These blackened fish tacos are DIVINE, y’all. The flaky fish is coated in a really delicious homemade blackened spice blend, pan-fried to perfection, and stuffed into tortillas alongside the yummiest slaw made with a homemade, uber-flavorful creamy avocado sauce. Major bonus? They only take 25 minutes from start to finish!
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What does “blackened” mean?
Essentially, anything that is blackened has a dark crust on the outside that is formed by both the seasoning used and the cooking method – which can be either grilling, pan-frying, or pan-searing (in this case, pan-frying).
Blackened seasoning is made from chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and other spices, and can range from mild to spicy. You can either buy your blackened seasoning ready-made or use our mild blackened seasoning recipe.
Looking for more taco recipes? Check out our crispy taco trio: crispy ground beef tacos, shredded chicken tacos, and black bean tacos!
Ingredients Needed
For the Slaw
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (or avocado oil mayo for dairy-free)
- 1 small avocado
- ½ of a fresh jalapeno
- 3 limes
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ head of purple cabbage, roughly hopped
- ½ head of green cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of matchstick carrots
- 1 head of roughly chopped fresh cilantro
For the Blackened Rub
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Tacos
- 1½ pounds white fish (snapper, cod, etc.), sliced into 2-inch strips
- 3 limes, juiced
- ¼ cup butter, olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil (for frying)
- Tortillas, warmed
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Fresh jalapeno, sliced thin, for garnish
- 1 lime, quartered, for garnish
- Pinch of sea salt, for garnish
How to Make Them
This process is easy peasy! You’ll start by making the slaw, then cooking the fish, and then assembling your tacos. The entire process, from start to finish, takes less than 30 minutes. Here’s the step-by-step:
- Make the creamy avocado sauce – place the yogurt, avocado, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender or mason jar (big enough for an immersion blender), and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth.
- Make the slaw – toss the dressing with the chopped cabbage, carrots, and cilantro until fully combined, then refrigerate until ready to use.
- Marinate the fish – place the fish in a large bowl and cover it with the lime juice. Let marinate for 5 to 10 minutes, but no longer than 20 minutes. Once finished, drain the lime juice off once finished and set the fish aside.
- Make the blackened seasoning – while the fish marinates, make the seasoning. In a medium-sized bowl, add the blackened rub ingredients together and whisk to combine.
- Heat the oil – add the cooking fat to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the fish – dip each piece of fish into the blackened rub and coat well on all sides. Place the seasoned fish in the hot oil, cooking each side for about 3 minutes, or until flaky and white. Transfer the cooked fish to a separate bowl or plate and repeat for the rest of the batch.
- Assemble the tacos – place the fish in the tortilla of your choice, then top with the slaw, additional chopped cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Serve and enjoy!
Go-To Fish Taco Toppings
While the slaw is our very favorite taco topper, you can definitely get creative and top to your heart’s desire. Here are some of our best fish taco topping ideas:
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Pickled onions
- Sliced avocado
- Sour cream
- Pico de gallo
- Spicy jalapeno ranch
- Mango salsa
- Pineapple salsa
Recipe Tips
If your fish sticks to the pan, release it by adding a little bit more oil. Another tip here: your fish is more likely to stick if you try to flip it too soon. When it’s ready to be flipped, it’ll release more easily.
Reserve some of the creamy avocado slaw sauce to top your tacos with!
How to Serve
To plate, I recommend heating up a couple of tortillas, layering with a scoop of Chunky Mexican Coleslaw, adding a few pieces of blackened fish, and then topping with fresh cilantro, jalapeno (if you like), maybe a sprinkle of fresh lime, and just a small pinch of sea salt.
Note: you can also use a large slice of jicama as a tortilla as well! I have tips for perfectly pliable jicama tortillas in my Fed & Fit book (take a peek at the Barbacoa recipe).
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
If you have leftover fish tacos, I recommend storing each component (tortillas, slaw, and blackened fish) separately. Reheat the fish either in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend heading to your fish market and asking the fish guy/gal for their best deal on wild caught (or sustainable) white fish. Red snapper (my favorite fish) happened to be on sale when I shopped for this dish, so that’s what I grabbed. Cod, flounder, or grouper would all make good choices as well.
You can absolutely use any tortillas you love most. Grain-free (we used Siete), corn, and flour will all work beautifully!
Video
More Favorite Taco Recipes
The Best Blackened Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the Slaw:
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or avocado oil mayo for dairy-free
- 1 small avocado or ½ large
- ½ fresh jalapeno seeds removed for less spicy option
- 3 limes juiced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ head purple cabbage roughly chopped
- ½ head green cabbage roughly chopped
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 head or about 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 limes juiced
For the Blackened Rub:
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Tacos:
- 1½ pounds white fish snapper, cod, etc., sliced into 2-inch strips
- ¼ cup butter, olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil for frying
- Grain-free tortillas warmed
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Fresh jalapeno sliced thin, for garnish
- 1 lime quartered, for garnish
- Pinch sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Place the yogurt, avocado, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender or mason jar (where you can use an immersion blender). Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add more lime juice (or water) if needed to get the consistency you want.
- Toss the dressing with the chopped cabbage, carrots, and cilantro until fully combined, then refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place the strips of fish in a large bowl and cover with the lime juice. Let marinade for 5 to 10 minutes, but no longer than 20 minutes. Drain the lime juice off once finished and set the fish aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the blackened rub ingredients together and whisk to combine.
- Add the cooking fat to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, start cooking the fish.
- To cook the fish, dip each piece into the blackened rub and coat well on all sides. Place the seasoned fish in the hot oil, cooking each side for about 3 minutes, or until flaky and white. Transfer the cooked fish to a separate bowl or plate and repeat for the rest of the batch.
- To assemble a taco: place the fish in the tortilla of your choice, then top with the Mexican slaw, additional chopped cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and sprinkle of sea salt.
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t want to make your own blackened seasoning, you can use 1/3 cup of store-bought seasoning instead!
- If your fish sticks to the pan, release it by adding a little bit more oil. Another tip here: your fish is more likely to stick if you try to flip it too soon. When it’s ready to be flipped, it’ll release more easily.
- Reserve some of the creamy avocado slaw sauce to top your tacos with!
Nutrition
So delicious!! I also used bagged coleslaw! I will make this again!!
Wahooo! We’re glad you loved the tacos, Vickie!!
Wow! Delish! I did add some cayenne pepper to the blacken seasoning and chef’s kiss!
Wahoo! So glad you loved these, Denee!!
WOW!!!! Five stars. Totally delicious! I took the easy route and used premixed blackened seasoning, and bagged/chopped coleslaw starter. This will be in the rotation.