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These Baked Fish Tacos are everything you love about classic fish tacos -- just lightened up and made weeknight-easy. Flaky, flavorful fish topped with a crisp, bright slaw and a creamy chipotle sauce with just the right kick. No breading. No frying. And on the table in about 30 minutes.
Looking for more flavorful ways to serve fish? Don't miss Baked Salmon, Lemon Butter Cod, and Blackened Mahi Mahi.
Kristen's Keys for Fish Tacos
There are good fish tacos and there are great fish tacos. For 5-star results, pay attention to the following key tips.
- Be sure your fish is fully defrosted before baking. This ensures it bakes evenly and stays moist and flaky.
- A fresh lime is key. Use the zest in the seasoning for the fish to add bright, concentrated flavor that balances the spices. Then squeeze the juice into the slaw for a fresh, tangy bite that ties everything together.
- Bake the fish on parchment paper. It helps protect the delicate fish from sticking to the sheet pan and makes cleanup a breeze.
- Don't skip the toppings. The slaw it is a simple sauce that takes minutes to make and adds incredible flavor to the tacos.
5-Star Reader Review
I was never a fan of fish tacos till now!!! We love these. The slaw is so yummy, even the next day!! And the sauce, WOW!! Totally awesome!!! -Darlene
Ingredients Needed
- White Fish Fillets: White-flesh flaky fish, like Mahi mahi, tilapia, cod, or haddock, are best fish for making fish tacos.
- Fish Taco Seasoning: The rub for the fish is made with everyday spices (think taco seasoning) and lime zest.
- Slaw: Made with shredded cabbage, red onions, cilantro, and lime juice.
- Fish Taco Sauce: Made with mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt to lighten the dish even more), lime juice, and the liquid from canned chipotles.
- Tortillas: Use your favorite tortilla to serve these fish tacos. Corn tortillas are traditional, but flour tortillas are my typical go-to.
Money-Saving Tip
You will only use a small amount of chipotles in adobo. Portion out the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, replace them with Sriracha sauce.
How To Make Baked Fish Tacos
While the fish bakes, prep the slaw and sauce. Once this fish is cooked, everything comes together seamlessly to deliver an easy healthy dinner with far more flavor than the effort it took.
Step One: Season & Bake Fish
Combine the lime zest chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture over each side of the fish fillets.
Place the fish on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and drizzle lightly with oil. This will help to keep the fish moist and juicy.
Bake until the fish is opaque and the fish flakes easily.
Step Two: Prepare Toppings
After popping the fish into the oven, prepare the slaw by mixing shredded cabbage with onions, cilantro, salt, lime juice, and a bit of oil in a medium mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate while the fish finishes baking to allow time for the slaw to break down slightly.
Next, move onto the sauce. Combine the mayo (or yogurt) with chipotle sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Step Three: Assemble Tacos
Assemble the tacos by placing the fish on top of warmed or toasted tortilla. Top with fresh slaw, and a dollop of chipotle sauce. Serve immediately. And be prepared to enjoy!😉
try Something New
Vary the Toppings
While the slaw and chipotle sauce are delicious accompaniments to these fish tacos, you can change up the flavor if desired with one of the following topping options:
- Pineapple Mango Salsa: For a sweet and slightly spicy finish.
- Street Corn Salad, Corn Salsa, or Black Bean Corn Salsa: Bulks up the tacos and adds texture.
- Guacamole or Sour Cream: For a rich and creamy finish.
So many great options to make these fish tacos new and exciting!
Storage Instructions
Fish tacos are best served immediately after preparation, as fish can dry out after it has been refrigerated and reheated. That said, I have some tips in case you find yourself with unintended leftovers.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the slaw, sauce, and fish in separate airtight containers for up to 48 hours.
- Reheat: Reheat by placing the fish in a dry skillet and heat over medium heat until warm. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the heated fish and serve with slaw and sauce.
- Leftover Slaw and Sauce: If you are out of fish but have leftover slaw and/or taco sauce, put either to good use by making shrimp tacos or cauliflower tacos.
More Favorite Taco Recipes
From classic beef tacos to buffalo chicken tacos to these baked fish tacos, tacos are a staple on our weekly meal plan. And with so many delicious varieties to choose from, you will NEVER tire of them! Check out a few more favorites below:
Healthy Baked Fish Tacos
Video
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 24 oz firm white fish fillets, tilapia, mahi mahi, cod, or haddock
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Rub
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or regular paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
For the Slaw
- 3 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage, see note
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Chipotle Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise or Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon sauce from canned chipotles in adobo sauce, see note
To Serve
- Corn Tortillas, see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, pepper, and lime zest together.
- Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and then coat with spice mixture. Place on the prepared sheet pan and drizzle the fish lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- While the fish is in the oven, prepare slaw by combining shredded cabbage, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate while the fish finishes cooking.
- For the sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise with lime juice, garlic powder, chipotles in adobo sauce in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate while the fish finishes cooking.
- Remove the fish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. After resting, cut or flake into bite-size pieces.
- Serve the fish on warmed tortillas. Top with slaw and chipotle sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2026.
I made these tonight for my fish taco loving husband and me. Very delicious! Thank you so much!
I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed! THank you for sharing.
Hey! Just wanted to let you know I made your fish tacos for my mother last night and she LOVED THEM!! (she had 3!!...n she's 83 years young!) SO KUDOS AND THANK YOU!! for such a delicious easy lite refreshing dinner!! Kat
I love hearing your mom enjoyed so much! Thanks for sharing, Kat!
Excellent! My family wants me to make this every time we bring home Walleye from fishing!!
I love hearing that! What a great use for fresh fish!
I was never a fan of fish tacos till now!!! We love these. The slaw is so yummy, even the next day!! And the sauce, WOW!! Totally awesome!!!
YAY! I am so happy to hear this recipe made you a fan of fish tacos! Thanks for sharing Darlene.
I made this with frozen cod - thawed in the fridge overnight. My son had never had fish tacos before. He thought it sounded weird, but really enjoyed it and said it was very tasty and flavorful. He especially liked the chipotle sauce; i loved the slaw. Served leftover slaw with chicken the next day. (There was no fish leftover) The flavors had faded overnight, so I added more lime juice & oil
Winner, winner, taco dinner!
It's true: these are the BEST fish tacos!!
They taste like high-end restaurant quality. I used almond flour tortillas (Siete brand) and they turned out delicious.
Thanks so much Beth!
Made this for dinner with some striped bass we had in the freezer from a fishing trip and they were sooo good! Love the slow and the chipotle sauce, yum! We added wild rice pilaf and avocado and used flour tortillas. Will definetly be making this again!
I love hearing this Amy! Thanks for taking the time to share!