Baked Fish Tacos

Baked Fish Tacos have lightly fried corn tortillas filled with seasoned baked cod and a variety of light and healthy toppings.

Baked Fish Tacos for Taco Night

Tacos are a favorite meal at our house, and we like to keep things interesting with different fillings – ground beef, chicken, pork – or Baked Fish Tacos.

Baking the fish – cod or haddock – sprinkled with a variety of spices and seasonings is a simple and healthy choice for Taco Night.

In this recipe, we kept the toppings light too – avocado, pickled red onions, Cotija cheese, Napa cabbage, and a homemade crema – but you can easily change the toppings to suit your family’s tastes.

Why you'll love Baked Fish Tacos

• This is a delicious and healthy meal the entire family will enjoy – plus it’s easy to prepare.
• With a variety of toppings, everyone can make their own tacos to suit their personal tastes.
• Fish tacos are a nice change of pace when you want to serve something different for Taco Tuesday.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Fish – Choose thick filets of cod or haddock for this recipe. When buying cod, you might see the thick filets referred to as “Captain’s Cut” in the seafood case – that center-cut filet is the thickest.
• Unsalted Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Seasonings – Kosher salt, white pepper, paprika, cayenne, and ground coriander.
• Tortillas – Choose six-inch yellow or white corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
• Toppings – Avocado, pickled red onions, Cotija cheese, shredded Napa cabbage, cilantro, and crema, as well as wedges of lime.

Corn Tortilla Cooking Tips

• Anytime you serve corn tortillas, they should be cooked for the best flavor and texture. (Right out of the package, they will be dry!)
• If you deep fry corn tortillas, they will become crunchy. Fold them before they cool to form crunchy taco shells that you can fill or cool them flat and make tostadas.
• For this recipe, we wanted to keep the corn tortillas soft and pliable, as well as enhance the flavor. We lightly fried then in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray. (You can also brush light layers of oil on the skillet instead of using the spray if you prefer.)

Special Tools Needed

• Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
• Saucepan – To prepare the pickled red onions
• Small Bowl and Whisk – To prepare the crema.
• Bowl and Colander – To prepare the Napa cabbage.
• Small Sheet Tray or 9×13-inch Baking Dish – To bake the fish.
• Pastry Brush
• Small Bowl
• Platter and Small Bowls – To toppings
• Taco Holders – Optional but recommended.
• Skillet – To warm the Tortillas.
• Foil
• Fish Spatula/Turner

How do I make Baked Fish Tacos?

1. Make the pickled red onion per our recipe.
2. Make crema per our recipe.
3. Soak the shredded cabbage in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain.
4. Prepare all toppings in advance.
5. Place the fish on a sheet tray or baking dish that has been sprayed with kitchen pan spray. Brush on butter and oil and sprinkle on seasonings, then bake.
6. Warm tortillas by lightly spraying both sides of each tortilla and heating both sides for a minute in a hot pan until lightly browned. (About 30 seconds per side). Remove to foil (fold it into a packet) to stay warm.  If warming flour tortillas, skip the spray or oil and heat in a dry hot pan.
7. If you want to serve the tacos already filled (as shown in our photos) line up the warmed tortillas in a serving dish, each leaning against the next. Place cabbage on the bottom, followed by the fish, then top with pickled red onion, Cotija cheese, cilantro, avocado and crema.
8. If you are letting guests make their own, lay out warmed tortillas in taco holders and serve with the platter of cooked fish and all the toppings on the side.
9. Serve with lime wedges.

More Cooking Tips

• Crema takes about four hours to set up and thicken. Prepare this in advance or the day before. It sets up at room temperature. Sour cream can be substituted in a pinch but the crema adds a nice bright flavor and creaminess.
• If you can’t find Cotija cheese, a cow’s milk famer’s cheese would suffice. Cotija cheese is similar in texture to feta, only with cow’s milk. It is a little salty but brined like feta.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I make Baked Fish Tacos ahead of time?  Everything can be prepared in advance, but wait to bake the fish and warm the tortillas until close to serving. Note that the crema should be made in advance, so it has time to thicken.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store refrigerated for up to two days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? Heat the fish in the microwave and add to a warm tortilla with toppings on the side.

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You might like these other Taco Recipes:

• Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
• Tacos al Pastor
• Ground Beef Tacos
• Grilled Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Click here for more delicious Mexican Recipes!

See the Recipes

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