Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

These Fish Tacos are made with cod that's lightly breaded and pan fried until crispy. They're topped with a cabbage cilantro lime slaw!

Tacos come in many shapes and forms - the combinations of meats, vegetables, and toppings are endless. If you're a taco aficionado like me, you probably love em' all. These Pan Fried Fish Tacos are among my favorites.

When I think of fish tacos, I usually think Southern California or somewhere with a coastline. But, living in a landlocked state like Minnesota is not going to keep me from enjoying these things.

Fish tacos are best when prepared simply using fresh ingredients and bright flavors. This recipe is prepared with white fish such as cod and topped with a flavorful cilantro lime cabbage slaw.

The fish is lightly coated in a flour mixture flavored with spices such as chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder and then pan fried in a skillet until crispy.

These tacos are topped with a crunchy slaw made with a creamy dressing and are perfect garnished with some avocado, fresh veggies, and hot sauce. They're savory, earthy, tangy, and a little spicy all at the same time.

Jump to:

• What Fish Is Best For Tacos?
• Ingredients For Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
• How To Season Pan Fried Fish Tacos
• How To Make Fish Tacos
• How To Make Cilantro Lime Slaw
• Can The Coleslaw Be Made Ahead Of Time?
• What To Serve With Fish Tacos
• How Long Do These Tacos Last In The Fridge?
• Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

What Fish Is Best For Tacos?

When it comes to fish tacos, it's important to choose a quality variety of fish with a mild flavor and firm texture holds up to the cooking process. The best choices for tacos include varieties of firm, flaky white fish such as cod, halibut, Mahi Mahi, grouper, or haddock.

Fresh fish is best if you can find it, but frozen fish works as well as long as its thawed and thoroughly patted dry.

I do not recommend oily varieties of fish such as salmon or trout for this recipe as they don't hold up well to the process of being breaded and pan fried.

In Minnesota, we don't have things like freshly caught halibut or Mahi Mahi, but we do have things like freshly caught walleye (be sure to check out these Breaded Walleye Fingers and Pan Fried Walleye Sandwich). And luckily, I have a talented fisherman brother who loves to catch it.

If you ever have a chance to try fresh Minnesota walleye, I highly recommend it. It's a nice, clean tasting fish that's firm and easy to work with. If you don't live in Minnesota and have a talented fisherman brother, fear not.

I have made this recipe using both walleye and cod and find both to be delicious. Cod is more widely available and unless you are visiting Minnesota, probably the better choice.

Ingredients For Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 2 lbs. Firm White Fish (such as cod, haddock, halibut, or walleye)
• 1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend (or regular AP flour if not gluten free)
• 2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• ½ tsp. Pepper (split)
• 4-5 Tbsp. Avocado Oil (or other high heat oil such as safflower or peanut oil)
• 1 lb. bag Coleslaw Mix (or 8 cups of chopped cabbage)
• ¾ cup Sour Cream (full fat)
• ¼ cup Mayo
• 2-3 cloves Garlic
• 1-2 Jalapeno Peppers (remove seeds for less heat)
• 3 Tbsp. Lime Juice (equals 1-2 large limes)
• 1 cup Cilantro
• Corn Tortillas (can use flour tortillas if not gluten free)
• Toppings such as Avocado, Tomatoes, Hot Sauce (optional)

How To Season Pan Fried Fish Tacos

When it comes to fish and seafood it's best to keep things light and fresh. I like to accentuate the natural flavors and textures without overpowering them with heavy spices or over-complicated cooking techniques.

This recipe is gluten free and the fish is lightly coated in a seasoned flour mixture made with a gluten free flour blend along with spices like chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder, kosher salt and pepper. Feel free to use regular AP flour if gluten is not an issue for you.

Once the fish is coated in the flour mixture, it's pan fried in a skillet with oil until it's slightly crispy and golden brown. Pan frying the fish provides great texture and flavor while keeping it on the healthy side.

When cooking fish, it's important that it's patted dry with paper towels before frying (this is especially true if the fish was frozen and thawed). If there is too much water in the fish, it will steam and become slightly rubbery instead of crispy and golden brown.

1. The first step when making these fish tacos is to cut the filets into pieces that are relatively the same size and thickness (this helps to ensure that the fish all cooks evenly).
2. Once the fish is cut into pieces, thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels. Try to get the surface of the fish as dry as possible so that it sears nicely and doesn't become rubbery or watery when fried.
3. To make the coating, combine 1 cup of gluten free flour blend into a bowl or shallow dish (or AP flour if not gluten free ), 2 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. each of garlic powder and onion powder, ½ tsp. of kosher salt and ¼ tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Stir until completely combined.
4. Place a few of the fish filets into the flour mixture and toss until completely coated (feel free to turn the fish over a few times). Set aside.
5. Repeat with the remainder of the fish filets, making sure that each one is evenly coated in the flour mixture.
6. Make sure to discard any extra flour mixture.

How To Make Fish Tacos

Once the fish filets are thoroughly coated in the flour mixture, it's time to pan fry them in a skillet.

• I find that frying the fish in batches using a large skillet works best so that there is enough room between them to properly cook.
• A large cast iron skillet works great for pan frying the fish as it distributes the heat evenly, which allows the fish to cook at the same rate.
• When pan frying fish, It's important that the skillet is hot so that the fish fries properly. If the skillet is too cool, the fish will absorb the oil instead of frying and will become greasy.
• It's best to use an oil with a high smoke point such as avocado, safflower, or peanut oil so that the oil doesn't burn or become smoky as the fish fries in the skillet.
• Make sure that the fish is fully cooked, but make sure not to overcook it. Overcooked fish may become rubbery and unappealing. The safe internal temperature for fish is 145 degrees Fahrenheit and may be checked using a food thermometer.
• Once the fish hits the skillet, only flip it once or twice. Fish is delicate and may fall apart if it is constantly flipped with a spatula.
• Add 1-2 Tbsp. of oil for each extra batch of fish so that it doesn't stick to the surface of the skillet.

1. Place a large skillet (a cast iron skillet works great) on the stove top and heat to medium-high.
2. Add 2 Tbsp. of avocado oil (or any high heat oil) to the skillet and allow it to become hot (the fish should sizzle as it hits the skillet).
3. Carefully place a few of the coated fish filets into the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side.
4. Carefully flip the fish using a spatula and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side. Once the fish is fully cooked (the safe internal temperature for fish is 145 degrees Fahrenheit and may be checked using a food thermometer) and the surface is golden brown, remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Add another 2 Tbsp. of oil, allow to heat through, and place another batch of fish filets into the skillet, repeating the process. Cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side, remove from the skillet and set aside on a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt.
6. Repeat the process (adding more oil each time) until all of the fish is cooked.

A Few Tips

• Cooking times may vary depending on the variety of fish and the thickness of the fish filets. If the fish is thinner, it may take less time to cook.
• Some of the coating may stick to the skillet. This may happen if using a gluten free flour blend.

How To Make Cilantro Lime Slaw

This cilantro lime coleslaw is an excellent compliment to the pan fried fish. The slaw and the fish are equal players in this recipe and I highly recommend not leaving it out.

This slaw is all about the dressing. It's made with a combination of creamy sour cream and mayo, jalapeno peppers, tangy lime juice, garlic, and lots of cilantro.

You can customize the flavors a bit according to how spicy you like it. Being that I am from Minnesota (the land where black pepper is considered "too spicy" by some), I like to keep the spice level low.

I find that one jalapeno pepper (with seeds and membranes removed) provides just the right amount of spice, but if you're accustomed to more spice feel free to use more peppers.

Remember that most of the heat from jalapeno peppers resides in the seeds and membranes and it's important to remove them if you don't care for spicy slaw.

If you taste the dressing and find that the spice level is to high simply add more sugar to calm the spiciness down.

1. To make the dressing, place ¾ cup of full fat sour cream, ¼ cup mayo, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 1-2 jalapeno peppers (remove seeds and membranes for less heat), 3 Tbsp. lime juice (equals 1-2 large limes), ½ tsp. of kosher salt and ¼ tsp. pepper, and 1 cup of fresh cilantro into a food processor or blender.
2. Pulse until the dressing is smooth and creamy. Adjust to taste as needed.
3. Pour a 1 lb. bag of coleslaw mix (or shred 8 or so cups of cabbage) into a large bowl.
4. Drizzle some of the dressing over the shredded cabbage and stir until combined. Continue until the coleslaw is dressed to your liking (there may be extra dressing).

Any extra coleslaw dressing can be used as a dip for veggies or drizzled onto roasted veggies, tacos, or any Southwest dishes.

Feel free to store extra coleslaw dressing in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Can The Coleslaw Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes, this cilantro lime slaw can be made the day ahead or a few hours before needed and stored in the refrigerator. Make sure to cover it with plastic wrap and stir before serving.

Alternately, you can make it right before serving.

For this coleslaw, you can keep things easy and use a 1 lb. bag of coleslaw mix, or shred the cabbage yourself. If shredding the cabbage yourself, shred or grate 8 cups of green or red cabbage or a combination of both.

Any extra coleslaw may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Feel free to use as much or as little of the coleslaw dressing as you like.

Love coleslaw? Check out these recipes!

• Kohlrabi Slaw
• Blue Cheese Coleslaw
• Chipotle Coleslaw
• Light Crunchy Coleslaw
• Asian Cabbage Slaw

What To Serve With Fish Tacos

These Fish Tacos are gluten free, so they're served on corn tortillas, but feel free to use flour tortillas if gluten is not an issue for you.

Serve the pan fried fish on warmed tortillas with a generous amount of the cilantro lime slaw. Feel free to garnish the tacos with additional toppings of choice. I love to serve them with sliced avocado and hot sauce.

Here are some ideas for additional taco toppings:

• Avocadoes
• Guacamole or Roasted Poblano Avocado Sauce
• Pico de Gallo
• Salsa
• Sliced Radishes
• Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese
• Hot Sauce
• Pickled Onions

There is no wrong way to make a taco and the toppings available are endless so I say pile it on.

When it comes to side dishes, this Cheesy Spanish Rice, Southwest Black Bean Corn Salad, Southwest Pasta Salad, pinto beans, or charred corn salad are all great options.

How Long Do These Tacos Last In The Fridge?

Fish and seafood are best eaten fresh, so I recommend enjoying these tacos right away or within a day or two.

Any leftover fish may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day, but keep in mind that it will lose any crispy texture.

Any leftover coleslaw may be stored in an airtight container for in the fridge for 2-3 days. The coleslaw is delicious on its own, as a side, or used to top sandwiches or burgers.

I do not recommend freezing the fish or the coleslaw.

Love tacos? Check out these recipes!

• Air Fryer Fish Tacos
• Air Fried Shrimp Tacos
• Barbacoa Tacos with Chipotle Slaw
• Chipotle Chicken Tacos
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos
• Sweet Potato Tacos with Avocado Salsa
• Roasted Veggie Tacos
• Cajun Shrimp Tacos
• Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

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