Let’s make Fish Tacos with Honey Lime Cilantro Slaw. This is THE BEST fish taco recipe around! Perfectly cooked fish with a crunchy cabbage slaw & creamy tomatillo ranch. They’re easy, fresh, and delicious! (Bonus? They’re also gluten-free!)
Fish tacos are one of my happy places. (Along with chicken tacos, beef tacos, breakfast tacos, and shrimp tacos!)
Most of my favorite food-related happy places involve either avocados or chocolate, but tacos? They totally make the list (and bonus: I usually sneak some avocado in there). I love them. They’re quick and easy, packed with flavor, and also DID I MENTION THERE ARE TACOS INVOLVED?
Taco Tuesday never tastes better than when I make our fish tacos with slaw! I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the BEST fish taco recipe I’ve ever tried.
So what makes these easy fish tacos so great? Well, it’s all in a few easy tips and tricks…
3 Things That Make These Fish Tacos AMAZING
💥 FIRST: THE SPICE RUB. My fish tacos recipe use a simple spice blend to add big time flavor without big time effort. I combine classics like cumin and chili powder (and a few other little things) and make sure that all the fish gets the spice-rub treatment.
🔥 NEXT: I COOK THEM QUICKLY. I usually use a cast-iron pan which maintains heat and can give you a really nice sear without any needed flour or breading. (If you don’t have a cast iron pan, I totally recommend one–they’re pretty inexpensive and can literally last generations. If it’s not in the cards right now or tacos are calling immediately, you can absolutely use whatever pan you have in the house. Just be sure you’re getting medium to medium-high heat so the fish can cook quickly and get a nice sear without overcooking the middle)
🍋🟩 THEN, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GOODIES. I love fish tacos with slaw best. This one brings plenty of flavor with fresh lime, a tiny bit of honey, and cilantro. Then, I drizzle the fish tacos with a little something creamy to finish them off–either my favorite tomatillo-ranch or citrus avocado sauce does the job.
The combination of smoky spices, tangy slaw, and a drizzle of creamy fish taco sauce on top all wrapped in warm tortillas is flavor and texture perfection. Can you see why these are the BEST fish tacos? I think this recipe could make a fish taco fan out of anyone!
Happy cooking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
More Toppings To Try
If you want to mix things up, you can also try a bit of crumbled cotija cheese, a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, or some tangy pickled red onion. Some jalapeño slices can add some heat if you want your tacos on the spicy side! Not a fan of a creamy sauce? You can swap in some Homemade Salsa, Salsa Verde, or Guacamole instead!
How to Make Fish Tacos With Slaw, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
First, Make The Cabbage Slaw
- Prep The Veg. If you haven’t already, wash and shred cabbage and purple cabbage (I like to use a food processor with a shredding blade, but you can also use a sharp knife).
- Combine. In a medium or large bowl, combine green and white cabbage, cilantro, lime juice (start with 1 Tbsp), honey, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Taste & Adjust. Give the slaw a taste and add additional lime juice or honey as desired. Set aside until ready to serve. The salt and lime juice will help soften and break down the cabbage. You can cover and chill the slaw in the refrigerator 1-2 hours in advance to give it time to soften and let the flavors meld, if desired.
Next, Prepare Your Fish
- Make The Spice Rub. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Pat The Fish Dry. Place fish in a shallow container (or zip-tip bag). Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel (this will help your seasoning mix stick).
- Rub the fish fillets with all of your seasoning blend, coating generously.
- Cook Fish In Batches. Heat avocado oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, cook fillets 3-4 minutes per side or until fish is opaque and cooked through.
- Repeat with remaining fish. Gently use a fork to separate cooked fish into small sections or large flakes for tacos.
Then, Assemble Your Tacos
- To assemble your tacos, spoon slaw and fish into corn tortillas.
- Add your favorite extras, such as avocado slices, additional fresh cilantro, etc. Drizzle with tomatillo ranch, citrus avocado sauce, or a dollop of guacamole.
Make It a Meal! (What To Serve On The Side)
Tacos are largely an all-in-one meal, but it’s also great to have a few options for side dishes. Other than more of our cilantro lime slaw, here are some of my top picks:
- Seasoned Black Beans or Charro Beans or Refried Beans
- Restaurant Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
- Watermelon Fruit Salad or Lime Watermelon
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Fish Tacos
WHAT KIND OF FISH DO YOU USE FOR FISH TACOS? This works with any flaky, white fish fillets. Cod, halibut, and tilapia all work well in fish tacos. You could also try mahi mahi or catfish if you needed to. Just know, the length of time you need to cook it will be impacted by how thick your fillet is. (i.e. If your fillet is 1/2-inch thick, it’ll cook faster than if it’s 1-inch.)
LET’S TALK HEAT (THE SPICY ONE). These fish tacos aren’t super spicy as written. I’d categorize them as mild flavor or possibly medium if you have a very low spice tolerance. They’re very flavorful, but won’t heat your mouth up significantly. Want to kick up the heat? There are lots of ways to do it! Try adding a generous sprinkle of chipotle chili powder to your spice blend or a little minced jalapeño to your cilantro slaw. Or, add a little heat via your creamy drizzle…(see my next note!)
FOR BEST RESULTS: PAT THE FISH DRY. To get the best sear and to get that crispy fish texture without deep frying, pat the fish dry with a paper towel before adding the spice rub. It’ll help the spices stick, eliminated extra water, and help get that golden brown exterior we’re aiming for.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our easy Fish Tacos recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Fish Tacos with Honey Lime Cilantro Slaw
Ingredients
For the Fish:
For the Fish Taco Slaw Recipe:
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix with green & purple cabbage & carrots
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
To Serve:
- Corn tortillas (or flour tortillas, if you prefer)
- Sliced avocado
- Fresh Cilantro
- A creamy drizzling sauce like my Tomatillo Ranch, crema, or Citrus Avocado Sauce
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Cabbage Slaw:
- Prep The Veg. If you haven’t already, wash and shred cabbage and purple cabbage (I like to use a food processor with a shredding blade, but you can also use a sharp knife).
- Combine. In a medium or large bowl, combine green and white cabbage, cilantro, lime juice (start with 1 Tbsp), honey, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Taste & Adjust. Give the slaw a taste and add additional lime juice or honey as desired. Set aside until ready to serve. The salt and lime juice will help soften and break down the cabbage. You can cover and chill the slaw in the refrigerator 1-2 hours in advance to give it time to soften and let the flavors meld, if desired.
Prepare Your Fish:
- Make The Spice Rub. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Pat The Fish Dry. Place fish in a shallow container (or zip-tip bag). Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel (this will help your seasoning mix stick).
- Rub the fish fillets with all of your seasoning blend, coating generously.
- Cook Fish In Batches. Heat avocado oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, cook fillets 3-4 minutes per side or until fish is opaque and cooked through.
- Repeat with remaining fish. Gently use a fork to separate cooked fish into small sections or large flakes for tacos.
Assemble Your Tacos:
- To assemble your tacos, spoon slaw and fish into corn tortillas.
- Add your favorite extras, such as avocado slices, additional fresh cilantro, etc. Drizzle with tomatillo ranch, citrus avocado sauce, or a dollop of guacamole.
Notes
- What kind of fish can you use? This works with any flaky, white fish. Cod, halibut, and tilapia all work well in fish tacos. You could also try mahi mahi or catfish if you needed to. Just know, the length of time you need to cook it will be impacted by how thick your fillet is. (i.e. If your fillet is 1/2-inch thick, it’ll cook faster than if it’s 1-inch.)
- Let’s talk heat (the temperature one) – As I mentioned above, I like cooking these fairly quickly over a hotter pan. A cast iron pan is my go-to because of the way it retains heat so well. I can get a really nice sear on my fish over medium heat in my cast-iron pan. If you don’t have one, you can totally use whatever you have. Just be sure you have your heat set to at least medium or medium-high so you get a nice sear and cook the fish through without overcooking it.
- Now, let’s talk heat (the spicy one) – These aren’t super spicy as written. I’d categorize them as mild or possibly medium if you have a very low spice tolerance. They’re very flavorful, but won’t heat your mouth up significantly. Want to kick up the heat? There are lots of ways to do it! Try adding a generous sprinkle of chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper to your spice blend or a little minced jalapeño to your cilantro slaw. Or, add a little heat via your creamy drizzle…(see my next note!)
- Drizzle and top your tacos! Exactly what you want to drizzle over your tacos is up to you. Since my slaw doesn’t have a creamy element, I add that with a little something drizzled on top. I love using my tomatillo ranch (my top pick!), or citrus avocado sauce since they’re bright and fresh and a nice contrast to the heat. You could also swap in my chipotle ranch for some extra kick!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
These were fantastic with the slaw and a little Green salsa
YAY! They’re my all-time fave. So glad you liked them!
Yum!!!! Great recipe! No breading but really tasty anyway, a win, win situation. The coleslaw is excellent. Thanks!
Looks yummy! Now can you bake these instead of frying?
Probably, though the texture won’t be the same. Cooking them in the pan seals the spices on the exterior and gives it that yummy “crust” that’s so great in a fish taco. (You can also reduce the amount of oil if you’re concerned about that.) I’d think about 10-15 minutes in the oven at 375-400 degrees F would do the trick! You want to cook the fish just till it’s opaque.
I added grilled pineapple and my slaw I did a mix that also had Brussels and kale as well as the cabbage And carrots. Was yumm!
YUM! That sounds amazing!!!
They are FANTASTIC! We have an local upscale restaurant that has fish tacos but these were better! Thank you!
Oh my goodness! What a compliment–thank you so much!
I have to tell you we were struggling to find a baked not fried fish recipe for our fish tacos and this is perfect. All ingredients we have on hand regularly. This is such a keeper. We cheated on the sauce and used some chipotle mayo mixed into lowfat sour cream but made everything else as described. And loved finding a staple beyond sandwiches and avocado toast for using up ripe avocado laying around.
Oh, I LOVE hearing that. Thank you so much for sharing this!
I made these with shrimp and used the citrus avocado sauce. They came out amazing and my family loved them. What a great recipe.
Oh YUM! What a delicious combination! I’m totally trying that!
These were absolutely delicious. I loved the bright citrus flavor of the coleslaw and the spice level on the fish was perfect. I will definitely make these again.
YAY! I love hearing that. They’re my favorite! So glad you enjoyed them too. Thank you so much for sharing!
These were FANTASTIC!!! Wow, so much flavor!! The combo of slaw, fish, and sauce was just perfect.
We LOVE THEM around here–they ALWAYS get gobbled up fast! I’m so glad you liked them!
What brand of corn tortillas do you use? I struggle to find one I like.
I like a few brands–Mission makes gluten free street taco-sized corn tortillas that are yummy (that’s what I used for the photos) or you can buy cook-your-own corn tortillas (look in a refrigerated section at places like Sprouts, Target, or Kroger).
The biggest thing I’ve found with corn tortillas is that if I don’t warm them in a pan, they taste a bit “raw” to me. I always warm them in a warm pan to get a little color on them. (or you can wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave them for a few seconds). Heating them will take out the “raw” flavor. (If you have a gas burner, you can even turn the heat to medium-low and use a pair of metal tongs to color them right over the flame!) I hope that helps!