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You know those dinners that feel like way too much work for a Tuesday? This isn’t one of them. These tilapia fish tacos come together fast, but they don’t skimp on flavor.
We’re talking seared tilapia with a smoky kick, a crisp chipotle-lime slaw, and a creamy sauce that pulls it all together. And the whole thing’s ready in under 30 minutes. Weeknight win.
Here’s Why This Fish Taco Recipe Works
The slaw pulls double duty: Crunchy cabbage + creamy chipotle dressing = texture and flavor in one quick mix.
Tilapia keeps it simple: Pan-seared in under 10 minutes with a golden crust and tender, flaky inside.
Chipotle adds the smoke: Just one pepper in adobo gives a little heat and a lot of depth.
Assembly’s the easy part: Layer it all into warm corn tortillas (or flour, if that’s your thing), and dinner’s basically done.
Recipe Tips
Don’t overdress the fish taco slaw: Start light and add more if needed. You’re going for crunch, not coleslaw soup.
Hot pan, short cook: Let the skillet preheat before adding the fish, and don’t poke it. Leave it alone so it can get that golden crust.
Warm your tortillas: A quick toss in the skillet (or even the microwave) makes them soft, bendy, and a whole lot nicer to eat.
Chop the veggies fine: Smaller pieces layer better, so your tacos don’t fall apart with every bite.
Craving more fast weeknight dinners? These shrimp fajitas are loaded with flavor and come together in a flash.
Or cozy up with a bowl of Instant Pot taco soup. All the Tex-Mex flavor, none of the hassle.
Tilapia Fish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw
These chipotle fish tacos earn their spot in your dinner rotation with bold flavor, fast prep, and zero boring bites. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a win on a weeknight and still holds up at a weekend gathering. Grab a lime wedge and dive in.
Want another twist? Try our fish tacos with pomegranate slaw.
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Tex-Mex Fish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
For the Slaw
- 1 head Chinese Napa cabbage, shredded
- 1 to 2 large carrots, shredded
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
- ½ jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
For the Slaw Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1 fresh lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch ground white pepper
- 1 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, mashed
For the Tilapia:
- 4 Tilapia fillets , 4 to 5 ounces each
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
To Assemble:
- 4 flour tortillas
- Cilantro sprigs
- 1 to 2 fresh limes, sliced in quarters
Instructions
- Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, onion, peppers and cilantro to a medium-size mixing bowl.
- In a separate dish, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, salt, pepper and chipotle.
- Mix a few tablespoons of the dressing with the cabbage mixture, adding additional dressing a tablespoon at a time just to moisten the ingredients, being careful to not make it sloppy wet. Reserve the remaining dressing in a dish. Set the slaw aside while cooking the fish.
To cook the Tilapia:
- Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a skillet or griddle, set over medium heat, add the oil and when it is hot but not smoking, add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. It may be necessary to cook the fish in two batches for easy flipping. As the fish is cooked, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any oil.
To assemble the tacos:
- Warm the tortillas in the skillet or microwave, place one tortilla on each of four plates, a teaspoon of the reserved chipotle sauce to the bottom half of the tortilla. Place a fish fillet on the sauced portion of the tortilla and add 1/2 cup of the slaw over the top of the fish, spreading it out. Garnish the taco with sprigs of cilantro and add fresh lime wedges to the plate. Pass the dish of reserved dressing to be added as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I’ve pinned your fish tacos. They look and sound terrific.
Hi, Karen….Thank you for pinning, these tacos are delicious!
I’ve gotten to the point where every time I put something in a pan to brown, I set the timer to 5 minutes so I won’t flip it too soon. I’m always wanting to peek and see how it’s doing, which just doesn’t work. And in the case of fish, I don’t care that much if the second side is all that brown — j just the side that will show in the dish. Anyway, fish tacos are such a great invention, aren’t they? Yours look awesome — thanks.
Thanks, John!