15-Minute Tilapia Fish Tacos with Corn Salsa — Tons of big flavors in a fast, fresh, and healthy meal!! A clean-eating taco recipe that tastes like comfort food!
Quick Fish Tacos with Corn and Cabbage Salsa
This is an easy, family-friendly tilapia fish taco recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes. You may even change the mind’s of those who say they, ‘don’t like fish’ with these tacos.
The fish is lightly floured and pan-seared for a barely-there crispy crust while retaining a moist, flaky, and tender interior.
Add the fish to the fajita or taco shells, top with cheese right away so it melts a bit, and then add the salsa. It’s a refreshing salsa that’s both creamy from the avocado with lots of crunch from the corn, cabbage, and cucumbers.
It’s a satisfying and healthy dinner at home faster than you can call for take-out!
Tilapia Fish Taco Ingredients
This is a simple, no-frills taco recipe with the best ever cabbage and corn salsa (or slaw, call it whatever you want — it’s delicious!).
For the fish tacos:
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Flour
- Tilapia filets
- Salt and pepper
- Taco shells
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
For the corn and cabbage fish taco slaw:
- Red cabbage
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
- Lime juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Agave (or honey)
Can Another Type of Fish Be Used?
I used tilapia because it’s sustainable, neutral-tasting, and oh yes, cheaper than most. But you may try another white fish, including halibut, catfish, or cod.
How to Make Tilapia Fish Tacos
Making tilapia fish tacos with corn salsa is super easy! Here’s an overview of the recipe:
- Make the salsa: Add all the salsa ingredients to a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Dredge the tilapia in flour, season to taste, then cook in a greased skillet until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the fish from the skillet and warm the taco shells one by one, if desired.
- Slice fish, add to fajita shells, top with cheese, salsa, and serve immediately.
Tips for Making Fish Tacos with Tilapia
I’m a cilantro fiend and use plenty because I love the flavor it adds, but play with the ingredient ratios based on your preferences.
You can make a double batch of salsa and eat it with chips, which is what I do. The vegetables soften as time passes from the apple cider vinegar and lime juice and the flavors marry and it tastes even better.
I love the flavor of tilapia and don’t think it needs much more than salt and pepper, but you’re welcome to use your favorite taco or fajita seasonings on the fish if desired.
What to Serve with Fish Tacos
Serve the tilapia fish tacos with all of your favorite Mexican recipes! Here are some of the fish taco sides that we love:
- Instant Pot Black Beans
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Salsa (Tomatillo Avocado, Pineapple Chipotle, or Restaurant Style)
- Grilled Mexican Corn
- Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Salad
And make sure to wash them down with a 3-Ingredient Margarita or a Mango Pineapple Frozen Margarita.
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15-Minute Tilapia Fish Tacos with Corn Salsa
Ingredients
Salsa (extra is great with chips or make a double-batch)
- ¾ cup red cabbage, sliced thin
- ¾ cup corn, I use frozen that I thaw before adding
- ¾ cup cucumber, peeled and diced
- ½ to 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
- ¼ cup minced cilantro leaves, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoons lime juice, lemon juice may be substituted
- 3 to 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons agave, honey may be substituted, or to taste
Fish
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- flour, for lightly dredging fish
- 2 large tilapia filets, about 1 pound
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fajita or taco shells
- about 1 cup white cheese or a white cheese blend, such as queso quesadilla, oxaca, asadera, Monterrey Jack, etc.
Instructions
Salsa
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl in the order listed, toss well to coat evenly, taste, and make any desired flavor adjustments; set aside.
Fish
- To a large skillet, add the butter, oil, and heat over medium-high heat to melt butter.
- Dredge fish through flour, coating both sides.
- Add fish to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on first side.
- Flip, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes on second side, or until fish is lightly golden browned on both sides and cooked through.
Assembly
- If desired, lightly warm each fajita shell momentarily on a dry skillet over medium-high heat before adding fish.
- Slice fish, add to fajita shells, top with cheese, salsa, and serve immediately. Tacos are best warm and fresh. Extra salsa will keep airtight for up to 2 days, noting that avocados will oxidize and vegetables will continue to soften and release water as time passes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My husband is trying to eat more lean proteins, so seafood has been on the menu a LOT lately. I made these tonight in the dead of winter (ok, so it’s a California winter, but still!) using frozen tilapia from Target, bagged cabbage (pre-shredded), and an avocado from Mexico, which seems to provide CA with a steady supply, even out of our regular spring-summer avocado season. My husband LOVED them and already had me email the recipe to his mom and siblings! One shortcut I often take when it comes to cilantro is substituting paste (I get this one from Albertsons: https://www.gourmetgarden.com/en-us/product/526/cilantro-stir-paste) for the fresh stuff – saves so much time on chopping but gives you the same great flavoring. Thanks for sharing! I look forward to making more recipes from your website. :)
I live in San Diego and it’s as cold now as I want it! It’s definitely ‘winter’! Glad that the recipe came out great for you with the ingredients you used! LMK if you make anything else from my site!
Made these tonight (for the second time!) and they are amazing! Confession: I make extra salsa and eat it like a salad. It’s THAT good! These are easily on the dinner rotation. The first time I made them I didn’t flour the tilapia since I’m also fearful of frying. I can’t believe the difference it made this time-and the fish still turns out light and not heavy at all! Love!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you – both times! And I make extra salsa and eat it like a salad too! :) Great minds!
And yes the very, very light flour coating makes ALL the different. I hate frying in the true sense of the word but this is just giving it that little bit of a wonderful crust that goes so far overall.
I had these ready to put on the table this evening when Jon walked in the door. Sooo good and I’m glad I made extra salsa–I think I could make a meal just out of that (I used a boatload of cilantro)! Really love this recipe!
I loveeeed this salsa too. I made extra and kept dabbling with it and ‘stretching’ it by adding more veggies that I had on hand b/c I loved it so much and didn’t want it to be done :) Glad you loved it like I did and used a boatload of cilantro and that you and Jon enjoyed this one! Thanks for trying it a mere 48 hours after I posted it :) Happy Memorial Day weekend!