Healthy Fish Tacos
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Published Jul 04, 2022, Updated Sep 27, 2023
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These healthy fish tacos are made with grilled white fish and topped with a cabbage slaw and avocado crema. They make for such a quick and easy weeknight meal!
These healthy grilled fish tacos are my idea of the perfect summer dinner!
They’re so fresh and flavorful and the entire recipe takes 30 minutes from start to finish, which is ideal when you’re wanting to make a healthy dinner, but don’t have a ton of time.
Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Fish tacos are the perfect recipe for Taco Tuesday and taste so fresh!
- The tacos cook up in under 30 minutes.
- I’m obsessed with the honey Dijon cabbage slaw and the avocado crema.
Ingredients Needed
- fish – the main ingredient for this recipe. I recommend tilapia, but any other mild-tasting white fish like halibut, mahi-mahi, snapper, rockfish, cod or sea bass would work well.
- fresh lime juice – you’ll want to squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish before seasoning.
- seasoning – combine garlic powder, cumin, cayenne and sea salt to sprinkle over fish before grilling. Feel free to skip the cayenne if you don’t want these tacos to be less spicy. Chili powder would also be a good substitute for the cayenne.
- tortillas – I used small corn tortillas to keep this recipe gluten-free, but feel free to use your favorite style of tortilla!
- honey dijon cabbage slaw – this slaw really amps up the flavor and texture with a crunchy, tangy mix of cabbage, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, dijon mustard and honey.
- avocado crema – this creamy sauce takes these fish tacos to the next level! It’s a blend of avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, fresh lime juice and a dash of sea salt. If you’re vegan or dairy-free, you can swap Greek yogurt for a dairy-free yogurt.
- lime wedges – for serving!
- additional toppings – fresh pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream and cheese are all good options. Or for a little heat, try hot sauce or jalapeños.
How to Make
Prepare fish: Place in a glass pan and squeeze the juice from one lime over the fish fillets. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic powder, cumin, cayenne and sea salt. Sprinkle over fish and gently rub in. Allow the fish to marinate for about 10 minutes while you make your slaw and avocado crema.
Make cabbage slaw: Combine cabbage, onion, cilantro, lime juice, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
Make avocado crema: Combine avocado, yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, salt and water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Cook fish and heat tortillas: On a preheated and oiled grill, cook fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Wrap stacked tortillas in aluminum foil and place on the cooler part of the grill for 5 to 8 minutes until warm. Alternatively, you can warm the tortillas in the oven and cook the fish in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes each side.
Serve: Break fish into large pieces and divide among tortillas. Top with slaw and avocado crema. Make sure you have extra lime wedges for serving — a squeeze of fresh lime juice right before eating the tacos makes the flavors pop!
Customize Your Fish Tacos
I love this recipe as is, but feel free to make these tacos your own! Here are some ideas:
- Different protein – they wouldn’t be fish tacos without fish, but you could definitely try this recipe with something like chicken or shrimp. These cauliflower tacos would also be delicious with the honey dijon slaw.
- Switch up the toppings – the crunch of the cabbage slaw and freshness of the avocado crema pull these tacos together, but the topping choices are endless. You could swap the slaw out for plain shredded cabbage or lettuce or, instead of the avocado crema, use sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt! Try adding pickled red onions, fresh tomatoes or carrots. Sprinkle on crumbled cotija or feta cheese. Fish tacos even pair well with a fruity salsa like my pineapple salsa.
How to Serve Fish Tacos
This healthy fish taco recipe makes a meal on their own, but it’s always fun to have a few sides and a festive drink… especially if you’re hosting dinner. Here are some options:
- Sides: chips and salsa, black beans or refried beans, black bean dip, healthy guacamole, avocado salad or Mexican street corn salad
- Drinks: skinny paloma or skinny margarita
How to Store
Store any leftover fish in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Store any leftover avocado crema and slaw in separate containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. For reheating, I recommend warming the fish over the stovetop to crisp it up a little.
More Popular Seafood Recipes
- Teriyaki Salmon Bowls
- Superfood Salmon Salad
- Maple Glazed Salmon
- Tuna Salad
- Tuna Stuffed Bell Peppers
More Taco Recipes
- Cauliflower Tacos
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
- Ground Turkey Tacos
- Asian Tofu Tacos
- Tempeh Tacos with Tempeh Taco “Meat”
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Healthy Chicken Tacos
Be sure to check out all of the dinner recipes as the full collection of Mexican recipes on EBF!
Healthy Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 lb tilapia, halibut or other white fish like rockfish, cod or sea bass
- Juice from 1 lime, about 2 Tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 small corn tortillas
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Hot sauce or salsa, for serving (optional)
Honey Dijon Cabbage Slaw
- 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- Juice from 1 lime, about 2 Tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ground pepper, to taste
Avocado Crema
- 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- Juice from 1 1/2 limes, about 3 Tablespoons
- 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons of water
Instructions
- Place fish in a shallow dish and squeeze the juice from one lime over the fish. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic powder, cumin, cayenne and sea salt. Sprinkle over fish and gently rub the seasoning in. Allow the fish to marinate for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine cabbage, onion, cilantro, juice from the lime, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Set aside. Taste slaw and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Make avocado crema by combining avocado, yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, salt and water in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and combined. Set aside.
- Heat grill to medium-high and lightly oil grill-grate with cooking spray. Arrange tortillas in a stack and wrap with aluminum foil. Grill fish until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tortillas on cooler part of grill (we used the top rack) until warm, 5 to 8 minutes, turning halfway. Alternatively, you can warm the tortillas in the oven and cook the fish on the stovetop over medium-high heat with a little olive oil for about 3 minutes each side.
- Break fish into large pieces. Divide fish among tortillas and top with slaw and avocado crema. Serve each taco with a small lime wedge for squeezing over the taco before eating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing recipe! I made this for dinner tonight, it was so yummy! Thank you!
YUM! This is such a good one and I am so glad you are enjoying it too, Tira! Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!