Easy Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw that 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!
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!
Watch how easy it is to make Grilled Fish Tacos!
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.
{Recently I joined Sitka Salmon Shares which is like a CSA but with wild Alaskan fish instead of boxes of veggies. Each month they deliver a box of high-quality wild-caught fish. I’ve really been enjoying it! To receive a $25 discount, enter “FAH” as the discount code. }
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!
To make the fish tacos on the grill, pre-heat the grill and stir together the quick spice rub, seasoning the fish or tofu.
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.
Grill up the fish and/or tofu and squeeze with lime. Warm up the tortillas on the grill too.
Then quickly assemble the grilled fish tacos, adding avocado or grilled onions if you like. Place the fish in the taco shell, and top it with the crunchy, cool Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw.
Keep these grilled fish tacos lean and light – or, for extra richness add this Mexican Secret Sauce (there is a vegan version too) or this delicious Peruvian Green Sauce!
Both taste great on the tacos, but for the record, the tacos taste great without them too.
Easy Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw…..a delicious and healthy weeknight dinner that comes together in 30 minutes flat.
Serve these up with Mexican Street Corn !
And if you like these fish tacos, try these flavorful Chipotle Fish Taco’s with Fresh Peach Salsa or these Caribbean Shrimp Tacos with Mango Slaw.
Happy cooking!
xo
Related! 20 Mexican Recipes for Cinco De Mayo!
PrintGrilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw
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.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: main, vegan, fish, tofu
- Method: grilled or baked
- Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients
- 1–2 lbs grillable white fish ( tilapia, red snapper, mahi-mahi) or 1 pound extra firm tofu
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
Garnishes: Lime wedges, Avocado slices, Chipotle Mayo ( vegan adaptable) and cilantro sprigs or try this Green Sauce
Instructions
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. ( See notes for oven or stovetop version)
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.
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.
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 by placing fish in the tortillas, top with cabbage slaw and optional avocado slice. Garnish with lime and cilantro.
Drizzle with the optional ( but delicious) Chipotle Mayo if you like.
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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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!
★★★★★
I was looking just for a quick fish taco slaw recipe & came across this, and wow! A keeper! Slaw was light & flavorful, spice rub (on local Maine halibut) was on point, and the add’l chipotle sauce (w vegan mayo) was a great addition. Will make again, and check out your other ideas!
★★★★★
Loved this recipe! I made extra slaw, so glad I did. I hD to make a few adjustments (very slight) for my weight watcher meal. Thank you, I’m always up for new recipes for WW, so it doesn’t get boring. Loved this recipe. Thank you. ?
Love this recipe- and especially the taco slaw! So easy but so much flavor.
★★★★★
First time trying fish tacos. Wanted to for few yrs. Found this recipe that seemed easy enough. Felt like fish had way too much seasoning, better salt n pepper. Wasn’t crazy about the slaw. Kind of bland. Too much cilantro. Not a big fan. But I did eat two.
This is a delicious dinner! We made it with tilapia using the rub which grilled the tilapia to make it very tasty. The Secret Mexican Sauce was a wonderful addition to the small street fish tacos along with the Mexican Slaw. We gave the slaw about 3 hours to meld together. A great choice.
★★★★★