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!
Honey Lime Fish Tacos
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 6 (4-6oz) fillets tilapia
- zest and juice of 2 limes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil + more for cooking
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3/4 tsp salt + more for dredging
- 3/4 tsp pepper + more for dredging
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2c flour (white or whole wheat pastry flour work best)
- small fajita-size flour tortillas
- shredded lettuce, cheese, or other favorite taco toppings
Instructions
- 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.
Pam Lynn says
October 3, 2011 at 9:33 amWow, these are beautiful to look at, I can’t imagine how great they must taste!
Nicole@HeatOvenTo350 says
October 3, 2011 at 9:51 amThese look amazing, and I don’t even usually like fish! I’m marking these to try soon.
Ali says
October 3, 2011 at 11:26 pmWow!!! look amazingly delicious, If I could only dive in my screen and have a bite at these 🙂 Honey lime fish tacos coming right up!!
SeaCuisine says
October 5, 2011 at 12:46 pmThis 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!
Anna says
October 5, 2011 at 10:20 pmThis 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!
Russell at Chasing Delicious says
October 6, 2011 at 12:17 pmYum! I was just looking for a fish taco recipe. I wonder if this will work with flounder?
P.s. your blog header is adorable!
Joy says
October 13, 2011 at 11:17 amThese do look outstanding!!! I see refried beans and what else in the background?
emily says
October 13, 2011 at 12:01 pmJoy, thanks! I served refried beans and my mexican-style rice. Loved it!
Mrs. Measurement says
December 5, 2011 at 1:38 pmThis 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.
Colby Nordyke says
January 19, 2012 at 9:45 amI am a chef at a University of Iowa Sorority and I frequently make this recipe for the 65 girls that live here. Absolutely amazing.
Stephanie Richardson says
February 16, 2012 at 5:32 pmI 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. 🙂
Jenny B. says
February 25, 2012 at 3:22 pmWhen 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!
Booper says
February 26, 2012 at 11:20 pmYumyumyum
Kyle says
April 10, 2012 at 11:41 amMy 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?
emily says
April 10, 2012 at 11:53 amKyle – 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!
Kyle says
April 26, 2012 at 11:01 amI made it again today, but used orange juice instead of lime and added some chipotle chili powder. It turned out great.
★★★★★
emily says
April 26, 2012 at 11:21 amYum! That sounds delicious!
Krista says
June 8, 2012 at 11:37 amI 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!!!
★★★★★
emily says
June 8, 2012 at 12:26 pmKrista – Thank you! You made my day!
Rani says
November 14, 2012 at 8:36 pmThese were absolutely delicious! The smell alone, was amazing!
★★★★★
Sarah says
January 25, 2013 at 9:32 pmI 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!
Cara says
February 4, 2013 at 5:10 amI 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!
Holly says
September 10, 2013 at 6:47 amI made these last night, they are so good!! Its so simple and they don’t need alot of additions like most tacos. I put some sour cream and diced peaches on top, yum 🙂
★★★★★