Our all-time favorite Fish Tacos recipe! These are loaded with fresh ingredients and perfectly seasoned plump fish. Don’t skip the best fish taco sauce – a garlic lime crema that you will want it on all your tacos!
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This is our go-to recipe for family get togethers and company because it comes together quickly and it always gets rave reviews. These fish tacos are so flavorful and satisfying but you will feel good and light at the end of the meal.
This recipe is party sized and can be scaled down to feed a smaller crowd. It was developed by my brother-in-law, Slavik and it has been adopted by pretty much everyone in our family. I have had so many requests to publish the recipe so here it is! It’s an easy, excellent fish tacos recipe. Thank you Slavik for sharing your awesome fish tacos with us. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to ever get tired of this recipe. P.S. They just happen to be gluten free fish tacos!
Seriously though, be generous with that fish taco sauce! The sauce recipe was adapted from Kaylee on All Recipes. We simply doubled it because there never seems to be enough of the sauce ;).
Ingredients for Fish Tacos:
We used tilapia but you are welcome to use any white fish. Salmon or shrimp would be amazing as well!
Fish Taco Toppings:
*Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese that crumbles when you grate it; similar to feta but much milder in flavor and not nearly as salty. It is inexpensive and found in the refrigerated cheese section of the grocery store.
Ingredients for Best Fish Taco Sauce:
For the fish taco sauce, all you need is sour cream, mayo, lime juice, garlic powder and sriracha. The sriracha gives it a little kick of spice so you can add more or less based on your preference. This taco sauce is essentially a lime crema – the perfect blend of tanginess and heat (print the recipe below).
How to Make Fish Tacos:
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner. In a small dish, stir together seasonings: 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and evenly sprinkle the seasoning mix over both sides of tilapia.
2. Lightly drizzle fish with olive oil and top each piece with a dot of butter. Baked at 375˚F for 20-25 min. If you want it to get a little browned around the edges, you can broil for 3-5 minutes at the end if desired.
3. Combine all the Taco sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup Mayo, 2 Tbsp lime juice (from 1 medium lime), 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste in a medium bowl or a large measuring cup and whisk together until well blended. It’s really fun and feels like dining out to serve the sauce in a squeeze bottle like this one.
4. To serve the tacos, toast quickly toast the corn tortillas on a large dry skillet or griddle over medium/high heat.
5. To assemble: start with the fish then add remaining ingredients finishing off with a generous sprinkle of cotija cheese and finally that awesome taco sauce! Serve with a fresh lime wedge to squeeze extra lime juice over tacos.
Mmmm so much sauce! I’m so crazy about this taco sauce. Seriously the best!
⬇ Print-Friendly Fish Tacos Recipe:
Fish Tacos Recipe with Best Fish Taco Sauce!

Ingredients
Fish Taco Ingredients:
- 24 small white corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 lb tilapia
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Fish Taco Toppings:
- 1/2 small purple cabbage
- 2 medium avocado, sliced
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced (optional)
- 1/2 diced red onion
- 1/2 bunch Cilantro, longer stems removed
- 4 oz 1 cup Cotija cheese, grated
- 1 lime cut into 8 wedges to serve
Fish Taco Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp lime juice, from 1 medium lime
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce, or to taste
Instructions
- Line large baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner. In a small dish, combine seasonings: 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and evenly sprinkle seasoning mix over both sides of tilapia.
- Lightly drizzle fish with olive oil and dot each piece with butter. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. To brown edges, broil for 3-5 minutes at the end if desired.
- Combine all Taco sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.
- To serve the tacos, toast quickly toast the corn tortillas on a large dry skillet or griddle over medium/high heat.
- To assemble: start with pieces of fish then add remaining ingredients finishing with a generous sprinkle of cotija cheese and finally that awesome taco sauce! Serve with a fresh lime wedge to squeeze over tacos.
Nutrition Per Serving
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Love Tacos? Don’t miss our most popular taco recipes here (the beef bulgogi and shrimp tacos are completely swoon worthy!)
I’m so tempted to make these again for dinner tonight. I will never stop loving this recipe! I hope you all love it as much as we do.
This is my “go to” at least once a month. Both my husband and I get smiley for fish taco night! We also make it sans shell or wrap. I serve with side of corn, black bean, cilantro and minced roasted red pepper dish. Simple and delicious meal. I use the sauce for Turkey sandwich and wraps, it’s great. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing those tips with us & for the wonderful review!
Oh my gosh! These are delicious!! And so quick and easy! Everyone loves them. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Sounds like you found a favorite, Demi! Thank you for that awesome feedback!
Substitute the sriracha for CANNED DICED CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO SAUCE.
YOUR WELCOME. 😉
I made a variation of these but didn’t change the sauce. Wife LOVED them – and told me to make the sauce exactly the same way next time.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This is my go to fish taco receipe
That’s so great, Terri! Thank you for that awesome review!
i want the Recipe so bad like not funny
I hope it becomes a new favorite for you!
How far in advance can you cook the fish and keep it warm without drying out. Thanks
Hi Rose, I would say up to 3 hours keeping it warm in the oven with foil over so it doesn’t dry out. The fish does serve really well at room temperature also. It’s rarely still warm after the tacos are assembled and no one minds.
Fish tacos were amazing! Followed recipe except for cilantro. We’ll make again. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Deb!
I made these last night and they were a huge hit. All the flavors blended so well together. I’m not a seafood person at all but these fish tacos will definitely be on our regular rotation.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my 2nd review and it’s about the sauce. I make this fish recipe about once a week that’s how much my family loves it. Each week I have extra sauce and we’ve found it to be perfect for breakfast burritos, breaded shrimp and baked potatoes. The kids even like it as a dip with chips. Thanks again for a great recipe that has great protein for my vegetarians
Wow! That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite on our blog!
I SO glad I found your blog! Thank you for these! They look so yummy!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you discovered our blog!
My husband and I just spent a week in South Beach , Fl and had amazing mahi tacos . I was hoping to replicate those and yours were possibly even better!! So delicious ! used frozen Cod from Whole Foods and it was perfect ! I will definitely make these for company ! Can’t wait to share ! Even on my Keto diet. Thank You !
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jill!
I made this for the first time last night and my husband and I just LOVED it! The taco sauce really is amazing! My husband told me to ‘put it in the archives’ because he was such a fan. We didn’t even use the best tilapia, just some Walmart frozen ones and this was still delightful. I’m sure with GOOD tilapia this would be to die for! This is coming from someone who typically doesn’t love fish recipes.
My only suggestion for anyone making this in the future is to check proportions, I only cooked up 4 pieces of tilapia but didn’t adjust anything else. So our tilapia was a little extra seasoned and spicy! We also only used about half the taco sauce (which is okay, we decided it’s good enough to eat as a dip so I’m going to pick up some tortilla chips today.) Also, we used Tabasco sauce instead of Siracha simply because it’s what I have in the fridge.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing those tips with us, Ashley.
No such thing as “good” tilapia. It’s garbage fish use literally anything else. Surprised she used it.
These are fantastic! I’ve used this recipe at least 10 times now. Shared it with 5-6 people and it’s now their favorite as well! (Feta is a perfect alternative if you can’t find cojita)
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
Love love love them! Thank you for the recipe!:) Happy in KC!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Elizabeth!
These were very good! The sauce was great too! I will make this again and again and again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Michelle! Thank you for sharing that with me!
This was definitely a hit!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made these a few times and they always turn out perfect! Great, quick and easy meal and most importantly, delicious!
Also great as a leftover!
I’m so happy you loved the recipe. It’s definitely in the top 10 at our house.
I made these tonight with homemade tortilla shells. They were very flavorful. The spice was very mild. I will make them again. The whole family enjoyed them. The cabbage was a weird sounding addition but it was so good.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Chris!
This recipe is not only easy, it was delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Michelle!
Truly delicious! I’ve made this a few times now and it’s always a crowd pleaser. Love the sauce, and color! I never fail to receive multiple compliments, even from my picky eater.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Elizabeth! When the picky eater approves you know its good!
Amazing! This recipe came with big promises and totally delivered. My husband loves fish tacos, and I’ve found a recipe that has already become a staple. Big bonus: It’s so fast and easy!! I’m nursing and cabbage bothers my baby’s tummy, so I substituted Romaine for the cabbage and flour tortillas for the corn, then mixed all the toppings as a sort of salad to put on top rather than individual components (easier for the kiddos). I now keep a bottle of the seasoning mix on hand, and a bottle of the sauce too (which goes on EVERYTHING now, and has even been known to shape the menu plans for the week)! Thanks a million, Natasha!!!
~MrsJDT
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this along with the baby! That’s so great!
Queso cheese is a good substitute. Even better if you make your own, very easy.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.