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Tilapia Fish Tacos

Light, easy and flavorful, tilapia fish tacos are made with flaky, tender seasoned tilapia and finished a garlic lime fish sauce. These tacos are a crowd-pleasing 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!

Tilapia fish tacos on a white plate.
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Easy Tilapia Fish Tacos 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 on Taco tuesday or any other weeknight!

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.

Recipe Ingredients

Fish taco ingredients on a counter.

How to Make Tilapia Fish Tacos

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.

Tilapia fish tacos sauce ingredients in a bowl.

In a shallow bowl, add the garlic powder, salt, cayenne, and cumin then dredge each tilapia filet through the mixture. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. 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.

Tilapia for fish tacos on a baking sheet.

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.

Assembling a tilapia fish taco.

Enjoy tilapia fish tacos immediately with extra toppings on the table including a couple of lime wedges.

Tilapia fish tacos on a white plate.

Fish Taco Toppings

Fish taco toppings are fresh and healthy and add flavor plus texture to every bite. I like to set out bowls of everything along with homemade flour tortillas and a few sides like cilantro lime rice and refried beans.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • 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.
  • A prepared seasoning blend like homemade taco seasoning or this fajita seasoning can be used instead of individual seasonings.
  • You can swap the sauce with some cilantro lime crema if you prefer it.
Tilapia fish tacos on a wooden board.

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Fish tacos on a wooden board.

Tilapia Fish Tacos

5 from 8 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
Light, easy and flavorful, tilapia fish tacos are made with flaky, tender seasoned tilapia and finished a garlic lime fish sauce. These tacos are a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12 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

White fish: This recipe also works well with cod, rockfish or halibut.
Other ways of cooking: 
  • 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

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Recipe FAQs

What’s the best fish for fish tacos?

If you’re not using a deep-fried batter to coat these like with my fish and chips recipe, a light, flaky, and delicate fish is great. Whitefish, like tilapia, is a popular choice because it’s lean, budget-friendly, and cooks fast. You could also use this tilapia fish tacos recipe with salmon, shrimp, flounder, or Mahi Mahi instead.

How do I know when fish is cooked?

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.

How do you cook the tilapia for fish tacos?

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.

How to store leftover sauce?

Keep the fish taco sauce stored in an airtight container in the the fridge for up to 3 days and use it on everything!

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