These DELICIOUS Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw can be made using a grill, stovetop or oven! Vegan and gluten-free adaptable (sub tofu for the fish!) this fast, easy and healthy dinner comes together in under 30 minutes! Watch the 45-second video!
These easy, Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw are one of our “go-to” meals that is not only light and healthy- but can be made in under 30 minutes. (Vegans, substitute delicious tofu for the fish!)
What I love most about these grilled fish tacos is how adaptable and versatile they are! These can be cooked on the grill, on the stovetop or even baked in the oven. AND they are perfect for mixed households where both vegans and non-vegans live in the same house!
How to make Fish Tacos!| 45-second video
Ingredients in Fish Tacos:
- Fish: tilapia, mahi-mahi, red snapper, black cod, seabass or even shrimp! ( or sub tofu!)
- Spice Rub: chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, chipotle powder, (or smoked paprika) salt and sugar
- Slaw: Cabbage, lime, cilantro, jalapeno, salt
- Tortillas: Typically made with flour tortillas, but a blend of flour and corn works well too.
- Pick a Sauce: Chipotle Mayo (aka Mexican Secret Sauce), Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) Vegan-Adaptable, Vegan Cilantro Crema, Fermented Hot Sauce, or Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
- Toppings: Cotija Cheese, cilantro, lime, avocado
Best fish for Fish Tacos:
Choose firm, flaky, white fish which are light, mild, and will hold up well on a grill or on a grill pan.
- tilapia
- mahi-mahi
- red snapper
- wild Alaskan cod
- black cod
- sea bass
- catfish
- Shrimp
How to make fish tacos:
Step 1: It starts with the flavorful spice rub. Stir together the simple flavorful spice rub, and season the fish on both sides.
Step 2: While the grill is heating up, mix up the tasty Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw.
Either chop the cabbage or buy a pound of pre-chopped cabbage in a bag. Add, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and fresh lime juice and toss.
This taco slaw keeps well and like I said before, gets even better the next day.
Step 3: Grill the fish, or use a grill pan on the stove. Squeeze with lime.
Step 4: Warm up the tortillas on the grill too. Feel free to use homemade tortillas or store-bought. I like a blend of corn and flour!
Step 5:
Assemble the Tacos. Place the grilled seasoned fish in the warm tortilla shell, top it with the crunchy, cool Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw, drizzle with a sauce (Chipotle Mayo or Peruvian Green Sauce is nice), add avocado, cotija cheese, or grilled onions if you like.
Serve immediately!
I also love how simple and flavorful they are, while staying clean and lean. Low in both calories and fat, loaded up with healthy slaw, this offers a clean healthy break for the body.
And the best thing, the leftovers can be repurposed into lunch or dinner the next day by creating an easy “buddha” bowl. Add cooked rice or grain to a bowl, and top it with the leftover fish (or tofu) and the Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw- which, by the way, tastes even better the next day!
If feeling fancy, add this Chipotle Mayo (vegan adaptable) to the mix and you have a feast for the senses!
For those of you without a grill, or during the cold months, simply pan-sear the fish or tofu in a little olive oil, or bake them in the oven on parchment paper. Lots of cooking options here!
These Easy Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw are such delicious and healthy meal that comes together in 30 minutes flat.
What to serve with fish tacos:
- Chipotle Mayo
- Mexican Pinto Beans
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Papaya Salad
- Refried Beans! | Instant Pot or Stove Top
- Smoky Mezcal Margaritas
- 30 Fresh & Tasty Mexican Recipes!
Enjoy the fish tacos and have a happy, delicious week!
xo
Sylvia
Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: main, vegan, fish, tofu
- Method: grilled or baked
- Cuisine: mexican
Description
Grilled Fish Tacos topped with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw that can be made using a grill, stove top or oven! Vegan & gluten-free adaptable! Sub tofu for the fish! A fast, easy and healthy dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1–2 lbs firm white fish (tilapia, mahi-mahi, snapper, black cod, catfish) or 1 pound extra firm tofu (4–6 ounces per person)
- 4–6 inch flour tortillas ( or a blend of flour and corn) 2 per person
Spice Rub:
- 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (or sub cayenne and a little smoked paprika)
- for more smoky flavor, add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
Cabbage Slaw:
- 1 pound thinly sliced or shredded cabbage ( green and purple is nice)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, more to taste
- ½ cup chopped cilantro (packed), ½ of a large bunch
- ¼ –½ of a jalapeño, finely chopped, more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice, more to taste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Sauce options: Chipotle Mayo, Peruvian Green Sauce (Aji Verde) Vegan-Adaptable, Vegan Cilantro Crema, Avocado Sauce (Vegan!), Fermented Hot Sauce
Optional Garnishes: Lime wedges, Avocado slices, Cotija Cheese, grilled scallions, Cilantro
Instructions
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. (See notes for oven or stovetop version)
Prep the fish: Rinse and pat dry fish. ( For tofu, read notes below) In a small bowl, stir fish rub spices together. Sprinkle all sides of fish lightly with the spice rub (you most likely will not need all). Set aside.
Make the slaw: Place the shredded cabbage in a medium bowl. Toss with the salt. Add the onions, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil and toss well. Adjust lime, salt, and jalapeño, adding more to taste– you want this to taste tangy and flavorful.
Sauce: Make any accompanying sauce. Chipotle Mayo is nice here- feel free to do this ahead.
Grill: Grease the grill well before placing fish on it. Turn heat to medium. Grill each side a few minutes, letting grill marks develop and use a metal spatula to flip. Cook until the desired doneness and squeeze with a little lime juice.
Then quickly grill the tortillas on the grill, brushing with olive oil if you prefer.
Assemble Tacos: Place fish in the warm tortillas, top with cabbage slaw and and garnishes. Drizzle with the optional ( but delicious) Chipotle Mayo if you like.
Serve immediatly.
Notes
If using tofu, place block of tofu on paper towels and press down gently to release more liquid, patting dry. Cut into 1 inch thick, 3 inch long strips for easier grilling. Coat strips lightly with spice rub, grill on well greased grill or pan-sear the tofu, until crispy, in a little olive oil.
Pan-Sear: This is the easiest and quickest way to cook this recipe. Heat up a skillet coated with oil, and pan sear the spice coated fish or tofu, until golden, crispy and cooked through. Squeeze with lime.
To Bake : If cooking for both vegans and non vegans, you could also place both tofu and fish on a sheet pan in a 400F oven and bake. Coat them both with spices and spray with olive oil. ( Or mix a little olive oil into the spice mix to create a “paste”, then lather all sides up and bake. The tofu will most likely take longer than the fish to get crispy. Plan on 10-15 minutes for the fish and 20-30 mins for the tofu. Place tortillas right on the oven rack to heat up for the last 5-7 minutes of cooking.
The Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw is enough for 2 pounds of fish ( feel free to halve) but I like to make big batch and keep the leftovers – and use on everything ( bowls, sandwiches, wraps, side salad…) during the week.
If your slaw tastes bland- add more lime and salt.
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The cabbage slaw is Amazing! I was skeptical because there are so few ingredients, but my son and I were amazed at how fresh and exciting it tasted.
★★★★★
Made this last night – the fish recipe is pretty standard, but worked well for our tacos.
The cabbage slaw in particular was awesome! Planning to make a big batch of this.
★★★★★
These are great tacos! Made them using halibut. We had leftover spice rub, chipotle mayo and slaw so the next night I made the tacos with shrimp. Loved them both!
★★★★★
This is a very tasty dish. I love the crunch of the slaw with the well seasoned fish. This recipe is my go to recipe for fish tacos and I also like using this recipe with salmon. 🙂
I have made this several times using frozen, wild caught cod fillets. Just heat them in the overnight. I make the slaw and chipotle mayo as directed. We love it and I have even served to guests who raved about it. The slaw is delicious as a side for other dishes.
★★★★★
Thanks Michael- glad you enjoyed this!
Perfecto
★★★★★
I made this for the first time a few days ago with Mahi Mahi and the whole family LOVED it! Even my 1 year old was asking for more of the slaw! I pan seared it on the cast iron for several minutes on each side then squeezed a lime over it during the last minute of searing. I also made the chipotle ‘mayo’ linked on here using sour cream instead of mayo because my son is allergic to eggs. Delicious! Making all of it again tonight per husbands request! Thank you for the great recipe!
★★★★★
I loved it! Talk about flavor! I made fish tacos for my family and it was a hit! Thanks!
★★★★★
This was fabulous! I was craving shrimp tacos so I used some frozen shrimp which I had handy and it was absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to make this again!
★★★★★
A good healthy topping for this dish is to take a cup of low fat geek yogurt, juice and zest of a lime, and 1/4 fresh cilantro. Blend it up into a sauce. Pairs well and brings a nice freshness that brings the whole thing together.
★★★★★
Thanks Mike!
This recipe has become a favorite of mine – I’ve made it once a week for the past 3 weeks. I make a double batch of the seasoning and there are only 2 of us so it goes a long way. I always make the slaw which is easily adaptable for personal tastes. This week I pan roasted to some corn and added the kernels to the slaw. It was pretty and tasty. I have made the chipotle sauce with the actual adobo sauce and with the chipotle powder – we prefer the adobe sauce over the powder. (I use Greek yogurt rather than mayo). Love that this is so easy, quick and tasty.
the recipe is great- particularly the slaw is so light, tangy and delicious! I did not even realize I liked slaw before this … I used mahi mahi and just seasoned with Old Bay and Borsari and with the slaw and some avocados and the sauce it was perfect.
★★★★★
These tacos were delicious. The seasoning for the fish was perfect. I made the Chipotle mayo using Greek yogurt instead of mayo, but other than that, followed the recipe. There are only two of us in the house and I have enough seasoning left over for several more meals. The beauty of the slaw is you don’t have to follow the recipe – just taste and correct depending upon your personal tastes. The slaw goes together in no time and I loved the acid from the lime and the heat from the jalapeno Great meal – and after 15 years of trying to find a fish taco my husband would love – I’ve finally found a keeper! Thank you. Love your blog and
★★★★★
This recipe is amazing! My husband and I have made it a few times now and love it, and we find pan searing some flounder or sole the easiest. I add black beans to the slaw to add more protein, texture, and flavor. We made the chipotle mayo for the first time with it last night and loved it! It is also very nice to have leftover slaw to have as a side with another meal. 😊
★★★★★
Awesome Wendy, great to hear! 🙌
Delicious!!!!
At first I didn’t know what to expect. I’m not a fish taco person nor do I know how to season fish well. This recipe blew my mind. My brother, who also doesn’t like fish tacos, cleaned his plate and said it was better than restaurants. I am a lover now. Thanks!! This will definitely be seen more often on my dinner table.
I did make a cilantro lime crema sauce to top it. Extra delish.
★★★★★
Yay Diane, so happy you both liked this!
Amazing rub for the fish. The side recipes for Slaw and cilantro cream (used tofu) and Mexican secret sauce really make the fish stand out.
This is second time making.
This was excellent!!
★★★★★
Thanks Kelly! Glad you liked.
We made this with fresh caught Walleye, loved the RUB on the fish,
Already planning on making a larger batch of the RUB to keep on hand, The slaw was also very yummy,
Will be doing this again.
I made these tonight. Excellent! Husband really liked them! We made the tacos with the cabbage mango slaw and the green cilantro dressing (both excellent recipes). We used the spice rub on halibut. Also, made homemade tortillas. Would definitely make these again.
I just made this and we loved it . Easy and just right seasonings and spices . It’s going into my permanent file , that you for sharing .
★★★★★
Great tasting fish tacos! We add 1/2-1/3 of the chili powder and omit the chipotle, for our kids taste buds to be happy. this reminds us of our favorite dish while at the Florida coast!
★★★★★
Awesome Sarah- great to hear!
Loved the kick from pepper. I used serrano instead of jalapeno though.
★★★★★
Very easy to prepare. Delicious! Love the cilantro lime cabbage slaw.
★★★★★
Thanks Peggy!
Question – Does the taco calories stat include the tortilla or is it just for the filling (fish and slaw)? Thanks!
Tiffany
Both, filling and one tortilla
There’s a fish & prawn wrap that I loved to get from Borough Market when I lived in London. This recipe is really easy and helps me recreate a meal that was super special to me.
★★★★★
Thanks so much- glad you liked it!
Made the Slaw about a half dozen times and everytime, it’s a big hit. My grandsons always ask for me to make extra. They even used it on their bratwurst sandwiches the next day.
★★★★★
This is so yummy! We will definitely be making this on a regular basis! Made as directed and did add some avocado slices and the Chipotle mayo as suggested. There is extra slaw, but it was great for lunch today – I loved the slaw!
★★★★★
Thanks so happy you enjoyed!!
Deliciousness!
★★★★★
Made these 2 and making them for the third time. All I can say is this recipe is the best.
★★★★★
thanks Char, very appreciated!!!
Excellent!
★★★★★