Light and flavorful, this tilapia fish tacos recipe is made with flaky, tender seasoned tilapia and loaded with fresh ingredients. Finished a garlic lime fish sauce, it’s a delicious weeknight dinner!
Other taco recipes we can’t get enough of when craving Mexican food are these bang bang shrimp tacos and beef birria tacos!
Table of Contents
Easy Tilapia Fish Taco Recipe
Tilapia fish tacos are one of my favorite Mexican food recipes to make when I’m looking for a flavorful way to enjoy fresh or previously frozen fish. Using healthy ingredients makes it easy to say yes to a second helping!
Seasoned, light, and flaky baked tilapia, crunchy cabbage, lime juice, Cojita cheese, and the best cool and creamy fish taco sauce recipe with a bit of heat for a kick! All of this is wrapped in a flour or corn tortilla for a deliciously satisfying bite.
Why This Recipe Works
- The flavors. There is no shortage of tasty topping options in this tilapia fish tacos recipe!
- Easy to make. The fish cooks in minutes. Just enough time to whip up a sauce and prepare your toppings. Dinner is done!
- Customizable. As with any sort of taco, the toppings are plenty but totally optional. You can even swap the type of fish you use!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Tilapia filets: Be sure all bones are removed. Tilapia is a mild white fish so cod, rockfish, or halibut can be used in its place.
- Tilapia taco seasoning: Cumin, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper is all the fish taco seasoning this needs. Cayenne is spicy, so you can adjust the amount used or replace it with a milder chili powder or even paprika.
- Unsalted butter: Adding butter with a drizzle of oil onto the filets and allowing it to melt as they bake is just brilliant. It adds that necessary buttery flavor.
- Tortillas: Flour tortillas or corn tortillas, it’s up to you. If you’re setting up a taco bar, it might be worth having both that way people can decide for themselves.
- For the sauce: A combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic powder, and sriracha sauce is a must-have condiment. It adds a creamy flavorful finish.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you have prepared homemade taco seasoning or a fajita seasoning blend on hand, feel free to use it.
- You can swap the sauce with some cilantro lime crema if you prefer it.
- Use this tilapia fish tacos recipe with salmon, shrimp, flounder, or Mahi Mahi instead.
- Want fried fish instead? Use the method in my fish and chips recipe for perfectly battered fillets.
How to Make Tilapia Fish Tacos
- Make the sauce. Before you begin, combine ingredients for the fish taco sauce in a small bowl and set it in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to use it.
- Combine the dry rub seasoning. In a shallow bowl, add the garlic powder, salt, cayenne, and cumin. Stir to combine.
- Dredge the filets. Pat each piece dry with paper towels. Getting rid of excess moisture will help the seasoning stick better for a more flavorful fish. Coat each piece of tilapia on both sides and lay flat in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet lined with foil and nonstick spray.
- Butter and bake. Drizzle each seasoned filet with oil and dot with small pats of butter. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 minutes until no longer translucent.
- Assemble. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm the tortillas one at a time. Once one is ready, lay it flat and spread the fish taco sauce on the inside. Add the tilapia, followed by the cabbage, pico de gallo, and any other fish taco toppings.
- Serve. Enjoy tilapia fish tacos immediately with extra toppings on the table including a couple of lime wedges.
Fish Taco Toppings
Fish taco toppings are fresh and healthy and add not only flavor but texture to every bite. I like to set out bowls of everything that way people can top theirs how they like.
- Finely shredded cabbage slaw or coleslaw
- Pico de gallo
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Greek yogurt
- Cojita cheese
- Sliced red onions
- Avocado lime dressing
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Recipe Tips
- If using frozen fish, be sure to thaw them first.
- To brown the edges of the fish, place them under the broiler for an extra 2-3 minutes.
- Look for tilapia fillets that are thinner that way they won’t take too long to cook. The faster you can eat these the better!
- For convenience, buy pre-shredded cabbage from the grocery store.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re not using a deep-fried batter to coat, a light, flaky, and delicate fish is great. Whitefish, like tilapia, is a popular choice because it’s lean, budget-friendly, and cooks fast. They’re also mild in flavor and can take on whatever season you add.
An accurate way to tell is by sticking a thermometer into the thickest part of the filet. It should have an internal temperature reading of 140°F. Another way to tell is that it should no longer be translucent and will flake easily with a fork.
While I bake it, there are a few other options for tilapia fish tacos. To grill, cook for 2-3 per side over medium-high on a lightly oiled grill.
Use your air fryer by preheating it to 370°F and lightly greasing the basket. Cook in a single layer (in batches if necessary) for 6-7 minutes.
Last, you can pan fry on the stovetop: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook filets for 3-4 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Keep the fish taco sauce stored in an airtight container in the the fridge for up to 3 days and use it on everything!
Sides to Serve with Tilapia Fish Tacos
For a complete meal on Taco tuesdays, weekdays, or weekends, or to complete a festive menu for all your parties serve with corn tortillas, homemade flour tortillas and these favorite sides:
For more Mexican-inspired recipes try pulled pork quesadillas, bean and cheese burritos, and baked chicken chimichangas.
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Tilapia Fish Tacos
Video
Ingredients
Fish Taco Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce , plus more to taste
Fish Tacos
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds tilapia filets , bones removed, or other white fish *see notes
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter , cut into small slices
Tortillas + Toppings
- 12 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
- Finely shredded cabbage
- Pico de gallo , optional
- 2 medium avocado , sliced
- 4 ounces cotija cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Fish Taco Sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, garlic powder, and sriracha. Chill until ready to use.
Fish Tacos
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a shallow bowl, stir together cumin, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne.
- Dredge the tilapia in the spice mixture until well coated on each side. Place on baking sheet.
- Drizzle tilapia with olive oil and dot with butter. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, or until flakes easily with a fork and is no longer translucent in the center. A digital thermometer should read 140°F at the thickest part. To brown the edges, broil an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Tortillas + Toppings
- In a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm the tortillas. Lay 1 tortilla flat and spread the sauce on the inside. Add tilapia and top with cabbage, pico de gallo, if using, avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Notes
- Grill. Preheat a grill to medium-high, lightly oil the grates (or use a grill basket), and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Air Fryer. Preheat an air fryer to 370°F. Lightly grease basket. Add fish in a single layer and cook 6 to 7 minutes. You may have to do this in batches.
- Stovetop. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the fish in a single layer, and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side. Be careful not to crowd the pan. You may need to do this in batches.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Cinco De Mayo, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Mexican, Nut-Free
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
This recipe restored my daughter’s faith that white fish can be tasty when home cooked! Thank you! Delicious sauce and rub, perfect instructions. I was confused by the kosher salt part – I guess I should have used half that amount b/c I had table salt?
Hi MC! This makes me so happy to hear that your daughter enjoyed the fish! Yes, you’re correct. If you are using table salt in place of kosher salt, you’d half the amount :). Happy cooking!
This fish taco sauce is my new favorite thing. I want to drizzle it on everything. Seriously, that good!
I don’t know if I’ll eat tilapia any other way now. So easy to make for tacos and I felt so much better having this instead of fried.
Fantastic! All of my kids and picky husband loved these. Such an easy, yummy recipe.