Easy Fish Tacos Recipe

Fish tacos are absolutely fire. I’m not even exaggerating. Like once you make these at home you’re gonna wonder why you ever spent money ordering them from somewhere. They’re fresh, they’re delicious, they’re not even that hard to make, and they taste like a vacation on a plate basically.

What gets me is that people think fish tacos are some complicated Mexican restaurant thing that you need special skills to make. But nah dude, it’s literally just seasoned fish, some toppings, and tortillas. That’s it. You can whip these up in like 30 minutes and honestly they taste better than most places you’d order from.

I’m gonna walk you through exactly how to make them. The best part is they’re actually pretty healthy too, which is weird because they taste so good. Like you’re eating fish which is good for you, tacos which are fun, and you’re not deep frying everything so it’s not a total disaster for your body. Win-win.

Once you nail this recipe you can try other taco variations too. Like you could do Crispy Fish Tacos, Blackened Fish Tacos, Grilled Mahi-Mahi Tacos, Battered Fish Tacos, Carne Asada Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Cauliflower Tacos, or Carnitas Tacos, sushi, prawn – basically endless options. But let’s start with a solid basic version that works every time.

What You Actually Need – Ingredients

Alright so here’s what you’re gonna grab before you start. Honestly most of this stuff is probably sitting in your kitchen already.

For Fish:

1.5 pounds white fish – such as cod, halibut, or tilapia, it doesn’t really matter

2 tablespoons red capsicum

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon, cut in half

1 tsp red chilli if you want it spicy

For the Tacos:

8-10 corn tortillas or flour tortillas, whichever you prefer

2 cups shredded cabbage – purple or white kind

1 red onion, very thinly sliced

fresh coriander, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

2 lemons for serving

Sour Cream or Mexican Crema

Salsa – fresh or torn, depends on you

hot sauce if you like

Optional ingredients to make it cool:

pico de gallo

radish, thinly sliced

Pickled Onions

mango or pineapple pieces

Jalapenos

cotija cheese

Chipotle Mayo for Drizzling

Let’s Actually Make These – Step By Step

Step 1: Get Your Fish Ready

Okay so first thing – pat your fish dry with paper towels.

This is actually important because if your fish is wet it won’t cook properly and it’ll be all steamy and gross instead of crispy. So just dry it off really good.

Cut your fish into pieces. Like not too big, not too small. Think like the size of like a fat finger or something. This way they cook evenly and you can fit them nicely in tacos. If you cut them too big they won’t be done in the middle, too small and they fall apart.

Step 2: Make the Seasoning Mix

Get a small bowl and throw in your paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix it all together. Taste a tiny bit to make sure it’s not too salty or whatever. This is your fish seasoning so make it taste good.

Sprinkle this seasoning all over your fish pieces. Like coat them pretty good on all sides. You want them seasoned throughout, not just on top. Pat it on so it sticks.

Step 3: Cook Your Fish

Heat your olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. You want the oil to be hot but not smoking crazy. Once it’s hot, carefully drop your fish in there. Don’t crowd the pan – do this in batches if necessary.

You want each piece to have space so it can actually cook rather than steam. Let the fish cook for 3-4 minutes on one side.

Then turn it over and cook the other side also for 3-4 minutes. The fish is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork and looks opaque, not translucent.

Don’t overcook it, otherwise it will become dry and slimy. Finally squeeze some lemon juice over it. This is the key that makes it taste really good. Lemon is like the secret ingredient that brings everything together.

Step 4: Prepare All Your Toppings

While your fish is cooking, prepare all your toppings. Shred your cabbage – just use a knife or grater, whatever. Slice your red onion very thinly. Chop up your cilantro. Slice your avocado. Get your sour cream in a bowl. Have your salsa ready. Basically get everything set up before you start assembling because once your fish is done you’re gonna wanna move fast.

Step 5: Warm Your Tortillas

Get your tortillas and warm them up. You can do this over an open flame if you have a gas stove, or just throw them in a dry pan for like 30 seconds on each side, or microwave them wrapped in a damp towel for like a minute. Doesn’t really matter how, just get them warm and pliable so they don’t fall apart when you put stuff in them.

Step 6: Make Your Tacos

Well, this is where it all comes together. Take a hot tortilla and place it on a plate. Put some of your cooked fish there. Then add some cabbage, some red onion, some cilantro, some avocado.Drizzle a little sour cream on it. Add some salsa. Maybe some hot sauce if you’re into that.

Don’t overstuff them or they’re gonna fall apart. You want enough stuff that each bite has fish, cabbage, and flavor, but not so much that it’s like a mess. It’s like a balance thing.

Step 7: Serve and Eat

Put your finished tacos on a plate. Have lime wedges on the side so people can squeeze them if they want. Maybe some extra hot sauce on the side. That’s it. You made fish tacos. Seriously you’re done.

Nutritional Information

So fish tacos are actually pretty good for you. Each taco has like 150-200 calories depending on how much you load it up.

Per taco you’re getting:

• Around 180-200 calories
• About 15-18 grams of protein from the fish
• Healthy fats from the avocado
• Fiber from the veggies and tortilla
• Bunch of vitamins from the cilantro and lime

It’s a solid meal honestly. Way better nutrition than a lot of stuff people eat.

Serving Suggestions

Okay so here’s how to make this look actually nice instead of just throwing tacos on a plate.

Put your tacos on a nice plate or like a wooden board if you have one. Arrange them all in a row or like a circle or whatever looks cool. Have your lime wedges on the side. Maybe some cilantro sprinkled on top. Get like a little bowl of extra salsa and hot sauce for people to dip in.

You can also make like a whole spread situation. Put out bowls of sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, extra avocado, pickled onions, whatever. Let people build their own tacos. That’s actually pretty fun and people love it.

Serve it with like rice and beans on the side if you want. Or just the tacos by themselves. Whatever works.

How to Make Fish Tacos

Learn how to make delicious fish tacos at home in just 30 minutes. Easy recipe with seasoned white fish, fresh toppings, and step-by-step instructions for perfect homemade tacos.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 31 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4 people

Calories 190 kcal

Equipment

• Large skillet or frying pan
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Small bowl for seasonings
• Paper towels
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Grater or knife for shredding
• Plates for Serving
• Optional: fish spatula, tongs, citrus juicer, mandoline slicer

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lbs white fish cod, halibut, tilapia
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8-10 corn or flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 red onion sliced thin
• Fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 avocado sliced
• 2 limes
• Sour cream
• Salsa and hot sauce
• Optional: pico de gallo radishes, jalapeños, cotija cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pat fish dry with paper towels
• Cut fish into bite-sized pieces
• Mix paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper
• Season fish generously on all sides
• Heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat
• Cook fish 3-4 minutes per side until flaky and opaque
• Squeeze lime juice on cooked fish
• Warm tortillas in dry pan or over flame
• Prep all toppings – cabbage, onion, cilantro, avocado
• Build tacos with fish and toppings
• Drizzle with sour cream and salsa
• Serve with lime wedges and extra hot sauce

STORAGE:

• Store cooked fish in airtight container in fridge for 2-3 days. Assemble tacos fresh when ready to eat.

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Storage – Keep Your Leftovers Good

Real talk – fish tacos are best eaten fresh right after you make them. Like within like an hour. After that the tortillas get soggy and the fish gets cold and it’s not the same.

But if you have leftover fish, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for like 2-3 days. When you wanna eat it, just reheat it gently in a pan and make fresh tacos with warm tortillas.

Don’t try to store assembled tacos. They get super sad and soggy. Just store the components separately and assemble them when you’re ready to eat.

Tips for Making Perfect Fish Tacos

Okay so here’s some stuff that’ll make your tacos actually turn out good instead of just okay.

Don’t Skip Drying the Fish – Seriously this is important. Wet fish = steamed fish = sad tacos. Pat it super dry with paper towels. Takes like 10 seconds and makes a huge difference.

Don’t Overcrowd the Pan – If you throw all your fish in at once it’s gonna steam instead of cook. Give each piece space. Cook in batches if you have to. Your tacos will thank you.

Lime is Everything – Seriously don’t skip the lime juice. That squeeze of lime at the end is what makes it taste actually good. It’s like the secret ingredient that ties everything together.

Don’t Overseason – You can always add more seasoning but you can’t take it out. Go a little light with the salt especially if you’re using seasoning mixes that already have salt in them.

Warm Your Tortillas – Cold tortillas are gross and they fall apart. Warm ones are way better. Seriously just take like 30 seconds to warm them up.

Prep Everything Before You Cook Fish – Once your fish is done you need to move fast. Don’t start chopping cilantro after your fish is cooked. Have everything ready to go before you start cooking.

Don’t Overcook the Fish – Fish cooks fast. Like 3-4 minutes per side is plenty. If you leave it in too long it gets dry and tough. It should be flaky and moist, not like rubber.

Let People Build Their Own – If you’re making these for people, just put the fish and toppings out and let them build their own tacos. Everyone has different preferences and this way everyone’s happy.

Bottom Line

So honestly fish tacos are like one of the easiest things you can make that actually impresses people. Seriously. You’re gonna spend like 30 minutes total and people are gonna think you’re a cooking genius. The fish tastes fresh, the tacos are fun, and everything comes together in like no time.

Stop ordering takeout fish tacos and just make them yourself. You’ll save money, they’ll taste way better, and you’re gonna feel good about actually cooking something decent. Plus it’s fun to make and eat tacos. There’s literally no downside here.

Give it a shot. Worst case scenario they don’t turn out perfect but they’ll still taste good. Best case scenario you’re making fish tacos for your friends every week. Either way you win. Go do it.