These Easy Tilapia Fish Tacos are loaded with fresh ingredients, perfectly seasoned plump fish, and a spicy-smoky chipotle crema. This bright and satisfying fish tacos recipe isn’t just delicious and nutritious. It’s also ready in about 20 minutes, making it the perfect recipe for your next Taco Tuesday.

3 Easy Tilapia Fish Tacos served on a wooden table topped with picked red onions and fresh sliced jalapenos.

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Why I Love This Recipe

Fish tacos are a favorite in our house year-round, but I’m particularly fond of them during the Lenten season. Having a quick and easy recipe in my back pocket for busy weeknights is a must.

This tasty tilapia tacos recipe is made with just 12 basic ingredients and the toppings of your choice — all in under 25 minutes. These tacos are loaded with fresh veggies, perfectly seasoned, plump fish, and spicy chipotle crema for a perfectly balanced meal. It’s a light, bright, feel-good meal that the whole family is sure to love.

You might remember my Lemon Butter Fish recipe. Sure, you can eat the tilapia as an entrée on its own, but I like to take it over the top by slicing it up and serving it as a filling for tacos. Try it for yourself; I have a feeling you’ll love it!

Four pieces of raw tilapia fillets ready for cooking.

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you don’t need a ton of ingredients to make these easy fish tacos. Here’s your shopping list:

  • Tilapia Fillets: Feel free to sub in any other firm white fish like paiche, swai, mahi mahi, or cod.
  • Salted Butter: You can also use unsalted butter and add a pinch more salt. Feel free to swap in dairy-free butter if needed.
  • Paprika: I used regular sweet paprika, but you can use hot paprika for extra spice or smoked paprika for a smokier experience.
  • Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper: For seasoning.
  • Lemon: You’ll need the zest and juice, so grab a few while you’re at the store.
  • Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: These spice aisle staples bring big flavor with little effort.
  • Olive Oil: Your regular cooking oil will be just fine here; no need to grab the expensive cold-pressed finishing oil!
  • Mexican Crema: Sour cream or Greek yogurt can also be used.
  • Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce: Canned chipotles in adobo sauce are super flavorful. Feel free to freeze any leftovers for the future!
  • Toppings of Choice: When it comes to fish tacos it’s all about colorful and crunchy garnishes like pickled red onions, grated carrots, creamy avocado slices, purple cabbage (or my Spicy Coleslaw For Fish Tacos), sliced jalapeños, and fresh cilantro; feel free to pick and choose your favorites or use what’s in your crisper drawer.  The creamy chipotle fish taco sauce is a must. Oh, and don’t forget some homemade corn tortillas to hold all the tastiness in!
Applying dry taco spice rub on tilapia fillet by sprinkling from a height.

How To Make Tilapia Fish Tacos

These tilapia fish tacos with cabbage come together in almost no time at all. Here’s how they’re made:

Step 1: Make Lemon Butter Sauce: In a small bowl, combine melted butter with olive oil and sea salt, lemon juice, and zest. Stir to combine.

Step 2: Make Fish Taco Spice Rub: In a separate bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Evenly sprinkle spice mixture onto both sides of fish fillets.

Step 3: Pan-Fry Tilapia: Heat oil in a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat until hot. Working in batches as needed cook each fillet 3 to 4 minutes per side, or just until the fish becomes opaque, feels somewhat firm in the center, and is browned. Lightly drizzle some of the lemon butter sauce as you cook, reserving the rest for serving.

Step 4: Make Chipotle Fish Taco Sauce: In a food processor or blender, combine crema, chipotle in adobo and sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice, water, and salt until smooth; transfer to a small bowl.

overhead shot of chipotles in adobo in a white bowl next to a white bowl of completed chipotle fish taco sauce on a wooden cutting board.

Step 5: Prep Tilapia To Serve: Flake fish with a fork into pieces. Drizzle fish with remaining lemon butter sauce.

Step 6: Assemble & Serve: Heat corn tortillas on a griddle. Fill with fish pieces and serve tacos with chipotle cream sauce and garnish with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Optional Variations

These easy fish tacos are pretty great just the way they are, but there’s always room for customization! Here are a few variations to consider:

  • Fried Fish Tacos: Consider dunking the tilapia in a simple beer batter and frying them like in these Beer-Battered Baja Fish Tacos.
  • Grilled Fish Tacos: Don’t want to use the stovetop? Consider grilling your fish in a grill basket instead.
  • Baked or Broiled Fish Tacos: You can also bake and/or broil the tilapia fillets if you prefer!

Expert Tips

  • Buy frozen: More often than not, any fish that you see in the “fresh fish” counter has been previously flash frozen on the boat, then defrosted for display. You’re actually more likely to get fresher fish if you opt for the frozen aisle, where the fish has been consistently frozen throughout the supply chain.
  • How to quickly thaw fish fillets: If you forgot to pull your tilapia out of the fridge this morning, not to worry. Simply place the plastic-wrapped fish fillets in a bowl in the sink and run cool water over them. They should be defrosted within 15 minutes!
  • Cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid overcrowding, which allows for even browning. If you add too many fillets to the pan, the tilapia will end up steaming instead of getting that lovely Maillard reaction we’re looking for.
Taco party board with 4 assembled tilapia fish tacos and plenty of delicious sides and toppings to choose from.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of fish is best for fish tacos?

That honestly depends on your preferences. I have Shrimp Tacos, Cod Fish Tacos, Salmon Fish Tacos, and these Tilapia Fish Tacos on the site because I love them all! Try a few recipes and decide for yourself which fish reigns supreme.

What sides go with fish tacos?

I think rice and beans are always a good option for simple Mexican sides. Try my Mexican Rice (Arroz Mexicano), Salsa Verde Rice, or Cilantro Lime Rice and Slow Cooker Borracho Beans, Instant Pot Black Beans, or Frijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans).

What does tilapia taste like?

To me, tilapia is about as mild of a fish as you can get. It’s light and flaky with an almost sweet quality to the flesh. It’s great at picking up whatever flavors you throw at it, like my lemon butter and chipotle crema in these fish tacos.

Other Seafood Recipes

Lemon butter tilapia tacos beautifully presented on a wooden board.

 

Easy Fish Tacos served on a wooden table

Easy Lemon Butter Tilapia Fish Tacos

5 (2 ratings)
These lemon butter fish tacos are loaded with fresh ingredients and perfectly seasoned plump fish. And don't forget to serve them with my creamy and spicy chipotle crema for a serious flavor boost.
Print Pin Rate
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 firm white fish fillets, about 6 inches long, 1-inch thick (recommend paiche or tilapia)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra to taste
  • zest and juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Chipotle Cream Sauce:

  • 1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Toppings:

  • pickled red onions
  • grated carrots
  • avocado slices
  • shredded purple cabbage
  • sliced jalapeños
  • fresh cilantro
  • shredded cabbage
  • lime wedges
  • lemon wedges
  • corn tortillas

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Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine melted butter with olive oil and sea salt, lemon juice, and zest. Stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
  • Evenly sprinkle spice mixture onto both sides of fish fillets.
  • In a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until hot. Cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid overcrowding, which allows for even browning. Cook each side 3 to 4 minutes just until fish becomes opaque, feels somewhat firm in the center, and is browned.
  • Lightly drizzle some of the lemon butter sauce as you cook, reserving the rest for serving.
  • Drizzle fish with remaining lemon butter sauce.
  • In a food processor or blender, combine crema, chipotle in adobo and sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice, water, and salt until smooth; transfer to a small bowl.
  • Flake fish with a fork into pieces.
  • Heat corn tortillas on a griddle. Fill with fish pieces and serve tacos with chipotle cream sauce and garnish with toppings of your choice.

Notes

Nutrition facts do not include tortillas or toppings. 
Expert Tips:
  • Buy frozen. More often than not, any fish that you see in the “fresh fish” counter has been previously flash frozen on the boat, then defrosted for display. You’re actually more likely to get fresher fish if you opt for the frozen aisle, where the fish has been consistently frozen throughout the supply chain.
  • How to quickly thaw fish fillets. If you forgot to pull your tilapia out of the fridge this morning, not to worry. Simply place the plastic-wrapped fish fillets in a bowl in the sink and run cool water over them. They should be defrosted within 15 minutes!
  • Cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid overcrowding, which allows for even browning. If you add too many fillets to the pan, the tilapia will end up steaming instead of getting that lovely Maillard reaction we’re looking for.
Calories: 242kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 728mg, Potassium: 139mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 967IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Yvette Marquez
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Photography by Jenna Sparks
Originally published: April 2019.