2022 at 9:04 pm

    5 stars
    The tastiest fish tacos! I didn’t have chipotle powder so used the substitutions along with a teaspoon of chipotle in adobo sauce. With extra jalapeños and cayenne there was a nice zing.

    Reply
  7. Tamara sims says

    February 9, 2022 at 10:58 am

    5 stars
    delicious! I made this last night
    I only had Basa fillets, cooked on bbq. I used the combo spice mix and white cabbage. Will make this again!!

    Reply
  8. Joael says

    February 7, 2022 at 11:34 pm

    5 stars
    My husband loves fish tacos but I never make them at home. When he saw his beautiful plate of tacos, he was thrilled. He loves all of your food, but this one got the most “Mmmmm!”s of anything I’ve made, and I make a LOT of your recipes!! Good work, Nagi.

    Reply
  9. Ro says

    December 28, 2021 at 9:15 am

    Fish tacos delicious. A couple of changes due to store not having ingredients but the fish especially was very tasty. Easy meal. Thanks Nadi. Loving your recipes!

    Reply
  10. Lisa says

    October 22, 2021 at 9:48 am

    I have made these fish tacos about 5 times and they are always such a hit !! I’ve used so many of your recipes Nagi, they never fail !

    Reply
  11. Kristee (Humphrey says

    October 13, 2021 at 10:35 am

    Wow! haven’t even serve this up yet and I am sold! I know there will be no leftovers….these Fish Taco are amazing, and I love in the land of tacos. xo

    Reply
    • Loz says

      May 22, 2022 at 10:26 am

      Hi Nagi!
      Been a really avid follower for a while now but first ever question: will frozen-and-thawed cod or barrumandi work? I always get Aldi fish from the frozen section but have never marinated those before so not sure how they would perform when marinated. Any thoughts please? 🙂

      Also, absolutely love love love all your recipes. You are my encyclopaedia time and time again, thank you!!!!

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        May 23, 2022 at 3:24 pm

        I think thawed barramundi would work great here Loz! N x

        Reply
  12. Alexandra says

    October 12, 2021 at 12:42 am

    5 stars
    Divine! Definitely a keeper

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 13, 2021 at 2:07 pm

      Thanks! N x

      Reply
  13. Shinko says

    October 5, 2021 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    Love, love, love all your recipes Nagi! I made it with Basa fillet from Aldi, and used the “kale slaw” (also from Aldi) and pickled that instead of having to cut cabbage. That saved heaps of time, and allowed me to make your flatbread in between marinating the fish, etc… and it was GOOOOOOD! Love Dozer posts too, my Goldie is 11 and is a sweetheart too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 6, 2021 at 11:06 am

      Awwww! Thanks! Nx

      Reply
  14. Dawn says

    October 5, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for National Taco day and they were amazing! Super simple but oh so flavourful. We only had haddock but it was a perfect substitute. This one is definitely going in rotation!

    Reply
  15. Marita says

    October 3, 2021 at 9:17 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made a few of your recipes and they’ve all been really tasty, but this was a standout. So, so delicious. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
  16. Hannah Green says

    September 18, 2021 at 9:26 am

    I assume chipotle powder is different to chipotle seasoning?
    Our local woolies has the seasoning?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 18, 2021 at 9:47 am

      HI Hannah! Yes it’s different, seasoning has all sorts of other flavours in it 🙂 N x

      Reply
  17. Dede says

    September 16, 2021 at 12:49 am

    very excited about your upcoming book. I’m so in tune with your cooking philosophy. I have a short list of recipes which are novel and delicious and healthful. where/how do I submit them?

    Reply
    • DANIEL HARRIS says

      March 5, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      I want an autographed copy of Nagi’s book for sure!

      Reply
  18. victoria gurfolino says

    September 13, 2021 at 11:08 pm

    love your recipes & blog,
    best, vg

    Reply
  19. victoria gurfolino says

    September 13, 2021 at 11:07 pm

    awesome

    Reply
  20. Jen says

    September 13, 2021 at 3:35 am

    5 stars
    Just made this for tea and wrapped it up in 1 large tortilla, Yum!! Used chipotle paste I had in fridge which worked fine. Making again later in week to use up left over pickled cabbage. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
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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

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