Fish Tacos: the fast, easy recipe for a healthy Mexican dish

For a lighter dinner that's bursting with flavor that will excite your taste buds, try this authentic fish taco recipe. Made with baked white fish seasoned in a lightly spicy seasoning and served in corn tortillas with a dollop of zesty, spicy crema (aka taco sauce), these fish tacos are as delicious as any you'd find in Baja.

Fish tacos are light yet filling and taste amazing served with a side of guacamole, pico de gallo, and elote. With all the fresh, bright flavors, it's a fantastic recipe to make during the summer, especially when washed down with a cold Mexican beer or Margarita.

What is the Best Fish for Making Tacos?

Use a firm white fish for your tacos. Tilapia is the go-to choice for many people, but cod, mahi-mahi, snapper, and halibut are all classic choices for authentic Baja fish tacos. Salmon tastes great, too!

Authentic Fish Tacos Ingredients

We've covered the best types of fish for fish tacos, but what other ingredients will you need to make this tasty dish?

To season the fish, you'll need cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.

Drizzling a little oil and butter over the fish will add extra flavor and help keep the filets moist as they bake.

For the crema, you'll need sour cream, mayo, lime juice, hot sauce, and garlic powder. You can adjust the levels to suit your tastes.

You'll need tortillas. Corn tortillas are the best option for making authentic tacos, but you can use flour tortillas instead.

How to Make Fish Tacos

You'll never need another fish taco recipe after you try this one. Start by mixing the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the fish on both sides, then place the fillets onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour a little oil over the fish and place pieces of butter on top of the fillets.

Bake the fish for 20 to 25 minutes at 375F, then broil it for a few minutes to brown the edges. Warm up the tortillas, then assemble the tacos. Put a piece of fish in the center of each tortilla. Add a dollop of crema, plus any extra toppings you'd like. Cilantro, cojita cheese, red onion, avocado, and red cabbage are a few delicious choices!

How to Make Taco Sauce

To make the crema (the taco sauce), mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic powder, and hot sauce in a small bowl. That's it! Give it a taste to adjust the flavors to suit your palate.

Tips for Making the Best Fish Tacos

If you're not keen on spice, use less cayenne pepper and hot sauce. If you can't get enough spice, feel free to add extra.

Prep your toppings before you start cooking so that you're ready to serve the tacos once they've been assembled.

Don't overcook the fish! If you do, it'll be rubbery.

Fish Tacos Topping Ideas

The classic toppings for fish tacos include cojita cheese, diced red onions, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced red cabbage, and freshly chopped cilantro. Pico de gallo tastes amazing as well. Use any combination of these ingredients to make out-of-this-world fish tacos everyone will love!

What to Serve with Authentic Fish Tacos

Enjoy your fish tacos with classic Mexican side dishes. This dish is great with Mexican slaw, Mexican street corn salad, cilantro-lime rice, and black beans.

How to Store Fish Tacos

For best results, store the fish, tortillas, taco sauce, and toppings separately. This will prevent the tacos from getting soggy. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Whisk the cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Arrange the fish on the baking tray and season it on both sides with the spice mix.

Drizzle the fish with oil.

Place pieces of butter over the top of each fish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes to crisp up the edges.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and hot sauce.

Squeeze in one lime.

Lightly toast the tortillas in a skillet. Place a piece of fish on each tortilla.

Top with any other desired toppings.

Top with the taco sauce and serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

Use your favorite type of hot sauce for the fish taco sauce. Cholula, Valentina, Tapatio, Crystal, and Sriracha are delicious choices.