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Perfectly seasoned fish is pan seared to fill yummy toasted tortillas and then topped with crisp red cabbage, fresh tomatoes, salty cotija cheese, and a delicious homemade lime crema to make these amazing Fish Tacos! It’s a 30-minute one pan recipe that is sure to become your new favorite Tuesday taco!
The Best Fish Tacos Recipe
If you love tacos then you are going to fall in love with this simple fish taco recipe! It’s so easy to make and bursting with all the classic fish taco flavors like lime, garlic, cumin, and smoky chili powder. And it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients or intensive prep. In fact, you can use any type of white fish or tortillas you like.
The recipe is just really all about cooking the fish until it’s perfectly golden in color and whipping up an easy lime crema to top the yummy fish! But let’s not overstep the lime crema sauce. Along with the fish, it’s what makes this recipe so good. But to make it all you need is some store bought sour cream, garlic, and lime. That’s it!
These easy fish tacos make a fantastic weeknight meal served alone! But if you really want to get your taco Tuesday game on then you can also serve them with some Cheesy Beef Quesadillas and Cheesy Guacamole to start!
Why You’ll Love These Fish Tacos
- Tacos Made Simple! This recipe only takes about 15 minutes to prep, 10 minutes to cook, and 5 minutes to assemble making this a fantastic quick and easy meal.
- Incredible Flavor! Lime and spices give the seared white fish wonderful flavor, which is then boosted even more with a lime crema that compliments the fish beautifully.
- Light and Healthy! If you’re craving tacos, but want to keep it light and healthy, fish tacos are the perfect low-calorie, low-carb, and low-fat option.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Lime Crema
- Sour Cream – Any brand of sour cream will work. You can also use Greek yogurt if you prefer or mix it in with some mayonnaise.
- Lime – You need freshly squeezed lime juice and the zest too for this recipe.
- Garlic – Use fresh minced garlic for the best flavor, but you can also use garlic powder too if you have no garlic cloves on hand.
- Salt – A dash of salt helps to meld all the flavors of the crema together.
Fish
- Olive Oil – I like to use olive oil, but you can use any type of vegetable oil you like to sear the fish.
- Lime Juice – For marinades, it’s always best to use fresh lime juice.
- Ground Cumin – A spice used in almost all Mexican dishes it adds a touch of earthiness and umami.
- Chili Powder – Adds a bit of spice to the fish.
- Salt – Brings out the natural flavor of the fish and enhances the spices.
- Black Pepper – Simple ground black pepper is all you need.
- White Fish – Some good choices are tilapia, cod, snapper, and halibut.
Tacos
- Tortillas – You can use small corn tortillas or flour tortillas that are about 6 inches in diameter.
- Red Cabbage – Used to top the tacos and give them a nice crispy crunch.
- Tomato – Adds a bit of freshness along with the cabbage. I like to use Roma tomatoes but any type of tomato is fine.
- Green Onions – Freshly chopped green onions, also called scallions, add even more freshness.
- Cilantro – No taco is complete without a bit of fresh chopped cilantro to finish.
- Cotija Cheese – It’s a crumbly type of cheese used in Latin food. You can also use feta cheese if you can’t find cotija.
There are 3 easy steps to this simple recipe! Making the lime crema, cooking the fish, and then assembling all the layers to make the most amazing yummy tacos that only take about 30 minutes to prepare!
Make The Lime Crema
It’s best to make the crema first so that all the flavors can meld together and it can chill in the fridge while you are cooking the fish. So add the zest of the lime and its juice to a small bowl. Next, add the sour cream, minced garlic, and salt and whisk it all together until it’s fully combined. Then put the prepared lime crema in the fridge to chill.
Season The Fish
Now, it’s time to start the fish, so be sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. Then mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil together with the lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Next, add the white fish to the bowl and turn it over a few times to fully coat it on all sides.
Cook The Fish
Once your fish is fully seasoned, you can begin cooking it by heating the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Then add the filets to the pan and cook them for about 2 minutes on each side or until the fish begins to turn golden in color. You can tell when fish is done when the texture firms up and it’s no longer translucent. It’s also really important not to overcrowd the pan so the fish can properly brown. So it’s best to cook the fish in batches and cook half of the filets at a time.
Assemble The Fish Tacos
This is the fun part! Putting all the yumminess together. First, lightly toast the tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet. You can also just put them over an open flame if you have a gas stove, which is the way I like to brown my tortillas up a bit.
Then use a fork to break up the cooked fish into bite-size pieces. Next, top each toasted tortilla with cooked fish, red cabbage, tomatoes, green onions, cotija cheese, and a drizzle of lime crema. Now, add a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro to garnish, some wedges of lime on the side, and enjoy!
Can I Use Other Types Of Seafood?
Yes! You can use salmon to make this recipe as well as shrimp or even scallops. And if you love Mexican inspired seafood dishes check out my Shrimp Fajitas recipe!
Can I Bake The Fish?
Yes, of course! Once the fish has been coated in all the lime juice and seasonings, lay the filets in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then bake them in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Fresh lime is a must. For the tastiest fish tacos use fresh lime juice and the zest. The zest is full of natural oil which adds another layer of incredible flavor.
- Cook the fish in batches. Do not crowd your pan. The fish needs room to both brown and cook evenly. It’s better to just take the extra 5 minutes and cook it in batches.
- Temp the fish. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to ensure that the fish is fully cooked and has reached an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C).
Leftovers
The cooked white fish itself will keep in the fridge for about 2 days when covered or stored in an airtight container. However, assembled leftover fish tacos don’t really keep all that well. So it’s best to try to only assemble the number of tacos you think you’ll eat and then store the leftover fish separately.
To reheat the fish, you can put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium heat or in the oven at about 350°F (176°C) for about 8 minutes. The leftover fish is also fantastic with simple Mexican Rice or fancier Mexican Fried Rice.
Other Delicious Fish Recipes To Try
- Salmon And Green Beans Sheet Pan Dinner
- Creamy Tuscan Salmon
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Lemon Dill Pan Fried Salmon
- Bruschetta Salmon
- Fish Pie
- Fish Sticks
Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Lime Crema
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Fish
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound white fish like cod, halibut, tilapia
Tacos
- 12 small tortillas corn or flour, 6-inch
- ½ head red cabbage shredded
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 3 green onions chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ cup cotija cheese or feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Make The Lime Crema
- Zest the lime, then squeeze the juice in a small size bowl.
- Add the sour cream, lime zest, garlic and salt to the bowl with the lime juice. Stir everything together well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Fish
- In a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and stir until combined. Add the fish and turn it around to coat.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the fish fillets and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until it starts to turn a bit golden. The fish is cooked through when it loses its translucent or raw appearance. Do not overcrowd, you will need to do this in batches. Transfer the fish to a plate and repeat with remaining fish fillets.
Assemble Tacos
- Lightly toast the tortillas in a skillet over medium-high heat or over an open flame if you have a gas stove. Using a fork, lightly break the fish into bite size pieces.
- Top each tortilla with fish, cabbage, tomatoes, green onions, cheese and drizzle with lime crema. Garnish with cilantro and serve with additional lime wedges.
Tips & Notes:
- Fresh lime is a must. For the tastiest fish tacos use fresh lime juice and the zest. The zest is full of natural oil which adds another layer of incredible flavor.
- Cook the fish in batches. Do not crowd your pan. The fish needs room to both brown and cook evenly. It’s better to just take the extra 5 minutes and cook it in batches.
- Temp the fish. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to ensure that the fish is fully cooked and has reached an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C).
- The cooked white fish itself will keep in the fridge for about 2 days when covered or stored in an airtight container. However, assembled leftover fish tacos don’t really keep all that well. So it’s best to try to only assemble the number of tacos you think you’ll eat and then store the leftover fish separately.
- To reheat the fish, you can put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium heat or in the oven at about 350°F (176°C) for about 8 minutes.
