We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
These Easy Fish Tacos are fantastic! Make these for a great weeknight meal when you don’t have a whole lot of time to prepare dinner. The entire family will love them.
Table of Contents
These simple tacos are so yummy and simple to make. I was experimenting one night with extra fish we had and came up with these. Since then, these have been a weeknight dinner staple. They’re easy to throw together on corn tortillas and with lots of yummy toppings, each member of your family can have what they like. Even the people in my family who would not describe themselves as seafood fans enjoy them. Give them a try for dinner tonight!
Don’t be afraid to experiment with fish recipes! There are so many delicious ways to cook up some chicken of the sea. If you like fish tacos, then you’ll also really love these Fiesta Fish Taco Bowls or this scrumptious Sushi Bake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The great thing about tacos is really, anything goes! The same is true for fish tacos. Pile on your favorite fish taco toppings and start munching! Here’s what we start with:
- Battered and fully cooked fish – There are tons of different types of fish you can use (see ideas below) but generally it’s ideal to opt for a mild saltwater fish.
- Corn tortillas – You can use flour tortillas too, or crunchy taco shells, whatever you like best.
- Shredded cabbage – Prepackaged cabbage slaw or coleslaw mix is great to use in this recipe too.
- Pico de gallo – We have a delicious and easy homemade recipe!
- Cilantro cream sauce – This creamy goodness is my favorite fish taco sauce ever! Recipe is also below.
- Cotija cheese or feta cheese – These are both white cheeses that are soft and creamy.
- Chopped cilantro – Perfect for garnish!
Topping Ideas
- For a little kick, add paprika or garlic powder
- Homemade Salsa
- Mango salsa
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
- Chopped red onion
- Black beans
- Mexican Rice
- Lime wedges
How to Make Easy Fish Tacos
- Prep the toppings.
Make the pico de gallo and cilantro cream sauce first. You can refrigerate both while you prep everything else. - Cook the fish.
Bake or pan-fry breaded fish fillets until golden and crispy. If using fresh fish, season and cook until flaky. - Warm the tortillas.
Heat tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until soft and pliable. - Assemble the tacos.
Add a fish fillet to each tortilla, then top with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and a drizzle of cilantro cream sauce. - Finish with toppings.
Sprinkle with crumbled cheese (like Cotija or feta), fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. - Serve and enjoy!
Pair with your favorite sides—like black beans, rice, or mango salsa—and dig in!
What Fish to Use
The best fish to use for these easy fish tacos is one that is saltwater fish with a mild flavor, like white fish filets. Some good options are:
- Tilapia
- Snapper
- Mahi Mahi
- Halibut
- Cod
Make It Extra Easy with Frozen Fish
The above being said I have a secret tactic I’ll often use if I’m trying to make these in a hurry: frozen fish! Just look in the freezer section of the grocery store for breaded frozen white fish.
Arrange them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake. Or cook them in a skillet set at medium heat with a little vegetable oil. Then prepare the rest of the recipe as directed.
Taco Sauces and Garnishes
This fish taco sauce is a blend of a yummy mayonnaise based sauce, then top with fresh pico. This is my preferred way to make them, although if I get super busy and don’t have time to whip up a fresh sauce, I’ll use a bottled chipotle ranch sauce from the grocery store. It’s not quite as good, but it’ll save you even more time when making these easy fish tacos!
- Mayonnaise – You could also swap out some of the mayo for plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
- Sour cream – Great base that adds creamy flavor to the sauce.
- Cilantro Verde Sauce – A favorite sauce we eat on all our Mexican food.
- Jalapeños – Dice it up and use gloves to help avoid any spice on your fingers.
- Cumin, cayenne pepper, or chili powder – These seasonings work perfectly together creating a little hit into the sauce.
- Lime juice – Fresh squeezed lime juice is best!
Five Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I love how simple these are to make! So, so good! I love the crispy fish and the flavors of sauce and pico together.”
-Amy
Frequently Asked Questions
Chips and homemade salsa, coleslaw, fresh fruit, corn salsa, black beans, and guacamole or pico de Gallo are all great sides to serve with fish tacos.
If you have more time to use fresh fish – Mild, white saltwater fish like tilapia, snapper, mahi-mahi, halibut, or cod are ideal. They are easy to cook and family-friendly.
Yes! Frozen, breaded fillets are a time-saver. Just bake or pan-fry before building your taco.
Absolutely! Add more jalapeño to the sauce, sprinkle chili powder on the fish, or splash some hot sauce on top.
More Taco Recipes
Tacos are a staple around our house and for good reason; you can dress them up a million different ways! Here are some more tasty taco recipes to serve at your next Taco Tuesday (or Wednesday or whenever!)
Easy Fish Taco Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 small corn or flour tortilla shells
- 8 fish fillets battered and fully cooked
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- pico de gallo see below
- cilantro cream sauce see below
- Cotija cheese or feta cheese to taste
- cilantro to taste
Cilantro Cream Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
- 2 teaspoon diced jalapeno
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Pico de Gallo:
- 2 plum tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado diced
- salt dash
- pepper dash
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- PICO DE GALLO: Toss all ingredients together and let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- SAUCE: Mix all ingredients together until well blended.
- Put a piece of fish in each tortilla shell.
- Top with cabbage, sauce, pico, feta, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- If you are in a hurry, you can use frozen fish. Just look in the freezer section of the grocery store for breaded frozen white fish. Arrange them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake. Or cook them in a skillet set at medium heat with a little vegetable oil. Then prepare the rest of the recipe as directed.
- If I don’t have time to whip up a fresh sauce, I’ll use a bottled chipotle ranch sauce from the grocery store.
- Another timesaver tip is to use a bag of pre-shredded cabbage.
Nutrition Information
Thank you for your imagination in making great meals
Thanks so much for your nice comment! We will do our best to keep the recipes comin’ 🙂
Absolutely delicious recipe. Made with frozen battered haddock.
I only used 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and added a bit of sea salt.
I love how simple these are to make! So, so good! I love the crispy fish and the flavors of sauce and pico together.
Fish tacos are seriously the best!! Love breaded, crunchy fish, especially when it’s topped with everything in this recipe!
Thanks so much for posting a wonderful & delicious fish taco recipe! I’m definitely not a big meat eater, but whenever I do, it’s always fish dinner! I will definitely trying this just as soon as I can, and I’ll sure be looking forward to tasting it! Thanks, again.
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d most certainly donate to this brilliant blog!
I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to new updates and will share this website with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!