My brother-in-law was the first person to introduce me to fish tacos. At that time in my life (a young teen) I had never heard of such a thing and fish only came two ways, fried or fried. The thought of putting fish on a taco was totally crazy, but after that first introduction, I was totally hooked (pun intended).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Fish tacos are easy to make, but easy to overdo as well. In this recipe, I aim for a simple, light and healthy fish taco and avoid batter-fried fish, sickly sweet salsa or overly creamy slaw altogether. There’s no need for it, especially when using high-quality fish. Choose a fresh, firm, white fish that is mild in flavor. I like to use Pacific cod, halibut or rockfish in my tacos, but tilapia, grouper or mahi-mahi would be delicious too.
This is a heart-healthy meal that will leave you feeling nourished and completely satisfied. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2, as well as minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium and potassium. Fish is known to lower blood pressure and heart rate and improve blood vessel function. It’s these benefits that have led the American Heart Association, and others, to recommend that everyone eat fish twice a week. So, grab your pole, or at least your pocket book, and load up on some fish today! These fish tacos will not disappoint, especially when served with my spicy and tangy jalapeño-cilantro slaw, chipotle crema and fresh avocado slices.
To make these tacos, start by preheating your oven to 350 deg F and adjust the oven rack so that it is in the middle of the oven. Place the fish fillets on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and season both sides of the fillets with ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, cumin powder and salt. Top the fish with a few slices of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside while you make the slaw and crema.
To make the jalapeno-cilantro slaw, add 3 cups of shredded green cabbage to a medium-sized mixing bowl along with ¼ cup of chopped jalapeno, ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1½ tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons agave syrup. Mix to combine and set aside.
To make the chipotle crema, mix together ½ cup sour cream, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon each of chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika and apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of buttermilk. Set aside.
Once the oven comes to temperature, place the fish in the oven and bake until the internal temperature of the fish is 145 deg F. The bake time will depend on the thickness of your fish and could range anywhere from 8-25 minutes. Use an instant read thermometer like this one to check for doneness. Instant read thermometers aren’t expensive and they take the guesswork out of things. I love mine!
While the fish is baking, wrap your corn tortillas in foil and toss them into the same oven as the fish to warm.
To assemble these tacos, place a few pieces of fish onto a corn tortilla and pile it high with the jalapeno-cilantro slaw, chipotle crema, a few slices of avocado, a squeeze of lime and hot sauce. This recipe makes 6 fish tacos, so double the recipe, if necessary. Enjoy!
Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- 6 six inch corn tortillas
- 14 ounces cod, or other firm white fish
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- few slices of lemon
Jalapeño-Cilantro Slaw
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- ¼ cup chopped jalapeño
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp agave syrup
Chipotle Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp buttermilk
Additional Toppings
- avocado slices
- lime wedges
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place fish fillets on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Mix ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, cumin powder and salt together and sprinkle over the top and bottom of each fillet. Layer a few slices of lemon on top of each fillet and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
- Make jalapeño-cilantro slaw. Set aside.
- Make chipotle crema. Set aside.
- Bake fish until the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Depending on the thickness of your fish, cook times will vary. Wrap corn tortillas in foil and toss them into the same oven to warm while the fish bakes.
- To assemble the tacos, place a few slices of fish onto each tortilla and pile high with slaw and fresh avocado. Top with crema, a squeeze of lime juice and hot sauce. Enjoy!
- This recipe makes 6 tacos, so double the recipe if feeding a crowd.
