Blackened Fish Tacos are paired with a refreshing cilantro, lime, and avocado sauce for an epic taco flavor combo! This quick and easy taco recipe makes a healthy gluten-free dinner or lunch and can be made with tilapia, cod, or any other white-fleshed fish.
Want a few other easy tacos recipes? You might also enjoy these Blackened Shrimp Tacos, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos, and these Roasted Cauliflower Tacos.
Blackened Fish Tacos
Growing up in Southeast Texas, on the border with Louisiana, exposes you to SOOO many different flavors.
We have Cajun and Mexican food influences, the best BBQ and Tex-Mex you’ll ever find, and all of the fresh seafood you can imagine.
When the hubby and I lived in San Antonio, we LOVED going to this popular restaurant called The Cove.
My all-time favorite dish to get was their blackened fish tacos.
The blackened fish in the tacos had a nice kick and the cabbage slaw helped to calm it down.
Match. Made. In. Heaven.
So taking what I know best about Southern fare, I combined the flavors of Cajun and Mexican cuisines to create these delicious blackened fish tacos with a fresh avocado sauce.
Trust me… your taste buds will NOT be disappointed!
Ingredients
While this recipe does not require too many ingredients, there are a few you might want to double-check that you have on hand before whipping these tacos up for dinner.
- Fish – You can ready more below about what type of fish is best for tacos. My personal preference is a mildly-flavored white-fleshed fish such as tilapia or cod.
- Blackened Seasoning – Homemade blackened seasoning is what I used in this recipe, but you can also opt to buy a Cajun or Creole season from your grocery store instead.
- Please be aware that these are often A LOT hotter than the homemade kind so you may want to adjust how much you add accordingly.
- Tortillas – Corn tortillas pair wonderfully with the soft and flaky fish. However, you can also choose to use Cassava Flour Tortillas if you want to make a grain-free fish taco.
- Avocado Sauce – Avocado, yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice combine to make the BEST fish taco sauce that can easily be made from scratch.
- Toppings – Add some shredded cabbage, crumbled queso fresca, finely chopped cilantro, red onion, or green onions when serving.
How to Make
These blackened fish tacos are a relatively quick and simple dinner recipe you can throw together in less than 30 minutes.
Here are the basic steps you will need to follow:
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Combine blackened seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Toss to combine.
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Sprinkle blackened seasoning over both sides of the fish fillets. Rub seasoning into the fillets.
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Place 2-3 tablespoons of oil into a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.
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Add fish fillets to heated skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides.*
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Combine avocado, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, and salt into a small food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth and thoroughly combined.
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Serve cooked fish on corn tortillas* with avocado sauce, cabbage, additional cilantro, green onions and queso fresca.
Best Kind of Fish for Tacos
For this particular version of these blackened fish tacos, I used fresh tilapia fillets.
However, since tilapia does not have a ton of nutritional value, feel free to swap it out for any other type of white-fleshed fish you prefer.
Some other varieties of fish you can try include:
- Cod
- Mahi Mahi
- Snapper
- Catfish
Avocado Sauce for Tacos
Since the blackened fish is a little on the spicy side, a creamy avocado sauce comes in handy to help tone down the heat in these tacos.
All you have to do is throw in the four avocado sauce ingredients (avocado, yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice) into a small food processor and voila!
You have super creamy, ultra flavorful, avocado sauce for tacos!
Corn Tortilla Magic
There’s a secret trick I like to do before serving up ANY taco on corn tortillas.
From an Easy Breakfast Migas to a decadent al Pastor Taco…
They ALL taste better when you lightly cook the corn tortillas in a bit of coconut oil before serving.
Not only do they get a remarkable flavor…
But they also become super pliable and sturdy enough to load up all of those taco ingredients.
Storing
These blackened fish tacos are best when all of the components are stored separately.
The cooked fish will last for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Place the chopped and shredded topping ingredients in their own individual containers.
Store the avocado sauce in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating
Word to the wise here… Do not pre-make all of your blackened fish tacos with avocado sauce with the intention of heating them up later! The corn tortillas WILL get soggy and very mushy <– Learned this the hard way.
Instead, you can assemble your tacos almost completely… Keep the avocado sauce on the side so you can add it AFTER you have re-heated your blackened fish tacos.
Other Taco Recipes
If you enjoyed these blackened fish tacos, you might also like to try out these other easy taco recipes:
Slow Cooker Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos
Easy Skillet Steak Fajitas Recipe
Oven-Baked Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado Sauce
Blackened Fish Tacos are paired with a refreshing cilantro, lime, and avocado sauce for an epic taco flavor combo! This quick and easy taco recipe makes a healthy gluten-free dinner or lunch and can be made with tilapia, cod, or any other white-fleshed fish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. tilapia fillets or other white-fleshed fish fillets, approximately ¾ - 1 inch thick*
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
Blackened Seasoning:
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1/8 – ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper depending on your spice preference
- ¼ tsp. oregano dried
- ¾ tsp. salt
Avocado Sauce:
- 1 large avocado peeled and pitted
- 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt or dairy-free, plain
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice fresh
- 2 Tbsp. cilantro plus more for serving
- ¼ tsp. salt
Serving:
- 8 corn tortillas*
- ½ cup cabbage shredded
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- ¼ cup queso fresco crumbled, optional
- See this recipe in Meal Plan #5
Instructions
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In a small bowl combine blackened seasoning ingredients. Toss to combine.
-
Sprinkle blackened seasoning over both sides of the fish fillets. Rub seasoning into the fillets.
-
Place 2-3 tablespoons of oil into a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add fish fillets to heated skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides.*
-
While fish fillets are cooking, place avocado, yogurt, lime juice, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a small food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth and thoroughly combined.
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Serve cooked fish on corn tortillas* with avocado sauce, cabbage, additional cilantro, green onions and queso fresca. See this recipe in Meal Plan #5.
Recipe Notes
- If you choose another type of fish with a thickness greater than ¾ - 1 inch, be sure to cook the fish for additional time to ensure they are completely cooked.
- Warm up your corn tortillas in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil for added flavor.
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Jessica says
I LOVE the fish tacos at The Cove, but moved to Atlanta from San Antonio, so I made my own using this recipe. It was absolutely delicious and the whole family loved it. I did make a few changes, like using mahi-mahi because that’s what we had on hand. Instead of garnishing the tacos with cabbage and cilantro, I made a Mexican slaw with cabbage, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and a quick homemade orange vinaigrette. To make it a complete meal, I served it with cilantro lime rice and black beans. I didn’t change anything about the sauce or the preparation of this fish-I didn’t need to, it was perfect. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!
London Brazil says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jessica! This sounds so good! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Vanessa says
This sounds amazing! I’ll be trying them this weekend, will the sauce last 24 hours if I make it ahead of time for a camping trip? Thank you, cant wait to try these!!
London says
Yes, Vanessa! The sauce will last 24 hours – just make sure not to add it onto the tacos until just before serving 🙂 – And also, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of it so it doesn’t turn brown!
Noelle says
The main page of your recipe specified 5tbsp of coriander which is not in the recipe – I think you meant cilantro which I didn’t buy because it was missing from the main recipe 🙁
London says
Hi Noelle! Would you mind telling me where it mentions the coriander? I’m not sure where you are referring to it being mentioned. You just need some cilantro for the recipe 🙂 Hope this helps!
We says
Blackened fish tacosE
Rhaya says
I have never left a comment on a recipe before, but I’m doing it now because holy crap these are amazing. I made the recipe exactly as stated, except for adding tomatoes as a garnish, and leaving off the queso fresco ’cause who can remember everything in one trip to the grocery store. Seriously though, my husband said these were the best fish tacos he’d ever had, and we took a two week trip to Cabo last year! These are gonna be added to the favorites list for sure.
London says
Yay, Rhaya!! I am SO happy to hear you and your hubby enjoyed the tacos so much. These are a spin-off of some of our favorite fish tacos at a restaurant in San Antonio called The Cove. So if you’re ever visiting – you must try them out! Thanks so much for your comment and positive words, Rhaya!
Gabby p. says
I see your recipe called for coriander in the beginning but then it wasn’t added in your actual blog recipe. Do you or don’t use coriander??
London says
Hi Gabby! Not exactly sure where you saw coriander mentioned, but there’s no coriander in this recipe so you can simply follow the directions in the recipe area! Thanks for the question!
Anonymous says
Coriander in the photo
Joan C Webb says
Coriander and cilantro are the same thing. Cilantro is the common name in North America.
London says
Thank you for that clarification, Joan!!
Ramae Hamrin says
These were absolutely wonderful, and even my teenage son was a fan! We used baby greens instead of cabbage and used cod in lieu of tilapia. We also made our own cassava flour tortillas, so they were not only gluten free, but also grain free. Thank you!
London says
Hi Ramae!! Wow, I love your substitutions!! And those cassava flour tortillas sound incredible. Where did you find the recipe? I would love to try some out! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Jessica says
Looking forward to making these this summer. Thanks for the recipe idea!
London says
You’re so welcome, Jessica! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
chris says
I made the Blackened Fish Tacos but instead of the avocado sauce I made a mayo and Sriracha sauce mixture and then topped the tacos with sliced Avocados and cilantro. Delicious!!
London says
That sauce sounds incredible!! So happy you enjoyed them. Thanks for commenting 🙂