Our light and refreshing Grilled Fish Tacos are perfect for a simple weeknight dinner in those warm, summer months! Made with perfectly grilled tilapia, fresh salsa, and a creamy slaw. This amazing fish taco recipe is going to be on repeat as a healthy dinner option at your house too!
The Best Grilled Fish Tacos
Our whole family loves enjoying some simple grilled tilapia for dinner and turning them into fish tacos is one of our favorite ways to enjoy it! We highly recommend enjoying them with our mango salsa and shredded cabbage that is tossed in a simple white sauce, but feel free to swap out for your favorite toppings. It all comes together in a matter of minutes to create a fun spin on your classic Taco Tuesday. Can’t wait for you to fall in love with these delicious light and bright flavors, just like we have!
Looking for More Fish Taco Recipes?
If you love fish tacos as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Salmon Tacos!
What You Will Need
- mango & avocado – fresh fruits that are the perfect compliment to the grilled fish.
- red onion – a mild onion that brings great flavor and bright color.
- chopped cilantro – one of our favorite fresh herbs that always brings the best flavor.
- jalapeño – a great addition to add just a little bit of heat without a lot of spice.
- lime juice – added to the fresh salsa and slaw for that acidity that helps to amplify all the other flavors.
- kosher salt & black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must!
- mayonnaise – pick-up your favorite store-bought option from the grocery store for that creamy base that mixes with the slaw.
- white wine vinegar – just a splash for a bit of tang in the taco slaw.
- shredded cabbage – we used store-bought angel hair cabbage to keep it simple but feel free to shred green cabbage, purple cabbage, or a combination.
- tilapia fillets – love this wonderful white fish, but you could also use cod fish or another fresh white fish.
- butter & garlic – these combine to make an amazing garlic butter that goes on top of the fish during the cooking process.
- tortillas – highly recommend using small street taco flour tortillas, but you can also use gluten-free tortillas, corn tortillas, etc.
How To Make Grilled Fish Tacos
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to gather and prep all of the simple ingredients. All of the cabbage slaw ingredients can be mixed together in a separate, small bowl.
Toss all of the mango salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix to fully combine.
Now bring your gas grill to a medium-high heat and place a large piece of tin foil or grill mat on the grates. Coat the top of the foil with a nonstick cooking spray and place the seasoned fish fillets on top. Cook fish for about 2.5 minutes, flip with a large spatula, add some garlic butter, and let them finish cooking for another 2 minutes.
Then it is time to build the fish tacos on your favorite type of warm tortillas. Garnish these tilapia fish tacos any way you want and enjoy!
Best Way To Serve Grilled Fish Tacos
We highly recommend keeping your easy grilled fish tacos light and refreshing. In the recipe card we have included instructions for a mango avocado salsa and a simple slaw. Feel free to also enjoy with some homemade tartar sauce, cilantro, and lime wedges for that squeeze of fresh lime juice. And if you are looking for a side dish to make a complete meal, we suggest some homemade guacamole with tortilla chips!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- What kind of fish is best for fish tacos? We used large pieces of fresh tilapia, but any type of flaky white fish would work here. A few recommendations would be fresh cod, mahi mahi, or halibut.
- Other taco toppings: sour cream or Greek yogurt, mango pineapple salsa, hot sauce, fresh pico de gallo, green onion, fresh tomatoes, etc.
Storage
These grilled fish tacos with cabbage slaw are best enjoyed right away, but if you do have leftovers the taco pieces can be stored in a separate airtight container and enjoyed the next day.
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Other Taco Recipes You Might Like
Grilled Fish Tacos
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 36 minutes
- Yield: 12 street tacos 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
A perfect Grilled Fish Taco recipe with grilled tilapia, fresh homemade mango avocado salsa and cilantro lime slaw!
Ingredients
Mango Avocado Salsa:
- 1 1/2 cup mango, diced
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, minced
- 1 avocado, diced
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
Cilantro Lime Slaw:
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 cups angel hair cabbage
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- pinch of kosher salt
Grilled Tilapia:
- 4 tilapia fillets
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- for serving: lemon wedges and tartar sauce
Other Taco Ingredients:
- street taco flour tortillas (sub gluten-free option)
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- fresh lime wedges
Tools Needed:
- heavy duty aluminum foil or a grill mat
- fish spatula
Instructions
- Make Salsa: Combine Mango Avocado Salsa ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and add additional salt, lime or cilantro – as desired. Set aside.
- Make Slaw: Add mayo, lime juice and white wine vinegar to a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Add cabbage, cilantro and pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Taste and add additional salt, lime or cilantro – as desired. Set aside.
- Prep Grill: Ensure grill grates are clean and preheat grill to 400-450 degrees F.
- Prep Foil: If you are using aluminum foil – take a large piece to create a little grill mat out of it by folding up the sides. Ensure it is big enough to hold all of your fish fillets.
- Prep Tilapia: Place tilapia fillets on a plate or baking sheet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Make Garlic Butter: combine butter and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Grill Tilapia: Place aluminum foil on the hot grill and place the fish fillets (flat side up) over direct heat. Close the grill. Let cook approx. 2 minutes 30 seconds. Open the grill and use a fish spatula to gently flip the fish over. Place a dollop of garlic butter on top of each fillet and close the lid again. Let the fish cook for approx. 2 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked.
- Build Tacos + Serve: Transfer fish to a plate and let cool slightly. Flake fish apart into small, bite-sized chunks. Build a taco by placing a street taco tortilla on a plate, top with some slaw, then fish chunks, and then some salsa. Top with a little extra cilantro and fresh lime juice, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: to make this gluten-free use a gluten-free tortilla (reg. or street taco size).
- Other Fish: you can definitely switch up the type of fish you use here, but I would recommend sticking with a lighter white fish that doesn’t have TOO strong of a natural flavor. Cod fillets would work really well too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 208
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 423.8 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Protein: 11.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25.4 mg
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