Fish Tacos Recipe

These fish tacos are crispy and flaky, wrapped in a warm tortilla and topped with Baja cream and cabbage slaw. The beer-battered fish and seasoned coating make these tacos absolutely delicious.

If you love seafood, you should try this beer batter cod and cedar plank salmon.

Fish Tacos Recipe Details

Every single spice and ingredient adds something unique that you won’t forget. The crispy fish and tangy purple slaw are a stunning and beautiful mixture!

• TASTE: Tangy, sweet, and garlicky, these fish tacos have so many layers of flavor.
• TEXTURE: The crispy fish and crunchy, creamy slaw are the stars of this dish.
• TIME: There are a lot of flavorful ingredients, but this is such an easy recipe to put together, and you can make it ahead of time.
• EASE: These Fish Tacos are ready to serve in just an hour.

What You’ll Need

For the Fish

• Cod fillets– or any other white fish like halibut, snapper, grouper, or mahi mahi
• Fish batter– Beer, all-purpose flour, chili powder, galric powder, salt, and pepper
• Oil for deep frying– vegetable, canola, or corn oil will work

Baja Cream and Cabbage Slaw

• Baja Cream Sauce– Sour cream, Mayonnaise, Black pepper and Salt, Garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, honey
• Cabbage Slaw– Purple cabbage, Carrot, cilantro, honey, lime juice, red onion
• Tortillas– white or yellow corn tortillas work best, but flour tortillas work well too.

How To Make Fish Tacos

To make the BEST fish tacos you need 3 things. The cabbage slaw, Baja cream sauce, and of course the fried battered fish. Here is a quick step-by-step photo guide on how to make fish tacos. For the full recipe details, scroll down to the printable recipe card.

How to Make The Cabbage Slaw

• Chop and shred all the vegetables. In a bowl, add the shredded purple cabbage, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, and shredded carrot.
• Dressing for the slaw. In the same bowl, add the honey and fresh lime juice. Then mix everything together using tongs. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

How To Make Baja Cream Sauce

• In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, honey, pressed garlic, and the juice of half of a lime. Then add 1 finely chopped pepper in adobo sauce along with salt and pepper. Whisk and set aside for later.

How to Fry The Beer Battered Cod

• Create the dredge. In a large bowl combine the flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and beer. Whisk in the beer as you mix, to ensure a smooth “pancake like” batter.

• Slice the fish. You want to cut the cod fillet into equal sized pieces. Mine were about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick.
• Heat the frying oil. Fill a skillet with about 1-2 inches of oil and bring it to medium-high heat, about 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Fry the fish. Dredge each cod fillet in the beer batter and fry them in the hot oil for about 4-5 minutes while turning them constantly to ensure even cooking. Then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

• Assemble the fish tacos immediately. Using the tortilla of your choice (corn or flour), add the Baja cream slaw, then 2 crispy cod fillets, and top it all with extra cilantro, pico de gallo, or guacamole. 

Recipe Tips

• Allow the cabbage slaw to marinate at least 2 hours- The lime juice and honey will absorb into the cabbage and create better flavor if you let it sit for a little.
• Keep your fry oil at the right temperature– Having the right temperature helps the fish cook through without absorbing too much oil. Shoot for 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit, checking with an instant-read thermometer throughout the frying process.
• Soak up excess oil- This is important because it keeps the outer layer of the fish crisp and the fish tacos from getting soggy.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Substitute Greek yogurt in the slaw- For a lighter version, use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream to reduce calories and fat, and add in some extra protein.
• Add veggies- Corn, diced tomatoes, and avocado slices would be really tasty added to these fish tacos.
• Make it spicy- Add some jalapenos, hot sauce, or a little more cayenne pepper in the dredge to up the heat in this dish.
• Go gluten-free- All you’ll need to do is use corn tortillas (or sub gluten-free flour ones) and use gluten-free flour in the dredge.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

These Fish Tacos are tasty enough to be enjoyed on their own, but for great sides and toppings, here are some options:

• Toppings: Spicy chili sauce, Cool avocado sauce, Pico de gallo, Guacamole, and Mexican Salsa Recipe with Roasted Corn would all be amazing.
• Salad: Serve these tacos with Avocado Corn Salad or this tasty Creamy Cucumber Radish Salad.
• Sides: Try some Wild Brown Rice, black beans, or Seven Layer Taco Dip on the side.
• Soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup would go well with these tacos.

Make These Fish Tacos in Advance

Make ahead: The slaw and Baja cream sauce can be made in advance, which cuts most of the prep time down on this dish.

Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Separate the slaw, sauce, fish, and tortillas to avoid them getting soggy. Reheat the fish in a 400-degrees oven for a few minutes to warm through.

Freeze: The best way to freeze these tacos is by allowing the fried fish to completely cool, then freezing in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the fish is frozen solid, transfer it to an airtight container or bag. Then bake or air fry the fish at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp and warmed through. It will last for up to 2 months. The tortillas can freeze, too, but the slaw will break down so make that fresh.

More Tasty Seafood Dishes!

• Cod with Sauteed Vegetables
• Panko Crusted Salmon
• Salmon Wellington
• Crispy Shrimp Tempura Recipe
• Imitation Crab Salad with Shrimp Recipe (VIDEO)

Watch Video Here

Full Recipe Instructions

Fish Tacos Recipe

The best crispy fish tacos! This recipe is made with fried cod, Baja cream, and purple cabbage cole slaw. Easy to make with these step by step photos.

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Meixcan

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 14

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Dina

Ingredients

For the fish

• ▢ 1 1/2-2 lb cod fillets
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 16 oz beer
• ▢ Oil for deep frying vegetable, canola, or corn oil work

Cabbage Slaw

• ▢ 1/2 purple cabbage
• ▢ 1/4 cup cilantro
• ▢ 1 carrot shredded
• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ Juice of 1 lime
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red onion diced

Baja Cream Sauce

• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 1/2 clove garlic
• ▢ Juice of 1/2 lime
• ▢ 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ Corn or flour tortillas for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Chop and shred all the vegetables. In a bowl, add 1/2 shredded purple cabbage, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 Tbsp diced red onion, and 1 shredded carrot. 
• Dressing for the slaw. In the same bowl, add 1 1/2 Tbsp honey and the juice of 1 lime. Then mix everything together using tongs. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The longer the slaw sits, the better flavor you will get.
• Make the Baja cream sauce. In a small bowl, 1/2 cup combine sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp honey, 1/2 small pressed garlic clove, and the juice of half of a lime. Then add 1 finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce along with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Whisk and set aside for later. 
• Create the dredge. In a large bowl combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Now slowly pour in 16 oz of beer. Make sure to use a whisk to mix the beer into the flour mixture as your pour it in. Constantly stirring will ensure a smooth "pancake-like" batter. 
• Slice the fish. You want to cut 1 1/2-2 lb cod fillets into equal-sized pieces. Mine were about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick.
• Fill a deep skillet or heavy-bottomed pot with about 1-2 inches of corn, canola, or vegetable oil and bring it to medium-high heat or 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. It's best to monitor the oil temperature with an instant-read thermometer using the entire frying process.
• Fry the fish. Dredge each cod fillet in the beer batter and fry them in the hot oil for about 4-5 minutes while turning them constantly to ensure even cooking. Then transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
• Assemble the fish tacos immediately. Using the tortilla of your choice (corn or flour), add the Baja cream slaw, then 2 crispy cod fillets, and top it all with extra cilantro, pico de gallo, or guacamole.

Notes

FAQs answered in the post above

• How to freeze and bake later (total time saver!)
• Add-ins and substitutes 
• Frying tips for perfectly crispy fish

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo of it and tag me on Instagram @simplyhomecooked or use the hashtag #simplyhomecooked so I can see it and feature it!

This recipe was originally posted April 25, 2017, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.

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Dina

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!

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