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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?
- Make the pickled red onion per our recipe.
- Make crema per our recipe.
- Soak the shredded cabbage in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Prepare all toppings in advance.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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Baked Fish Tacos
Baked Fish Tacos have lightly fried corn tortillas filled with seasoned baked cod and a variety of light and healthy toppings.
Ingredients
Crema (make four hours in advance of recipe)
Pickled Red Onions (make in advance and cool)
4 cups Napa cabbage, shredded fine
1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 pounds thick filets of cod or haddock. (Thick cod filets are called Captain’s cut)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less or more depending on your heat tolerance)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
18 six-inch corn or flour tortillas
Kitchen pan spray
2 limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Make the crema and pickled red onions in advance. Chill for several hours.
- Shred the cabbage fine and place in a bowl and cover with warm tap water. After 15 minutes, drain, refill and soak 15 minutes more, then drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray a baking dish or sheet tray with kitchen pan spray and lay out the fish. Brush with the butter and oil mixed, then sprinkle on the salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and coriander.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sections of the fish flake when pushed.
- While the fish bakes, heat a skillet or saute pan over high heat. Spray both sides of the 18 tortillas lightly with kitchen pan spray and heat in the hot skillet for about 30 seconds on each side to become soft and pliable. Keep warm in a foil pouch.
- If preparing and serving, line up warmed tortillas in a serving platter, each leaning against the next. Place cabbage on the bottom of each tortilla, followed by the fish, then top with pickled red onion, cotija cheese, cilantro, avocado and crema. If you are letting guests make their own, lay out warmed tortillas in taco holders and serve with the platter of cooked fish with the shredded cabbage and all the other toppings on the side. (Keep extra warmed tortillas in a foil pouch. Just fold a large piece of foil in half and fold the edges to create an envelope.)
- Serve lime wedges on the side.
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I intend to try this recipe later this week, however, I just had to comment on how beautifully you have displayed the fish tacos!!! I am sure they will be as tasty as they are attractive!!! Love your site!!!
Thank you so much Judy – hope you love the tacos!