Easy to make and delicious, these Baked Fish Taco recipe deserves a place on your Taco Tuesday menu! Fish tacos are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, or served up at a party or gathering.
Even better? They're affordable and take just 15 minutes to prepare.
It's no secret that tacos are one of my favorite dishes to make at home. From Shredded Chicken Tacos to Buffalo Shrimp tacos and classic taco salad, everything about tacos is just so darn tasty!
Tacos are easy to customize because you use just about any ingredients you have on hand. There’s really no wrong way to make a taco.
The same goes for these flaky fish tacos, which are delicious AND healthy. That's always a winner in my book!
Why you'll love these fish tacos
- These fish tacos are a great option for busy weeknight dinners. Fish cooks really quickly in the oven and you'll be well on your way to a delicious taco night in 15 minutes.
- We're making these with a batch of creamy sauce that makes it feel like you're getting fancy, but it's super easy, I promise!
- Grocery shortcuts are in this recipe and just waiting for you to use them. Work smarter, not harder...And let's not forget about all the delicious toppings you can add to your at home fiesta.
It’s as easy as this…Grab some flour or corn tortillas, then serve up your tacos with some mild pico de gallo and some shredded cabbage. Drizzle the whole concoction with a creamy taco sauce....Yum!
Before we dig in about how to make these, let’s tacobout fish…
What kind of fish should I use for tacos?
Any mild, white fish works really well in this fish taco recipe. If you’re still reading this, scratching your head, here are some suggestions for types of fish to use that you’ll likely see at the grocery store…
- tilapia
- halibut
- mahi mahi
- grouper
- flounder
- cod
Any of these work well for these fish tacos, and you can use fresh fish or frozen fish. Here in the midwest, I think it’s safe to say a lot of us use these kinds of frozen fish.
How to make this baked fish taco recipe
Make the creamy taco sauce.
You’ll combine mayonnaise, sour cream, your favorite hot sauce (mine is Cholula, what’s yours??) and some onion powder. Give it all a mix in a small bowl and pop it into the fridge to chill.
If you’re looking for a way to get ahead of dinnertime, you can make this the night before as part of your meal prep.
Be sure to put a lid on it if it’s hanging out in the fridge for a bit. Chill time is important here so all the flavors can blend together.
Next up, make the seasoning blend.
It’s super easy to put together some spices you have in the pantry. Grab the chili powder, cumin, paprika and some salt.
Even if you’re going for low sodium, add just a little bit of salt as that’s the only seasoning we’re doing in this dish. GIve everything a nice stir and set it aside for a sec.
Alrighty, preheat your oven and let’s get ready to rock and roll!
Grab your favorite rimmed dish. It can be a casserole pan or a rimmed baking sheet - anything oven safe. I like to line my pan with some parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Add oil to the fish
Use a brush to apply a little oil to the fish pieces. This oil will do two things: it’ll keep the fish from drying out as it cooks, and it will help the prepared spice mix to adhere.
Rub with spices
Now that the fish has some oil on it, grab that beautiful spice blend we made! Rub the spice blend on both sides of the fish and into the oven it goes!
Bake the fish for about 8-10 minutes.
Now, keep in mind that the thickness of your fish may affect the actual cook time. When the fish is opaque and flakes easily, you’ll know it’s done.
If you want to go one step further (and I think you do) you can add a little baja flair to your fish by putting it under the broiler for a few minutes. It’ll give a nice depth of color and may impress your family.
Basically, it’s worth it.
Take the fish out of the oven and transfer to a serving dish or plate, and use two forks to pull the fish into pieces.
Warm tortillas however you like (flour tortillas and corn tortillas are equally tasty). You can put them in a skillet over medium heat on your stovetop, you can microwave them, or you can char them on your gas burner.
Do it however you do tacos. The point here is to warm the tortillas and make them a little more pliable.
Top the tortillas with some shredded napa cabbage, or if you’re going the shortcut route, use some bagged coleslaw mix….that’s what I usually do!
From there, you can top your fish tacos with fresh cilantro, radish slices, fresh avocado slices…you get the idea. Oh, and be sure to grab that creamy sauce from the fridge and drizzle it on two.
Grab a lime slice and get ready to dig in!
FAQS
In this recipe, there's no breading and the ingredients are basically the fish and spices. So yes, this fish taco recipe is gluten free. Just be sure to use gluten-free tortillas when it comes time to assemble.
This recipe is really, really easy to half! You can either cut back on the spice mixture, or make the entire blend and save the remaining spice for the next time you make fish tacos.
What to serve with baked fish tacos
Fish tacos with mango salsa is really, really good. I recommend you give this one a try. If mangos aren’t your thing, a fresh and mild Pico de Gallo is nice.
To round everything out, you can serve some cilantro lime brown rice and some healthy broccoli slaw.
Now that I have tacos on my mind, this fish taco recipe is going on my taco bar checklist, pronto!
Other taco recipes
If you make this baked fish taco recipe, leave a recipe rating or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
Baked Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the fish tacos
- 1 pound fresh fish or frozen mild white fish filets *see notes below for suggestions
- 3 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- Flour or corn tortillas for serving*
- 2 cups cabbage slaw
- Lime wedges for serving
- Toppings see notes for ideas
Creamy Taco Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha or similar hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Cover and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to let flavors combine while you prepare the fish. You can also complete this step while the fish is cooking; just don't forget!
- Make the seasoning blend. In a small bowl combine all the spices.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place the fish onto a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the fish pieces lightly with oil. Rub the spice blend on both sides and transfer to your preheated oven.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Optional: If you want to add a little char to your tacos, put them under the broiler in your oven for another 3-5 minutes to get the exterior slightly crisp and charred. You'll know the fish is cooked when the fish flakes easily when pulled with a fork.
- Remove from the oven. Tear into fish filets into bite size pieces by pulling it with two forks.
- Warm the tortillas in a small pan over medium heat just until they start to get charred and pliable.
- Add cabbage slaw to a medium sized bowl. Lightly drizzle it with one teaspoon oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine.
- Assemble tacos by laying out tortillas. Add a portion of cabbage, fish, and toppings of choice. Drizzle with the taco sauce and a squeeze of lime juice
Sandy
These are better than any resturant that I have ever tried as far as fish tacos goes