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Anyone remember that honey lime tilapia I made a while back? Have you tried it yet? It’s really, really delicious.
Well, my aunt Nicki commented on the tilapia post and mentioned that she’d used it for fish tacos. Michael and I both drooled at that suggestion. We didn’t stop thinking about that idea, and when Michael’s brother Ben was coming into town, we knew that we had to give homemade fish tacos a try.
Oh, dear reader. They were incredible.
Often, fish tacos are served with pickled onions and cabbage. Michael asked for no cabbage, and I thought pickled onions might compete with the honey-lime sauce of the tilapia, so these aren’t what you’d call traditional. Nevertheless and notwithstanding, we LOVED them!
Since we went cabbage- and pickled onions-free around here, we opted for some crisp iceberg and a sprinkling of cheese, and we topped them with honey-lime sauce. They were full of flavor and the fish and sauce were really able to shine.
Give them a try on your next taco night!
- 6 (4-6oz) fillets tilapia
- zest and juice of 2 limes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil + more for cooking
- 3 Tbsp honey
- ¾ tsp salt + more for dredging
- ¾ tsp pepper + more for dredging
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½c flour (white or whole wheat pastry flour work best)
- small fajita-size flour tortillas
- shredded lettuce, cheese, or other favorite taco toppings
- Assemble marinade by combining lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or shallow container with a lid. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 30 minutes up to 24 hours*
- When ready to cook, combine flour with a pinch of salt and pepper on a plate. Remove each fish fillet from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides (just a light, light coating).
- Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fillets 2 at a time for 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned (this works best if you don’t disturb the fish much while letting it cook). Add additional oil to the pan if necessary.
- While tilapia is cooking, make honey-lime sauce by pouring leftover marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5-6 minutes until slightly reduced.
- To serve, break fish into large pieces and serve in tortillas with honey-lime sauce, lettuce and other favorite toppings.
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, these are beautiful to look at, I can’t imagine how great they must taste!
These look amazing, and I don’t even usually like fish! I’m marking these to try soon.
Wow!!! look amazingly delicious, If I could only dive in my screen and have a bite at these
Honey lime fish tacos coming right up!!
This is a neat variation on the standard fish taco–and the pictures really look amazing! We recently tried our hand at a tilapia stir fry, and it was well worth our efforts!
This is great recipe. We are slowly getting tired of just plain, fried tilapia. The good news is I found good tilapia fillets from our favorite grocery store. Now, I have a new dish to serve for Mexican night. Thanks!
Yum! I was just looking for a fish taco recipe. I wonder if this will work with flounder?
P.s. your blog header is adorable!
These do look outstanding!!! I see refried beans and what else in the background?
Joy, thanks! I served refried beans and my mexican-style rice. Loved it!
This sounds amazing! I’ll be making the honey-lime tilapia sans taco with a side of black beans, as my husband and I are watching our carb intake. Thanks so much for sharing your aunt’s recipe.
I am a chef at a University of Iowa Sorority and I frequently make this recipe for the 65 girls that live here. Absolutely amazing.
I just made these tonight… they are INCREDIBLE!! They will be staying in the supper rotation for quite awhile, I’m sure. I also tried your Mexican rice & it’s super yummy too! Glad I found your great blog.
When I make fish tacos I use cabbage with cilantro and a bit of fresh jalapeno and I skip the cheese. All this adds tons of crunch and flavor. I cannot wait to try it with this fish!
Yumyumyum
My girlfriend and I made these this weekend and they were great. Served them with mango salsa and baked salsa rices. We’re definitely having them again. Do you think the recipe would work with grilled chicken?
Kyle – I do think it would, though you’d need to cook it longer. My husband and I were just talking about how good chicken would be with the marinade, so we plan on trying it soon!
I made it again today, but used orange juice instead of lime and added some chipotle chili powder. It turned out great.
Yum! That sounds delicious!
I have to thank you for your delicious recipe!! I make this for my family at least once if not twice a month. I have shared it with everyone I know. Delicious!!!
Krista – Thank you! You made my day!
These were absolutely delicious! The smell alone, was amazing!
I have made these several times now – I absolutely love it – I think this recipe has turned me on to fish! I like putting the leftover fish on crackers the next day – yum. Thanks!
I made these for part of my Super Bowl taco/fajita bar. I just made the marinade and grilled the fish. It was delicious, easy and I got a lot of compliments. I am allergic to garlic so I added some hot pepper flakes instead. Thanks for the inspiration!