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
Filed Under
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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.
I used Whiting and Gafftopsail catfish, and they were better than any restaraunt’s fish tacos. (I’m looking at you, Hooters and Tijuana Flats)
Wow, that is awesome! Thanks for your great feedback.
Thank you Natasha for your recipe. Just made them for dinner and were the best tacos ever. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and they are always on point!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jessica!
WOW! So delicious. I made these today and they were better than restaurant fish tacos. Will definitely make again!
Your recipes are always amazing. Thank you Natasha.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Erica!
These tacos were to die for!!!! I don’t think I could ever justify buying them anymore when I know I can make them THIS good! Thank you so much for sharing!!
You’re welcome Michel! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
These were just delicious! I couldn’t find a decent avocado yesterday so I used Wegman’s store made guacamole instead. I guess they took all the good avocados for themselves. Wow, will make again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you or that great review Ellen!
My fave recipe. I buy loads of these ingredients and then just eat it for days. Once I ate these for about 10 days straight. Never gets old.
Wow, this is indeed your favorite! I am so glad you love it that much.
I never leave comments. I made these today. Absolutely delicious!
I’m so so happy you enjoyed this recipe Mohini!
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for the great recipe! I really want to try this tonight, but I have no limes. Do you think I could substitute lemon juice?
Thanks again so much!
Allie
You’re welcome, Allie. If that’s what you have on hand then that should also work.
Made this tonight. Perfect.
Are you able to freeze the taco sauce? I had a lot of extra. The tacos were amazing, and my 1 and 2 year old also approved.
That should be alright Julia and you can reheat it when you’re ready to use it again.
Made this using panfish (crappies) as an experiment. Delicious!
Thanks for sharing that with us!
I made this for dinner tonight using halibut and a little chopped cilantro on top of the taco at the end. Success! I cut each halibut filet into four pieces and they fit into small tortillas perfectly. Our son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren are “Staying Safe at Home” with us and everyone loved the fish tacos!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Absolutely delicious! I made the full recipe for my family of four (two teenagers) and we devoured every last bite. We were all bummed there weren’t leftovers the next day 🙁 Thank you for sharing this recipe!
So lovely to hear that! I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe, thanks for sharing!
We don’t have sour cream or yogurt and have a lactose allergy… is there anything I can sub the sour cream with?
Hello MammaG, unfortunately, the only substitute that I can guarantee that would work is plain greek yogurt I haven’t tried anything else yet other than that.
I have a lactose allergy as well and am able to eat Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream. If you go to their website you can search for stores near you that carry it. I find it at Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers here. I think my Safeway might carry it as well. So happy to have found this brand. It has opened up so many recipes to me!! Hope you’re able to find it near you!
Making this tonight.
Using Cod & Ahi.
Couldn’t find Cotija cheese, so subbing Feta.
So excited.
!
I hope you love it, Melissa. Please share with us how it goes!
The best tacos I have ever had. Will definitely be making again, thanks Natasha!
Yay perfect! Thanks and I appreciate your excellent feedback.
So good. Just had them and they were perfect. Thanks
Thank you for sharing!
My neighbor just gave me smoked sea trout, I am going to try it in my taco!
Yum! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi Natasha, my boyfriend refuses to eat fish, but these tacos blew his mind. He said he would even consider trying other dishes with fish, that’s how much he liked them.
I do not have fresh tilapia this time, do you think frozen would work too? What is your recommendation?
Thank you so much!
That’s just awesome Millie! You are more than welcome to use frozen Tilapia however be sure to thaw them before baking.
Question – do you cut up the fish after cooking?
We do but you don’t have to if you rather a full piece
These are the best fish tacos I have ever made. Thank you so much
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Barbara!