Blackened fish tacos deliver bold flavor for an easy weeknight dinner or a weekend treat. Included is a simple recipe for Baja Sauce and you'll add any other toppings to make them your own.
Why you'll love them
- Blackened Fish Tacos are super easy. Once you've got the fish cooked it's just a matter of setting out the topping ingredients. Taco Tuesday here we come!
- They're customizable. Everyone likes their tacos topped differently and it's almost like a party when you have "make your own tacos" night.
- The Baja Sauce is the perfect complement to the fish and you can make it as little spicy or give it a big kick of heat.
- The same thing applies to the fish. Just because it's blackened doesn't mean it has to be super spicy. You can just give it a light dusting of the seasoning.
The fish itself can be cooked outdoors or inside. We love to make it by our Blackened Grouper on the Grill recipe, but Blackened Baked Salmon makes a mean taco too! Naturally you can substitute your favorite fish as long as it's a firm white fish that's easy to handle.
If you prefer the fish for your tacos to be cooked in a skillet use the recipe for our Fish & Grits or the Pan Fried Mahi Mahi recipe.
Jump to:
Ingredient notes
- Blackened Fish - Besides the fish you'll need some oil for brushing and Blackened Seasoning or Creole Seasoning. We always have our homemade spice mixture on hand and like to use that because we can control the salt and the heat.
- Tortillas - We find flour tortillas easiest to handle. Warm corn tortillas have a so much flavor, but they tend to fall apart under the weight of all this goodness.
- Baja Sauce - We used a combination of sour cream and mayo as the base, but you can use all of one or the other. Besides that a little lime juice and some Sriracha Sauce is all you need. You can even use greek yogurt for the base to keep your sauce extra light.
- Toppings - A full list of ideas is below, but you can get as creative as you like. I always like to add a little slaw mix (the kind with red or purple cabbage) for some crunch, but beyond that, the sky's the limit.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to make blackened fish tacos
- Prepare the Baja sauce and set aside.
- Prepare the toppings and set them out.
- Cook the fish by whatever cooking method you choose.
- Warm the tortillas. You can wrap a stack of tortillas in aluminum foil and warm them in the oven or in a paper towel in the microwave. My preferred method is about 1 minute per side in a hot (medium high heat) skillet. You can use a non-stick skillet or cast iron.
- Assemble the tacos or have a "make your own taco bar" set up.
Pam's tips
- Use a firm fleshed fish for easiest handling. I like to cut the fish fillets into "taco sized" strips before seasoning and cooking.
- Pat the fish dry before brushing with oil and seasoning. This ensures that the seasoning adheres to the fish. Make sure to pat the seasoning blend onto the sides of the fish.
- Make the Baja Sauce a few hours (or even overnight) if you can to give the flavors time to blend.
- Use a slaw mix that is coarsley chopped. This is what we use for our Summer Slaw recipe.
- Warming the tortillas briefly in a hot skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet at medium-high) gives them a slight bit of crispiness - so good for tacos!
- Partially assemble the tacos for "make your own taco" night. I put the slaw on the bottom (or lettuce) to keep the tortillas from getting soggy and then top with fish. Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the fish. Then let everyone add their toppings at that point.
Variations
We already talked about the various methods of cooking fish and the types of fish. But you can also make your blackened tacos with steak like Blackened Ribeye Steak, or with Chicken. This grilled blackened chicken recipe is perfect for tacos and these Blackened Shrimp Bowls are delicious!
Make the tacos as spicy as you like by varying the amount of blackening seasoning you add. You can also vary the amount of Sriracha used in the Baja Sauce. If you have someone who can't take any heat at all they may want to use a milder topping like sour cream.
Topping ideas for blackened tacos
- Slaw mix (use the coarsley chopped type)
- Jalapeno Slices - raw or pickled
- Fresh cilantro
- Radish slices
- Queso Fresco or cotija cheese (feta can be substituted)
- Lettuce
- Sour Cream
- Your favorite salsa
- A squeeze from lime wedges
- Diced red onion
- Black beans
- Pico de Gallo
- Whatever you like!
FAQ's
Any firm fish that is well seasoned will be good. We recommend grouper, mahi mahi or red snapper.
This is usually considered a spicy dish, but the amount of spicy heat can be toned down. You can vary the toppings, the spicy ingredients in the seasoning (like using very little cayenne pepper) and the amount of topping used.
Typical toppings are cabbage (or slaw mix), sliced jalapenos, cilantro and a sauce like Baja Cream Sauce, but you can add whatever you like.
Storage
We do not recommend storing fish tacos assembled. You can, however, store the various components separately. The fish will keep in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
What to serve with fish tacos
All on their own these are the ultimate fish tacos and will be your family's new favorite! If you want to add a few items to the menu we recommend the following:
- Spicy Mexican Rice
- Hot Corn Dip with Cream Cheese
- Low Calorie Mexican Dip
- Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)
- Smoked Queso Dip (no Velveeta)
- Any of these Poblano Pepper Recipes - there are 15
📖 Recipe
Blackened Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 flour tortillas
- 2 pounds fish fillets cut into 1 inch strips
- 3 Tablespoons Blackened Seasoning or your favorite Creole seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ fresh lime for squeezing on fish
For the Baja Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Stir ingredients together for Baja Sauce and set aside. Refrigerate is it will be more than 30 minutes before serving.
- Pat the fish pieces dry with paper towels and then brush with oil. Sprinkle seasoning on all sides and pat.
- Cook fish on the grill, in a hot skillet, or in the oven until done and fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Warm the tortillas individually in a medium high skillet or stacked and wrapped in the microwave or oven.
- Assemble tacos with fish, a squeeze of lime juice and any additional toppings desired. Finish with a drizzle of Baja Sauce.
Notes
- Low carb/keto tortillas may be used
- Any firm white fish like mahi mahi, grouper or red snapper may be used
- Blackened Seasoning recipe may be used, or store bought Creole or Cajun seasoning.
- If warming tortillas in microwave, wrap in paper towels. If warming in oven, wrap in aluminum foil.
- Full list of suggested toppings can be found in recipe post.
Nutrition
Sandwiches, Wraps, & Tacos
- Chicken Salad with Apples and Pecans
- Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno-Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
- Oyster Po'Boy Recipe
- The Spicy Southerner Sandwich with Fried Green Tomatoes, Spicy Pimento Cheese, and Bacon Bourbon Jam
- Lettuce Wraps with Grilled Chicken
- Rotisserie Chicken Salad - Buffalo Style
- Pimento Cheese Stuffed Burger Sliders
- Fish Tacos with Baja Sauce
Kerri says
So light and flavorful!