This recipe for easy fish tacos is perfect for a quick and delicious dinner option.

This recipe starts with white fish fillets like cod or halibut, seasoned with a flavorful spice mixture, and then baked until the fish is tender and flaky. It takes only 20 minutes!

Add your favorite toppings or a side of fresh mango salsa for extra flavor, it’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners.

plated Easy Fish Tacos

Ingredients Needed for Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos are a great dinner option that’s easy to make! They’re packed with fresh flavors and everyone will love them. Plus, they only take 20 minutes to make, which is perfect for busy weeknights.

  • Fish: Common choices for fish include white fish such as tilapia, cod, halibut or haddock. These fish have a mild flavor. Cod is a favorite option because it’s a bit firmer and holds together well when cooked.
  • Spices: A homemade spice rub can be made using ingredients such as chili powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. This combination gives a great flavor to the fish. Alternatively, a store-bought seasoning can also be used.
  • Tortillas: Traditionally, corn tortillas are used for their flavor and texture, but flour tortillas can also be used. Both are easy to find at most supermarkets. Remember to heat them gently before using so they’re nice and soft and easy to roll.
  • Toppings: Toppings such as salsa, sour cream, or shredded cheese can be added to add variety.

How to Make Fish Tacos

  1. Prepare the fish: Pat fish dry and rub with homemade spice mixture
  2. Bake: Bake the fish in the oven for 15 minutes
  3. Prepare the toppings: While the fish cooks, chop and prepare desired taco toppings
  4. Enjoy! Assemble and serve tacos once the fish and toppings are ready.

SHORTCUT TIP: Use your favorite pre-made taco seasoning or cajun seasoning. Mixing your own spices takes just a few minutes, tastes better, and you can control salt and spice levels.

Easy Fish Taco on a plate

How to Make Fish Taco Sauce

I often serve fish tacos with a classic coleslaw, onion slaw (recipe below) or try our favorite fish taco sauce. For a really fast sauce, stir together the following to drizzle over tacos:

  • 3 tablespoons each mayonnaise and sour cream
  • juice from ½ fresh lime
  • ¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder and cumin and about 1/2 teaspoon of sriracha

Favorite Fish Taco Toppings

A few fresh toppings will turn this into the best fish taco recipe!

Overhead shot of Easy Fish Tacos
What kind of fish for tacos?

Common choices for fish include white fish such as tilapia, cod, or haddock. These fish have a mild flavor. Cod is a favorite option because it’s a bit firmer and holds together well when cooked.

What to serve with fish tacos.

Fish tacos are a complete meal in one and don’t require a lot of extras on the side!  I love to add tons of toppings and salsa (and fish taco sauce!) for everyone to dress up their own and a couple of fresh simple sides.

If I serve sides with fish tacos, it’s usually something simple like a corn salad or some delicious Spanish Rice!

Can you make fish tacos in advance?

Fish tacos are best served fresh, but the fish, toppings, and sauce can be prepared in advance and stored separately. Reheat the fish in the oven before assembling the tacos.

How to store leftover fish tacos.

Fish tacos can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in the oven, on the stovetop, or in an air fryer before serving.

How to reheat fish tacos.

Reheat fish separately on stovetop by placing it in a pan over medium-low heat with a small amount of water, cover the pan with a lid to create steam, heat for a few minutes on each side until warmed through.

More Easy Fish Recipes

Did you enjoy these Fish Tacos? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

Three fish tacos on a plate
5 from 126 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Easy Fish Tacos

Tender flaky fish is lightly seasoned and baked, making the perfect filling for these easy fish tacos!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients  

  • 1 ½ pounds filets of cod or tilapia/haddock/halibut
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Rub

  • 1 tablespoon chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Tacos

  • 8 corn or flour tortillas 6-inch
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 1 lime wedged
  • toppings to taste

Fish Taco Sauce (optional)

  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ½ lime juiced
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon sriracha or to taste

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • In a small bowl, combine all fish taco sauce ingredients and set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the rub ingredients. Rub the mixture into the fish fillets.
  • Place the fish on a parchment paper lined pan and drizzle with olive oil.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until flaky and cooked.
  • Heat tortillas according to package directions.
  • Break the fish into large chunks and divide it among the tortillas. Top with desired toppings and serve.

Notes

Spice Rub:  Substitute the rub above with our own favorite rub or try cajun or blackened seasoning.
How to Make Cabbage Onion Slaw: Combine 1 cup shredded cabbage, ½ sweet white onion, thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, ⅓ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt), 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and 1 jalapeño pepper seeded & chopped.
Leftover fish can be refrigerated for 2 days. Fish should be stored and reheated separately from the tortillas.
Nutritional information includes 1 fish taco in a corn tortilla. Toppings are not included in nutritional information.
5 from 126 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 163 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 4.9mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Fish, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Comments

  1. I can’t wait to try fish taco recipe it sounds just delicious I will definitely leave a comment tomorrow if everything goes great! Also really anxious to try the coleslaw too.5 stars

  2. made this once, making it again tomorrow. it is so delicious and flavorful. never thought I’d like fish tacos. definitely recommend this recipe. delicious thanks for all your delicious recipes. huge fan5 stars

  3. yes! so good! I never, ever leave comments but my family loved this! even the picky eaters and the fish was fine without tacos!5 stars

  4. Made these tonight and they were so easy and so delicious. They will be in the regular rotation in the future! I’ve tried several of your recipes and I have found them all to be simple with minimal hands-on time, yet so tasty. Thank you for putting such great content in this corner of the inter webs!5 stars

    1. Hi Vee, I recommend a white fish such as tilapia, cod, halibut or haddock. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!

    2. I’ve been doing this recipe for aaaages. I always use sea bass. It just works fantastically here.
      corn tortillas + sauce + fish + pico + avocado + shredded res cabbage + fresh lime juice on top.

      YUM5 stars

    1. I haven’t tried it but that should work just fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out Sheri!