Amazing Baked Fish Tacos Recipe

28 March 2024

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This is the ultimate recipe for Baked Fish Tacos bursting with flavor! Tender tilapia topped with a homemade zesty lime slaw, avocado slices, and fresh herbs. Delicious, easy to make, healthy (requires no frying!), and ready in just 30 minutes! Love fish tacos? Try my Shrimp Tacos next!

Why You’ll Love These Baked Fish Tacos

My favorite Fish Tacos are made with fried fish, but heaven knows I’m not going to fry up fish and stink up my house every taco Tuesday (I dislike the lingering smell of fried food in my house immensely.) So, I decided that I still like fish tacos enough to try them with baked fish in place of the fried to see how it would go over.

Well, I’m happy to say that these do not disappoint! This is now my favorite way to make to make good fish tacos! I also love to make my Fresh Mango Salsa to spoon over the top of these fish tacos. It’s heavenly!

Ingredients Needed for Baked Fish Tacos

Fish is the main ingredient for this easy fish taco recipe, which means, to make amazing tacos, your fish needs to be seasoned perfectly. Here’s what you need to do that:

For the fish

tilapia – fresh or defrosted. Feel free to use your favorite white fish filets instead.
avocado oil – or olive oil. This helps cook and keep the fish moist while baking.
lime zest– or mojito lime seasoning
pantry staples– salt, black pepper

For the fish taco slaw

coleslaw mix-you can find this at your local grocery store in the produce section.
fresh cilantro– if you’re one that doesn’t like the taste of cilantro, don’t add it in.
red onion– if red onions are too powerful for you, try marinating them in a combination of white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and water – aka: pickled onions!
sour cream– this creates the base of the sauce. Creamy tangy goodness.
taco seasoning– you can use the store-bought kind or make your own.
lime zest + juice– mojito lime seasoning would also be good here.
pantry staples– garlic or garlic powder, salt

For the tacos:

warm flour tortillas– or corn
avocado– or guacamole
cilantro– for garnish

Variations

Swap tilapia for your favorite flaky white fish- cod, halibut, rock fish etc
Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a lighter option
Experiment with your favorite toppings like mango salsa, cotija cheese, lime crema sauce or shredded lettuce.
Add some heat to your seasoning by adding a little chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder or hot sauce.

More 30 minute meals to try! Shrimp Scampi, Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Piccata, and Smothered Baked Pork Chops.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Baked Fish Tacos

The secrets for these fish tacos not tasting fishy include:

using very fresh white fish OR using fish that is vacuum-sealed from the freezer section. White fish typically has the most mild flavor.
rinse and pat your fish dry dry dry!
coat with a thin layer of avocado oil and season it well with salt and lime zest.
bake it until it’s *just* finished cooking. Over cooked fish is dry and rubbery. Yuck.

A spread of fish tacos and a bowl of coleslaw on a bright kitchen surface with culinary utensils.

How to Make Baked Fish Tacos

For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step-by-step instructions for making this Baked Fish Taco Recipe:

1. Preheat Oven + Prep

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Pat Dry, Season + Bake Fish

With paper towels, pat dry each fish filet really well. Place dry fish filets onto parchment paper and rub lightly with a little oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and lime zest and bake for 10-12 minutes to perfection (or until opaque and can flake easily).

Brushing marinade on fish fillets for fish tacos on a baking sheet.

Fresh fish tacos fillets seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs on a white surface.

3. Make Fish Taco Slaw + Dressing

While fish is baking, place coleslaw mix, cilantro and red onion into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, salt, taco seasoning, lime zest, lime juice and garlic together until smooth. Pour dressing over coleslaw mixture and toss until everything is well coated.

A fresh vegetable salad with cilantro garnish and fish tacos in a glass bowl.

Whisking a dressing in a white cup with a green napkin underneath, with colorful fish tacos in the background.

4. Assemble Tacos

To serve, warm tortillas and top each tortilla with a small piece of fish, prepared slaw, avocado slices (or guacamole) and more cilantro, if desired.

Tongs placing coleslaw on top of a seasoned, grilled fish taco fillet on a plate.

Person adding avocado slices to fish tacos on a white plate.

Storing Leftovers

I typically steer clear of reheating fish of any kind…it’s just not the same as the day you first prepare it. Plus, absolutely zero people want the smell of reheated fish wafting through the kitchen. 😉 And for the love of god, do not reheat them in the office microwave. 🙂 For best results enjoy fish tacos fresh. If you have leftover coleslaw and want to make another round of fish tacos in the next few days, store everything in separate containers for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Make Ahead: If you want to save yourself sometime, you can prepare the coleslaw mixture in advance and store in the fridge, covered in an airtight container. Then bake your fish and assemble the tacos just before serving.

Two fish tacos with avocado and lime on a plate, garnished with cilantro.

What to Serve with Baked Fish Tacos

These healthy fish tacos are delicious on their own or pair them with one or two of these great options!

Three fish tacos garnished with avocado slices and cilantro, served with a lime wedge on the side.

More Taco Recipes to Love!

Enjoy these easy Fish Tacos for a healthy, flavorful meal any busy night of the week! The printable recipe card is below! Have a great day, friends!

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

Baked Fish Taco Recipe

Healthy and super delicious Fish Tacos that requires zero frying because we bake the fish! Make a slaw to go on top for a dinner made in less than 30 minutes.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place dry fish filets onto parchment paper and rub lightly with oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and mojito lime seasoning and bake for 10-12 minutes or until opaque and can flake easily.
While fish is baking, place coleslaw mix, cilantro and red onion into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, salt, taco seasoning, lime zest, lime juice and garlic together until smooth. Pour dressing over coleslaw and toss until everything is well coated.
To serve, warm tortillas and top each tortilla with a small piece of fish, prepared slaw, avocado slices (or guacamole) and more cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition

Keyword: fish taco recipe, Fish Tacos, how to make fish tacos