Fish Tacos

Ingredients

Fish & rub

• 1 lb tilapia fillets (frozen is fine)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, canola, or vegetable)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt

Lime slaw

• 4 cups shredded cabbage (one bag)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• Pinch of salt

Crema

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Pinch of salt

To serve

• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 avocado (or guacamole), sliced
• Cotija cheese, crumbled
• Pickled or fresh jalapeño
• Mango salsa, lime wedges, hot sauce (optional)

References

Pan

Ripping hot, ~3 min per side

Thaw

Cold water 30–45 min, or fridge overnight

Doneness

Opaque through, flakes with a fork

Total time

20 min (plus thawing)

Serves

4 (8 tacos)

Directions

1. If frozen, thaw 1 lb tilapia in its sealed bag in a bowl of cold water for 30–45 minutes, changing the water once halfway. (Or thaw in the fridge overnight — never on the counter.)
2. Make the crema: whisk ½ cup sour cream with 1 tbsp lime juice and a pinch of salt. Chill until serving.
3. Make the slaw: toss 4 cups shredded cabbage with 2 tbsp lime juice, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
4. Pat the fish really dry with paper towels — this is the most important step for a good sear. Combine 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp salt, and season both sides of the fillets.
5. Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a pan over medium-high until ripping hot. Sear the fish about 3 minutes per side, until opaque through and it flakes easily with a fork.
6. Warm 8 corn tortillas in a dry pan or over a flame. Flake the fish into pieces.
7. Build the tacos: fish, slaw, a drizzle of crema, then avocado, crumbled cotija, and jalapeño. Finish with mango salsa, a squeeze of lime, and hot sauce to taste.

Variants & Notes

• Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt in the crema — tangier and a little lighter.
• Tilapia is mild and flaky; cod or mahi-mahi work the same way. Skip salmon here — too rich and oily for tacos.
• Frozen white fish is often as good as fresh (flash-frozen at peak) and much cheaper.
• Use a neutral oil, not olive — the higher smoke point means a hot pan won't get smoky and burn.
• Don't skip the cumin. It's the warm, earthy background note that makes it taste like a fish taco; a little goes a long way.