Description
These Blackened Fish Tacos are bold, smoky, and packed with flavor. Crispy seasoned fish is tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with crunchy cabbage, fresh cilantro, and a creamy chipotle cilantro-lime sauce. A quick and easy weeknight dinner that tastes like restaurant-quality tacos at home.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cilantro-Lime Sauce
- Juice of ½ fresh lime (or small splash bottled lime juice)
- ½ cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder + salt)
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
For the Blackened Fish
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil (finely chopped if homemade dried)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1½ pounds white fish fillets (cut into 1-inch thick pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking)
- 8 small corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
Optional Toppings
- Shredded purple cabbage or slaw mix
- Crumbled cotija or feta cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Make the Sauce:
Add lime juice, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic salt, chipotle pepper, and cilantro to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve. - Prepare the Seasoning:
In a bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, cayenne, thyme, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. - Season the Fish:
Dip each fish fillet into melted butter, coating evenly. Press into the seasoning mixture so all sides are well covered. - Cook the Fish:
Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook fish for about 2 minutes per side, or until the outside is crispy and the inside is opaque and flaky. - Warm Tortillas:
Heat tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until warm and flexible. - Assemble Tacos:
Fill each tortilla with blackened fish. Top with cabbage, cheese, cilantro, and drizzle with cilantro-lime sauce. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
Notes
- Adjust cayenne and chipotle for more or less heat.
- Any firm white fish (tilapia, cod, mahi-mahi) works well.
- Store leftover fish and sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat fish in a skillet or air fryer to keep it crispy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg