This simple, light, and easy recipe for Blackened Fish Tacos is a delicious dinner option everyone will go crazy for! Warm tortillas are stuffed with seasoned blacked fish, crunchy pickled cabbage, and a tropical spicy mango salsa!
Restaurant Style Cod Fish Tacos
Pack more flavor and fun into Taco Tuesday with this Easy Fish Taco Recipe! Sure, we love the classic ground beef tacos and even Pulled Pork Tacos with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce, but fish tacos? Their fun flavor is a step above the rest!
I haven’t stopped thinking about fish tacos since I bit into freshly made ones from a real-life tiki bar during my visit to the Yucatan Peninsula. They were bursting with an unmatched flavor that I knew would be hard to replicate, but this fish taco recipe comes pretty darn close and does the trick!
To make these the very best homemade fish tacos I make pickled cabbage from scratch (takes no time at all!) and also make fresh homemade mango salsa. Making these two things from scratch ensures top-notch flavor that you just don’t get from the store-bought version.
Whip up a batch of these sweet & spicy tacos for taco night, a light dinner option, or when hosting a large crowd – just don’t forget the toppings!
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: The perfect mix of spicy, zesty, and sweet!
Texture: Flaky white fish topped with a crunchy slaw and fresh salsa in a soft tortilla.
Ease: 7/10
Pros: Packs in flavor.
Cons: Lots of components to prep.
Would I Make This Again? Absolutely, we love a good restaurant quality dish we can make at home!
Ingredients For Fish Tacos
To make fish tacos, we need the obvious, FISH! For this recipe I prefer to use a fresh white fish such as cod, however, any white fish will work. Before pan-frying in avocado oil, the fish is coated in a flavor-packed homemade rub that’s made with chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
Once cooked, the blackened fish is served up on a warm corn or flour tortilla on a bed of pickled red cabbage. This is made easily by cooking water, apple cider vinegar, sliced jalapenos, sliced garlic cloves, granulated sugar, and salt and then pouring it over shredded red cabbage.
The fish tacos are then mounded with the sweet and spicy mango salsa! For the best flavor, this is made from scratch using fresh ingredients such as red mango, bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, and salt to taste.
A finishing drizzle of Fish Taco Sauce brings it all together!
How To Make Easy Fish Tacos With Cod
- Prepare the pickled cabbage by first boiling water, apple cider vinegar, sliced jalapeno, garlic clove, granulated sugar, and salt. Then remove it from the heat and pour it over the sliced, shredded red cabbage.
- Toss the cabbage mixture with tongs and then allow it to cool. Afterward, transfer the pickled cabbage mixture to a glass jar and refrigerate it.
- Prepare the homemade mango salsa by combining diced red mango, diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, cilantro, sliced jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a mixing bowl. Then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill.
- Prepare the fish by whisking together chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
- Coat all the sides of the fish with the homemade rub.
- Cook the seasoned fish on all sides in an oiled skillet. Afterward, transfer the cooked fish to a bowl or plate and chop it up into bite-sized pieces.
- Warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat.
- Assemble the fish tacos by adding red pickled cabbage, and blackened fish, and top with mango salsa and a drizzle of fish taco sauce.
- Fish Options – Feel free to make this recipe with any white fish. Cod, tilapia, mahi-mahi, halibut, or even snapper will all work great in these tacos.
- Frozen Fish – This recipe is a great excuse to use up that frozen fish in the freezer! Simply thaw the fish before using it to make these tacos.
- Kitchen Thermometer – A kitchen thermometer takes the guesswork out of knowing when the fish is safely cooked. Once the interior temperature of cod reaches 145 degrees F it’s finished cooking.
- Shredded Cabbage – You can use a head of red cabbage or take the easy way out and grab a bag of pre-shredded red cabbage. Either will work just fine.
- Seasoned Rub – Feel free to play with the seasonings and spices a bit to accomplish a taste that’s just right for you!
How To Serve Blackened Fish Tacos
Serve up these fish tacos warm in corn or flour tortillas. Then offer up lots of options for toppings so friends and family can finish off their fish taco exactly how they want it!
Along with the pickled cabbage, mango salsa, and Fish Taco Sauce, you can also offer:
- Shredded lettuce
- Black olives
- Sliced jalapenos for those who love the extra heat
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced or diced avocados
- Thinly sliced red onions
- Cotija cheese
- Fish taco sauce
- Sour cream
- Pico de Gallo
Enjoy these Fish Tacos with a side of rice, Corn Ribs, or grilled vegetables. Then pair them with fun drink such as a Margarita! A Skinny Margarita or even a Spicy Jalapeno Margarita Cocktail would wash these tacos down well! For a non-alcoholic option try my Mojito Water!
How To Store Fish Tacos
If storing leftovers, I wouldn’t recommend storing assembled fish tacos. Instead, store the fish, tortillas, and toppings separately. The fish can be stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag with excess air squeezed out of it and then placed in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Store the homemade mango salsa in the fridge for several days and enjoy it with other fish, chicken, or even just for dipping with your favorite tortilla chips!
You can also store the leftover pickled cabbage in the fridge for up to 2 weeks! Use the leftovers up on pork sandwiches or Pulled Pork Tacos, burgers, wraps, or even hot dogs!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
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This post was originally published in January 2018 and was updated in April 2024 with a fresh recipe and new photos.
Cod Fish Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Cabbage
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- 1 garlic clove thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups finely sliced and shredded red cabbage about ¼ of a head
Mango Salsa
- 1 large red mango diced
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- ½ medium red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper finely diced
- 1 ounce lime juice from 1 lime
- salt to taste
Fish
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ pounds fresh white fish I used Cod
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
Instructions
Pickled Cabbage
- In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 jalapeno (sliced), 1 garlic clove (thinly sliced), 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and carefully pour over 2 cups finely sliced and shredded red cabbage.
- Give the cabbage a quick toss with tongs and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer into glass storage jars and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the mango salsa.
Mango Salsa
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 large red mango (diced), 1 red bell pepper (finely diced), ½ medium red onion (finely diced), ¼ cup cilantro, 1 jalapeno pepper (finely diced), 1 ounce lime juice, and salt to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or until ready to use.
Fish
- Combine 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper a small mixing bowl.
- Add 1½ pounds fresh white fish into a bowl and thoroughly coat all sides with rub.
- Add 2 tablespoons avocado oil a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Work in portions to avoid pan overcrowding and place seasoned fish into the oiled skillet, cooking each side for about 3 minutes. Cod is done when it hits an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Gently remove cooked fish from the skillet and transfer to a clean bowl or plate. Break up the fish into bite-sized chunks for serving.
- Warm 8 corn or flour tortillas un a dry skillet over medium heat 2 at a time.
- On your warmed tortilla, add red pickled cabbage, blackened fish, and top with mango salsa and a drizzle of fish taco sauce. Add additional desired toppings. Makes 10 to 12 tacos.
Video
Notes
- Any white fish works, such as cod, tilapia, mahi-mahi, halibut, or snapper.
- If using frozen, allow to thaw before use
- Store salsa in the refrigerator and enjoy for several days. Great salsa to serve with other fish, chicken, or just your favorite tortilla chips!
- Cabbage will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It would be great served on top of pork sandwiches, burgers, wraps, or hotdogs.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Melissa Griffiths says
Ooooh fish tacos are so good! Love the recipe hack using the prepped fish!
Courtney Lopez says
These might be the prettiest tacos I have ever seen! I can’t wait to try them 😀
Rebecca Hubbell says
I hope you enjoy them!
Catalina @ Sweet and Savory Meals says
These are loaded with everything I love!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hope you get a chance to try them soon!
Linda @ With A Blast says
I just need to pick up some mango and tonight’s dinner is sorted ! Thanks for sharing a great recipe !