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Home » Gluten Free

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce

July 15, 2014 by Morgan 157 Comments

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Blackened #Fish #Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. These were some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! This recipe uses tilapia, but you can also try it with salmon, catfish, or whatever your heart desires! You can't go wrong with this #recipe. | hostthetoast.com

I come from a family of avid taco lovers.  We eat tacos of some sort at least twice a week (in fact, we had tacos last night), and every single week, when I ask my brother what I should make for the blog, he tells me to make tacos.

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. These were some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! This recipe uses tilapia, but you can also try it with salmon, catfish, or whatever your heart desires! You can't go wrong with this recipe. | hostthetoast.com

 

The only thing that rivals my family's love of tacos is their love of fish of any kind.  I'm the odd (wo)man out there, though, because fish usually just ain't my thang.  I'll eat sushi, I'll eat mollusks, and I really do love crustaceans, but I'm very, very picky with fish.

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. These were some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! This recipe uses tilapia, but you can also try it with salmon, catfish, or whatever your heart desires! You can't go wrong with this recipe. | hostthetoast.com

A few weeks ago, we had three birthdays in my family-- my mom's, my brother's, and my aunt's.  I asked what they wanted to celebrate their special days, and of course they decided on Fish Tacos.

They're very predictable people.

So I decided I'd make some Blackened Fish Tacos and throw on some Avocado-Cilantro Sauce, because everything tastes better with avocado.  I figured I wouldn't be a huge fan, because uhm, fish.

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. These were some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! This recipe uses tilapia, but you can also try it with salmon, catfish, or whatever your heart desires! You can't go wrong with this recipe. | hostthetoast.com

But I was wrong.  These were some of the best tacos I've ever had!  Am I allowed to say that without sounding full of myself?

Probably not, but I'll say it again anyway.  This time with added emphasis.

THESE WERE SOME OF THE BEST TACOS I'VE EVER HAD.

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. These were some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! This recipe uses tilapia, but you can also try it with salmon, catfish, or whatever your heart desires! You can't go wrong with this recipe. | hostthetoast.com

The fish was so flavorful and spicy, but the heat was mellowed out by the slaw and creamy avocado dressing.  All together it was just a ton of amazing tastes and textures, but so light and perfect for a hot summer's day spent by the pool (which, trust me, is exactly how my family spent the remainder of the day).

Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. These were some of the BEST tacos I've ever had! This recipe uses tilapia, but you can also try it with salmon, catfish, or whatever your heart desires! You can't go wrong with this recipe. | hostthetoast.com

If you're a fish taco fan, you've got to give these a try!  Even if you aren't, you might be converted to one like I was and then find yourself eating 4 of these tacos shamelessly as your family rushes to grab some before you devour them all.  Or something like that.

Buuuuut before you dig in, make sure you take a photo to commemorate what will become your favorite fish taco recipe. Tag it on Instagram with #hostthetoast so I can see 'em with all the fixins!

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Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Sauce


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 19 reviews

  • Author: Morgan
  • Yield: 6
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Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Blackened Fish:

  • 1.5 lbs tilapia fillets
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 12 corn tortillas

For the Slaw:

  • ½ red cabbage, sliced thin
  • ¼ green cabbage, sliced thin
  • ½ medium-sized onion, diced
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime

For the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce:

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of your tilapia fillets, and then rub the seasonings in.
  2. Combine all of the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well-combined.
  3. Combine all of the Slaw ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  4. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the tilapia (a few at a time if you can't fit them all at once). Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the outside is blackened and the fish flakes apart easily.
  5. Remove the fish from the heat, and if desired, warm the corn tortillas in the same skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side.
  6. Break up the tilapia into 2-3" pieces. Stack the tortillas in twos. Distribute the fish evenly between the 6 sets of tortillas, and top with Slaw and Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. Serve.

Notes

Blackening spices are very fragrant, so turn on your overhead fan while you cook the fish.

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Comments

  1. Millie l Add A Little says

    July 15, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    These look SO amazing!! I LOVE tacos too and I'm especially keen on fish tacos! I love the spices you've put on them!
    http://youtube.com/addalittlefood

    Reply
    • Donna says

      January 09, 2016 at 5:09 pm

      These are awesome! I added pickled red onion and it added an amazing sweet note, absolutely delicious (plus the ruby red purple color was pretty, too)

      Reply
    • Kay says

      February 02, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      Can I just say that these are the most amazing fish tacos I've ever had the privilege of tasting?

      Seriously people, suspend your fears and doubts about this recipe, get in your car, pick up the ingredients and make these now!

      The flavors are incredible! I am allergic to dairy so I substituted mayonnaise for the sour cream, but everything else was to the letter.

      Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe. 5+ stars!!!

      Reply
      • Peggy says

        May 05, 2018 at 7:15 pm

        You can use avocado cilantro lime yogurt dressing redimade also

        Reply
      • Melissa says

        October 11, 2018 at 5:35 pm

        Agreed! I add a little fresh pineapple or mango salsa to this recipe, too. Do yourself a favor and make these amazing tacos.

        Reply
  2. Kate @ ¡Hola! Jalapeño@ says

    July 17, 2014 at 6:56 am

    Gorgeous! You always have such delicious, simple recipes that make me actually WANT to cook dinner! Pinned.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 17, 2014 at 10:30 am

      Aw thank you Kate, I'm glad to hear it!

      Reply
      • Kimy says

        June 05, 2015 at 5:05 pm

        Can I cook the tilapia on a George Foreman/ Griddler instead of a pan?

        Reply
        • Morgan says

          June 05, 2015 at 5:28 pm

          I've never tried it but I don't see why not!

          Reply
      • Rick says

        August 02, 2016 at 12:33 pm

        Yes, you can use the Foreman grill, it add cool grill marks..

        Reply
  3. Zeus says

    July 17, 2014 at 3:05 pm

    Your fish tacos appears to be imaginative and delicious. I would like to try it using snapper or mackerel. I hope you would let me know if it is not appropriate.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 17, 2014 at 6:01 pm

      Thanks! If you give snapper or mackerel a try, please let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  4. Trevor says

    July 17, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    Hey, these were great! I know everyone likes their own thing, but all of that acid in the lime juice needs some sugar! If you add honey or any sugar to that slaw it's amazing!! Your results may vary. 🙂 Thank you very much for the recipe.

    Trevor

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 18, 2014 at 9:33 am

      No problem Trevor! I think the sugar or honey would be a great addition to balance out the acid in the slaw. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
      • Angie says

        August 26, 2017 at 11:32 pm

        I made these for a get together tonight-I did add sugar to the slaw-it was perfect. I used cod for the fish- wow! I found Mexican sour cream-the avacodo sauce-wow #2!

        Reply
  5. Carrie Pacini says

    July 19, 2014 at 8:37 am

    They look like the best tacos ever. Wow.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 21, 2014 at 9:54 am

      Aw thank you, Carrie! They were great. Hope you have a chance to give them a try sometime!

      Reply
  6. Heidi says

    July 22, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    do you think making the sauce the day before would cause it to brown at all?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 22, 2014 at 3:49 pm

      Most likely. I haven't ever tried doing that, but I would think that the avocado would brown overnight. If you can possibly wait until the day of, I recommend it. If not, store in an air-tight container and leave out the salt until the next day (salt makes it oxidize quicker). I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Kerri says

        August 30, 2015 at 4:10 pm

        Putting the avocado pit in the sauce will help keep it from browning also. Just pull it out before you serve 🙂

        Reply
    • Dominique says

      April 26, 2015 at 6:09 am

      poure Some lime juice in the advocado sauce, it Will keep the fresh shape, and not turn Brown!!!

      Reply
  7. Kate says

    July 25, 2014 at 12:49 pm

    Wow, these look fantastic! Beautiful food styling, too. It's hard to make tacos look good! I'm mostly vegetarian but eat fish on occasion. We're opposites when it comes to seafood—I only like fish!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      July 25, 2014 at 1:11 pm

      Thanks, Kate! I bet you could also make these really good with chickpeas instead of fish if you wanted a vegetarian version =)

      Reply
  8. Heather says

    August 01, 2014 at 10:46 am

    Excellent recipe!!! Love the combination of spices on the fish! And the avocado sauce is to die for! Super easy, tasty and healthy! Will be making this again!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 01, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks for the nice comment =)

      Reply
      • Crystal says

        April 16, 2015 at 5:37 pm

        I just wanted to let you know that I had left over sauce and after refrigerating it in a sealed container it was still perfect the next day. I think the lime kept it from turning brown. Great recipe, it is now our go to for fish tacos. The sauce was also a delicious addition to a seven layer bean dip. Thanks for sharing it!

        Reply
  9. Victoria says

    August 03, 2014 at 9:31 pm

    I made these this evening with swai we had in the freezer instead of tilapia. So easy, filling, and absolutely delicious! The slaw and sauce definitely added a fun and sophisticated touch. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  10. Natalie says

    August 11, 2014 at 2:11 am

    Made this with some fresh caught rockfish my mom's friend brought back from a fishin trip, and they turned out so so so so good and they looked beautiful too!! Thanks 🙂 http://instagram.com/p/ri3ddjkXhd/

    Reply
  11. stephanie says

    August 13, 2014 at 10:58 am

    For the coleslaw did you leave them raw or pour hot water over them for a couple of minutes to let them cook

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 13, 2014 at 1:21 pm

      I left them raw, but if you prefer the coleslaw cooked, I'm sure that would be good too! =)

      Reply
      • Stephanie says

        August 13, 2014 at 7:41 pm

        Thank you, trying this recipe tonight, wish me luck 🙂

        Reply
  12. pachess says

    August 15, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    i was wondering if i can use stake or ground beef for the Blackened Fish??? would it also taste good???

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 15, 2014 at 2:29 pm

      I wouldn't use the ground beef, but you could make steak tacos and blacken the steak!

      Reply
  13. Michele says

    August 24, 2014 at 8:58 pm

    Sooooo delish! My hubby has always said yuck when I mention fish tacos. But I convinced him to give your recipe a try since it had a lot of ingredients that I knew he liked, avocado, cilantro, jalopeno. He even made me do beef for a backup in case he didn't like it. He took one bite of the fish and was raving, said A+++ love it. Made a fish taco lover out of him. Thanks 😀

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      August 25, 2014 at 9:39 am

      I'm so glad to hear that, Michele! =) I wish that would work with my boyfriend... he hates seafood. Sigh. Maybe one day I'll be able to convince him to give these a try! =P

      Reply
  14. Mirta says

    August 25, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    Delicious!! My family said I must make this recipe again! My son wasn't very eager to give them a try but once he did he said I love this sauce!

    Reply
  15. Andreea says

    September 03, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    These were delicious! I've hybridized them into a fish-burger-taco-wrap-thing and it was still delicious! 🙂

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      September 03, 2014 at 3:14 pm

      Thanks, Andreea! How did you do that? I'd love to try a different spin on these sometime!

      Reply
  16. Mercedes says

    September 09, 2014 at 10:11 pm

    DELISH! Just finished inhaling these but instead of flour tortillas I used a toasted italian hero. Everything was prepared to recipe and I used the Avocado - Cilantro sauce as a spread. Definitely an addition to my menu. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Mercedes says

      September 09, 2014 at 10:13 pm

      *corn tortillas

      Reply
  17. Tara says

    October 04, 2014 at 11:58 pm

    These were really good. We found a great spot in North Lake Tahoe about 4 years ago that made the best fish tacos. We asked about the recipe and of course they wouldn't share. This one actually comes really close... maybe even closer if I'd had all the ingredients 😉 So, I used cod (as I think any white fleshy fish will do)... and I thought I had cumin... nope. I also didn't have cabbage but had some lettuce so although I know it's really not the same I used it for the "crisp-fresh" aspect of the taco. Everything else was by the letter. SUPER easy and very tasty. Looking forward to trying it as actually written- bet it's even better!

    Reply
  18. mira says

    October 05, 2014 at 3:16 pm

    These look delicious and I love the sauce idea! Would try to make blackened fish the exact same way! Great pictures 🙂

    Reply
  19. Charlotte says

    October 06, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    I made these yesterday for Sunday lunch/dinner. I loved the seasoning on the fish!!! It was spot on and absolutely delicious. I've never made blackened fish myself before, and was surprised at how easy it was! For anyone who's also new to this: 1) don't disturb the fish once you place it in the hot oil, the seasoning can fall off the fish pretty easily. 2) Have a plate ready for your cooked fish nearby so that you don't accidentally flip the delicious fish onto the ground... Please learn from my mistake.

    I wasn't really a fan of the slaw or sauce though, unfortunately. The combination of the sour cream and lime juice in the sauce just made it far too acidic/sour. (I also didn't have a full avocado and my limes might have been bigger than what you used). My suggestion would be to make the sauce as is with no lime juice, then add honey and lime juice to taste as you go. The slaw wasn't really my sort of thing, but I'm not a huge fan of raw white onions and the lime juice was overwhelming. I will absolutely be using your fish seasoning again, but next time I'll probably just garnish the fish tacos with some mango, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and a little bit of lime juice. Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 06, 2014 at 3:23 pm

      I think your salsa sounds great as well! You definitely need the full avocado for the sauce or it will taste wonky, but I'm totally on board with mango and avocado salsa to switch things up next time =)

      Glad you enjoyed the fish!!

      Reply
      • Amber says

        September 08, 2021 at 6:42 am

        Do you recommend the corn tortillas over flour tortillas? Or is either fine?

        Reply
        • Morgan says

          September 13, 2021 at 6:22 pm

          You can use whatever type of tortillas you prefer! 🙂

          Reply
  20. Julie says

    October 14, 2014 at 8:53 pm

    Dang! These were so good, thank you for sharing your recipe! We don't do grains, so skipped the tortillas, and ate as a "bowl" over fried plantain. Even my kid who does NOT like fish, had seconds and has requested to make again 🙂

    Reply
  21. Jen Hames-Beliveau says

    November 24, 2014 at 5:21 pm

    I didn't have a chance to make the slaw or sauce and ended up using just some basic guacamole and some chopped tomatoes mixed with cilantro. But the fish seasoning was killer - best fish tacos I've ever made. Will have to try the rest of the recipe next time. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      November 24, 2014 at 5:25 pm

      I'm happy to hear it, Jen!!

      Reply
  22. Amanda Gomez says

    December 17, 2014 at 9:42 pm

    LOVE these fish tacos and the sauce!! This is my go to recipe for bomb homemade fish tacos

    Reply
  23. Tom says

    December 28, 2014 at 10:59 pm

    These were the best fish tacos I've ever had. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Can't wait to make these again!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      December 29, 2014 at 9:23 am

      That's awesome to hear, Tom!

      Reply
  24. Marcie says

    December 29, 2014 at 7:31 pm

    i made these tonight for my family! We all have it thumbs up and goes in the "make again" file! Per another comment, I added a little fine sugar to the slaw to balance the acidity of the limes. I also just used a little bit of red onion in the slaw instead of a whole white onion. The only major problem is that I didn't make enough fish!!! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  25. michelle H says

    January 09, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    This was recipe was super easy and full of flavor! Great post. I will also try the blackened steak but use venison too! What a fun time! THANKS!

    Reply
  26. margie says

    January 09, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    These were grand! We used Mahi Mahi since it was on hand. Made the full recipe of avocado-cilantro sauce. After two days the sauce is still bright green. Storing it in fridge with saran tight over the top! Thanks for a great low calorie recipe!

    Reply
  27. Sarah says

    January 23, 2015 at 11:16 am

    I made these last night. My husband and I loved it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      January 23, 2015 at 12:13 pm

      Yay! Love to hear that, Sarah!

      Reply
  28. Darlene says

    January 23, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    Made this last night and it was a hit! My fiancé loves seafood and I'm the one just coming around to it but we both REALLY loved these tacos.

    My only question, is that supposed to say a 1/2 Cup of red cabbage and 1/4 cup of green? Because I used 1/2 and 1/4 of full cabbages and it made so much slaw that I thought I might have gotten it wrong.

    Either way, great recipe! We're definitely going to be making this again.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      January 23, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      I'm glad to hear that the recipe was a hit! As far as the cabbage goes, I used 1/2 of a red cabbage and 1/4 of a green cabbage, but it may just be that your cabbages were larger than the ones I used! The red cabbages at my local grocery store are quite small.

      Reply
  29. Susan Highland says

    February 03, 2015 at 11:37 am

    Got leftover avocados from Superbowl party guacamole. Have all the ingredients here except the slaw. Being from Southern California, you can not leave out lime or it's not a fish taco! Lime makes the dish! The comments about adding sugar to the lime... It's just wrong!

    I hadn't thought of making an avocado creme. We usually just buy crema (Mexican cream) at the grocery, add lime juice, and that's our sauce, but since I've got avocados nice and ripe, going your way tonight!

    Sending hubby to pick up some cabbage, and I'm making these tonight! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
  30. Bryan McLean says

    February 18, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    The dish was amazing and easy. I used Mahi instead of Talipia.

    Also...will you marry me so I can eat your cooking every day?

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 18, 2015 at 5:06 pm

      I'm glad that you liked it =) Buuuut I am not single so the best I can do is share my recipes with you, haha.

      Reply
  31. Camille says

    March 01, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    I happened upon this recipe on Pinterest and I'm SO glad I did! I made these for my boyfriend and I on the weekend and he said they're the best tacos (fish or not!) he's ever had. They are so full of flavour and so quick and easy to put together! Thanks so much! YUM

    Reply
  32. Warren says

    March 08, 2015 at 10:42 pm

    The avocado - cilantro sauce was great. I like mahi mahi over tilapia and I added finely chopped ginger to the slaw, Thanks for the recipes,

    Reply
  33. Maria says

    April 01, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    Thank you for this recipe!!! It was delicious!!! Perfection 🙂

    Reply
  34. delila says

    April 12, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    I accidentally stumbled onto your recipe and I am so excited. They were fun to prepare and I didn't tweak a thing, other than adding a little bit of corn to the slaw. My boyfriend said, "This is the best thing you've ever cooked." I'm always cooking something fun and that was the best compliment I could've hoped or. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      April 12, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      That is awesome to hear, Delila! =) Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  35. felicia says

    April 13, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    we just ate these, had west coast wild caught salmon
    instead of talapia but everything else exact!
    the blackened spice was perfect and my family
    devoured the avacado sauce. would make this
    dish again and again 🙂

    thank you ♥️

    Reply
  36. lisa says

    April 16, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    I made this and it was INSANE!! OMG it was so delicious!! Thank you!!

    Reply
  37. Amanda says

    April 19, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    Made these tonight and omg. My husband and I both agreed these were the best fish tacos we'd ever had! Thanks for this amazing recipe!

    Reply
  38. jaime says

    April 21, 2015 at 12:45 am

    all talapia are farm raised...do you a suggestion for wild caught fish that would work here?

    Reply
  39. Andrea says

    May 02, 2015 at 5:18 pm

    Easy and delicious! I added shredded green apple to my slaw. Family loved them.

    Reply
  40. Abby Larson says

    May 15, 2015 at 10:06 am

    Making these tonight for a big crowd! Do you think you could bake the fish or broil it so that you didn't need to play watch guard at the stove? Is the flavor dependent on the caramelization from cooking in a skillet or on a grill? Trying to adapt for a party vibe. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      May 15, 2015 at 10:28 am

      This post from 101 Cooking For Two does a great job of explaining how to make blackened tilapia in the oven!

      Reply
      • KAP says

        July 05, 2023 at 4:26 pm

        Alternatly try this:
        evenly sprinkle seasoning mix over both sides of tilapia.
        Lightly drizzle fish with olive oil and dot each piece with butter. Bake at 375 for 20-25 min. To brown edges, broil for 3-5 minutes at the end if desired.
        I, personally, leave out the butter.

        Reply
  41. Erin says

    May 18, 2015 at 9:04 pm

    I have made these twice now, and they are amazing! Normally I alter recipes, but I did not need to with this one!

    Reply
  42. Aleksa says

    May 19, 2015 at 11:44 pm

    I am a very inexperienced cook, as in, I recently learned how to make mac and cheese lol. I thought I would give this a go, as it just looked so good. It took me nearly two hours to prepare, probably because I had to keep googling things like how to cut cabbage, how to chop and seed a jalapeno, etc. However, it was worth the time and effort. I felt like I was in a restaurant when I ate this. Truly an amazing recipe, and I am not very fond of tilapia, or avocado, for that matter. I was very impressed with this, and will not hesitate to make it in the future, it was just so good. Thank you for posting this recipe.

    Reply
  43. michelle says

    May 23, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    No time to take a picture, they were putting together and eating these as fast as we could get the fish out of the fry pan! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!

    Reply
  44. Audrey says

    June 13, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    Soooo amazing! I didn't have tortillas so I ate the slaw like a salad, with diced tomatoes and no onion. Substituted Greek yogurt for sour cream and served the sauce on the side of the fish. I used mahi mahi. The fish seasoning and avocado cream combo was addictive: let's just say I didn't eat much else this week and my mom is sick of hearing about how amazing this was. Can't wait to make these again, this time as the intended tacos.

    Reply
  45. Kali says

    June 23, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    This was awesome!!! So delicious and easy. Will definitely be making it again soon!

    Reply
  46. Grace says

    June 25, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    Can't wait to make these tonight! Any suggestions for side dishes that will compliment these? Let me know!

    Reply
  47. Tara says

    August 06, 2015 at 7:05 pm

    Amazing recipe omg. We just made these for dinner I add hot sauce and seasoning salt to the mix delicious. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  48. Stephanie says

    August 09, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    I've been meaning to leave a comment. These tacos are fantastic!! They have become a staple at my house, having made them several times this summer since finding the recipe on Pinterest. The whole family absolutely loves them. I really love the cilantro sauce.

    Reply
  49. Julie says

    August 11, 2015 at 8:27 pm

    I made the BLACKENED FISH TACOS WITH AVOCADO-CILANTRO SAUCE this week and we loved them! Followed the recipe to a tee. Every instruction was spot on. Flavors were delicious! We'll make these again!

    Reply
  50. Guy Harvey Magazine says

    September 30, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    Hi Morgan, Love the recipe and the blog, posted a link to it on our website! Thank you!

    Reply
  51. jen says

    October 27, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    Hi Morgan-

    In the recipe heading, the recipe calls for 3/4 cup of coriander. However, when I fully click into the recipe, there is no coriander mentioned in the ingredients or step-by-step directions. Does this recipe include coriander or no? Just want to make sure they taste as good as yours!

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      October 27, 2015 at 5:27 pm

      Hi Jen, I'm not sure if this clears up any confusion, but coriander is another word for what is more commonly called cilantro in the US. I'm not sure where you're seeing "3/4 cup of coriander" (maybe on an externally linked site?) but yes, you're going to want to use 1/2 cup in the slaw and 1/4 cup in the sauce =) Hope that helps!

      Reply
  52. Kat says

    November 29, 2015 at 9:58 am

    These are absolutely killer!! Every piece of the recipe was perfect. I did however add more lime and a bit of jalapeno to the slaw and let it sit for a while to give it a spicy pickled flavor. My husband was very impressed and both of our eyes rolled in the back of out heads upon the first bite! Total foodgasm! Thank you so much for sharing this and I can't wait to make it again!

    Reply
  53. Cassie says

    December 03, 2015 at 10:34 am

    These look amazing!! Does anyone have some good side dish ideas for this meal?

    Reply
  54. Melissa says

    December 28, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    Can we substitute the tilapia for salmon???

    Reply
  55. Laura says

    December 31, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    I've made these once (so far!) and everyone loved them. Tonight for New Year's, I'm making them into nachos using blue corn chips, a little Monterey Jack cheese, the blackened fish, and the avocado sauce (which is delicious and amazing, just like the blackening spice mix), then a little crumbled Mexican cheese. I'm sure they'll be a hit and I thank you for the wonderful recipe.

    Reply
  56. Stephanie Danielson says

    January 18, 2016 at 8:17 am

    Excellent recipe! This is going to be my "go to" recipe moving forward! We live in Florida where fish tacos are very popular, but according to my husband, the flavor of these tacos exceed all of the best restaurants in town!

    Reply
  57. Erin says

    January 21, 2016 at 9:52 am

    This is hands-down the best fish taco recipe out there. I have made this recipe countless times, and always get rave reviews. I use non-fat greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and the sauce is still fantastic.

    Reply
  58. - Đối với mở cửa trong: mép trong của khung bao cách mép trong của tường 8mm. - Đối với mở cửa ngoài: mép ngoài của khung bao cách mép ngoài của tường 88mm. - Đối với cửa trượt (cửa đi hoặc cửa s says

    January 26, 2016 at 8:40 am

    Ridiculous story there. What happened after? Take care!

    Reply
  59. Rosario says

    February 02, 2016 at 2:21 pm

    Loved this recipe especially the sauce my husband loved the sauce, I did a baked tilapia and it was delicious!

    Reply
  60. Angie W. says

    February 09, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    I would use just about any fish EXCEPT tilapia. Cannot do it AT ALL. But they sound tasty using any other kind of fish, preferably my fresh-caught rockfish or halibut.

    Reply
  61. Liza says

    February 16, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    Just wanted to say...these are so GOOD. Like, seriously. Greetings from a German foodie (and fish taco lover). 🙂

    Reply
  62. Stephanie says

    February 23, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    Not a big fan of Avocado...what can I substitute?

    Reply
  63. Donna says

    February 26, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    These were over the top delicious!!! Amazing blending of flavors. And I'm not a big fish fan either. I served with a side of Nopales salad (nopales, diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime & cotija) and it was a fabulous meal. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
  64. Cait says

    March 04, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Can I use vegetable or olive oil instead of canola? Seems a bit of a waste to buy a big thing of oil for 2 tablespoons..

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      March 07, 2016 at 8:51 am

      Either would be fine! =)

      Reply
  65. Michelle C says

    March 29, 2016 at 10:04 pm

    Hi Morgan,
    I know it's been a while since you posted this recipe but I just came across your blog today. Weird because I am an avid reader and love blogs for cooking ideas and all of my household cleaners, soaps, butters, pretty much anything with products with chemicals went in the trash years ago and I make all of my own. I am from New Orleans where the Blackened fish was very first made by chef Paul Prudhome who recently passed away so we like our food spicy. I will definitely be making these. I make my version of bang bang shrimp tacos so I bet using shrimp blackened would be phenomenal also. I have access to all the fresh caught fish and seafood so Tilapia will be a no no. I don' t buy or eat farmed fish but any flakey mild white fish would work as well as the salmon I saw someone else had used. Also the Salmon should be wild caught also. Any salmon bought that is 'Atlantic' salmon is farmed and usually has color added so again wild caught from North Pacific is awesome. Also someone mentioned the white onions but they could use the red onions instead. I think those are best when eating raw but that's my opinion. Can't wait to get to the fish market to make these. Right now our crawfish season is coming to an end so we buy 40 pound bags and have crawfish boils. Once those are gone, I'll be ready for the fish!! Again, thanks for sharing and I'm looking forward finding more goodies on your blog! Laissez la bon temps roule'......Let the good times roll..

    Reply
  66. Beth says

    April 08, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    Made tonight and it was the bomb! Awesome recipe ... Added chopped garlic to the the sauce in food processor because I add garlic to almost everything . Thanks for a great recipe!!

    Reply
  67. Laura Gail says

    April 15, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    This recipe is amazing and I wouldn't change a thing! Even my 5 & 3 year old boys love it and that's really saying something. I don't fully coat their fish fillets with the seasoning more like a light dusting but this dish is really awesome. We served it to company tonight with a side of buttered corn and they asked for the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with my family!

    Reply
  68. Mary says

    May 04, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    I'm not a fish person, but others in the family are. I think I'll do chicken and fish using this recipe...thoughts?

    Reply
  69. Taylor says

    May 06, 2016 at 8:04 pm

    BEST TACOS OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. These tacos really enhance the human experience and left my entire family (and dog) speechless. Definitely making these again!

    Reply
  70. Krista says

    May 17, 2016 at 10:24 pm

    We were given some fish from a friend who's a fisherman. My husband isn't a big fish fan, so I never make it, and didn't know what to do with it. So glad I came across this recipe! My whole family loved it! Even my fish hating husband, and picky seven year old, who picked around the slaw and corn tortillas, but ate all the "chicken" 😉

    Thanks for a great recipe! Will be making it monthly for Taco Tuesday!

    Reply
  71. Gina says

    May 30, 2016 at 12:45 am

    This recipe is great! I was very impressed by the results!

    Reply
  72. Rhonda says

    June 08, 2016 at 9:54 pm

    I made these for dinner tonight and they are AMAZING.. I'm not a tilapia fan so I used salmon and it was so good...the avocado sour cream mixture I can just drink. Thanks for this great recipe, I'll make it to years to come.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      June 09, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      I am so glad you enjoyed it, Rhonda! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  73. gabi says

    June 28, 2016 at 10:36 am

    LOVED THIS RECIPE!!!! thanks for sharing

    Reply
  74. Kristen says

    September 12, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    WOW, these were fantastic! Thank you so much for the recipe! My husband isn't a fish fan either and he called these AMAZING! I didn't have any cabbage but found chopped raw red onion and cilantro to be enough filling and flavor paired with the small corn tortillas. I made the sauce with greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it was tasty! Next time I think I'll reduce the greek yogurt to 1/4 to 1/3 cup for more of a guacamole texture. Can't wait to make again!

    Reply
  75. Swati says

    November 02, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    These look really appealing !!! I'm going to make these for my friends for tomorrow's dinner. You think I can substitute Dory for Tilapia? Thanks for the great recipe..Will let you know how mine turned out!!!!

    Reply
  76. Kate says

    January 07, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    These were SO GOOD. Made them over the holidays with a couple of snapper fillets and they cooked up perfectly. The only thing I changed was to add a bit of sweetener to the sauce, as there was just a bit too much sour acid going on. Used the leftover slaw and sauce on breakfast tacos - YUM! Will definitely make again and again.

    Reply
  77. Tammy says

    February 13, 2017 at 9:27 am

    I just made this yesterday!! Was a success and super easy and yummy

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 13, 2017 at 10:42 am

      I'm so glad to hear it, Tammy! =)

      Reply
  78. tony says

    February 15, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    Ive made these and used my moms coldslaw recipe ,great stuff. want to print it out for a friend now

    Reply
  79. Eric says

    March 20, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    Made these with fresh black crappies that I caught ice fishing. They were great! I broiled the fish instead of frying it because they're smaller fish and I had a lot of them. Thanks for sharing! Loved the sauce.

    Reply
  80. Diana says

    March 29, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    These tacos are AMAZING! I am right there with you on the fish - I'm not a fan of anything "too fishy." I do love fish tacos, and tilapia is my go-to, subtle-fish-flavor choice. The seasonings add a great flavor, and the Avocado-Cilantro sauce is to die for!

    Reply
  81. Julie says

    April 07, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    We have made these a bunch of times because they are SOOOO good! Thank you so much for this fab recipe!

    Reply
  82. Isabel says

    May 03, 2017 at 12:49 pm

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  83. Jacqueline says

    June 06, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    I love this recipe and have made it several times. Using half a head of each cabbage makes for way more slaw then you will need. Also, the slaw is pretty simple but my family likes raw veggies and they like the freshness of the cabbage, and other ingredients tossed with just lime juice. For my family of 4, this is enough fish but we make extra fish for leftovers and there will be plenty of leftover sauce and slaw. If you want an extra zing, top it with pickled jalepenos!

    You can make the sauce and slaw a day in advance. Our avocado sauce did not brown at all the next day when we went to make leftovers.

    The only thing I would say to do different is add more than 1/2 tsp salt to the rub for the fish. It needs it in our opinion or you can leave it as is and salt it after if needed.

    Reply
  84. Andrea says

    June 13, 2017 at 10:14 am

    Made these last night. Very tasty and soooo easy! Definitely I meal on rotation for summer. I'm dairy free so I left out the avacado sauce and just used sliced avocados. I might add a chopped jalapeño to the slaw next time for extra kick.

    Reply
  85. Amy says

    June 25, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    I used cod and baked at 375 for 12-15 minutes (depending on size). I also used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Absolutely delicious dish, I've made a couple times this week. And healthy too! Only 5 -6 Weight Watchers points for 2 tacos! 5 stars for sure!

    Reply
  86. Morgan says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    These look amazing!! How can I make the sauce dairy-free? Making these this weekend!

    Reply
  87. Sue S. says

    August 03, 2017 at 3:04 pm

    This recipe is amazing. I didnt change a thing. I'm going to make this weekly, its so good....thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  88. Joll says

    August 22, 2017 at 9:48 pm

    Best tacos ever! I used plain Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream, since I didn't have sour cream. I added about 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar in the sauce. Made with halibut instead of tilapia. So amazing! Thank you hostthetoast!!!

    Reply
  89. Monica says

    August 23, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    LOVE this recipe! Have made it probably ten times at this point, and it always turns out amazingly delicious. The spices are just right, the sauce and slaw are perfect additions.

    Reply
  90. MeMe says

    September 25, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    3/4 cup coriander?? Is that a misprint?

    Reply
  91. Hotroxxy says

    November 04, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    Best fish tacos I have ever had or cooked. Thank you a million times.

    Reply
  92. Hayley says

    January 06, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    Made these and they were AMAZING! My boyfriend was skeptical, and his consensus after eating 4 was,”These should be in restaurants!!”
    I did slightly over-blend the sauce - Make sure not to do this, as it loses some of the flavor! I ended up adding extra lime juice and cilantro and it still tasted great.

    Thanks for the recipe! 🙂

    Reply
  93. Epiphany says

    March 01, 2018 at 10:35 am

    Been making this recipe for a couple years-- added it to our family dinner go-to dinner recipe binder! <3 It is so yummy. Who knew fish tacos could be so flavorful and delicious without the fishy-ness. Love to substitute an avocado/lime/cilantro/honey based vegan sauce that I got from a vegan black bean taco recipe from pinterest as well for a leaner/paleo sauce. SOOOOOOO delicious. I think it makes these tacos all the more better.

    Reply
  94. Shoshanna Seruya says

    May 09, 2018 at 5:58 pm

    Hi! I’d like to make these for a crowd, but it would need to be cooked in advance. Have you tried reheating them?

    Reply
  95. Sara says

    May 17, 2018 at 8:23 am

    I made these last night. I was a little skeptical as I am not a big fish eater. But these tacos were absolutely amazing! They tasted just like they should have came from a restaurant! Very impressed, and we'll be making again for sure!

    Reply
  96. Simone Perich says

    May 30, 2018 at 11:49 pm

    These were some good tacos! My husband loves heat and thought they needed a little more "zick" Not sure how to do that as they were fine for me! Maybe adding something to the slaw for him? I will make these again. Yum.

    Reply
  97. Allan Sawyer says

    May 31, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    We are vacationing in Hawaii (Poipu, Kauai) and our neighbors just came over with 5 pounds of freshly caught mahi mahi. After reading this recipe and the comments/reviews, I'm off to the store to buy these ingredients. Blackened Fish Tacos for dinner tonight for this hungry family. Thank you!Alla

    Reply
  98. Zaki Mahmoud says

    July 04, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    This recipe is awesome! My family especially loves the avocado cilantro sauce!! Make this together as a family and enjoy a healthy meal 🙂

    Reply
  99. dena says

    August 09, 2018 at 11:21 am

    How many servings is the recipe for?

    Reply
  100. Jillian says

    September 02, 2018 at 8:50 pm

    I don’t normally leave reviews, but in the case I had to. Every year I go to visit friends in the Outer Banks and we always go to one of our favorite restaurants that makes spectacular fish tacos. I’ve been scouring the internet for a recipe that is similar to those tacos and I finally found it. These came out sooooooooo good. I used swordfish instead of tilapia, and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  101. Heather says

    November 05, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    While I haven't tried the fish taco recipe yet, I definitely will be! We did make the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce tonight to top our salmon cakes and it was fantastic! It made a weekday meal into a fancy guests-for-dinner meal and we devoured it! Perfection! Can't wait to try the full recipe.

    Reply
  102. Laura says

    January 25, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    I have made these now a number of times and have used shrimp too and they are spectacular every time. Brilliant

    Reply
  103. Ashley S. says

    February 05, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    Amazing recipe!! I made these for lunch and they turned out better than I expected. Meals that are healthy and taste as good as these make me actually want to eat healthy everyday.

    I will definitely be making these again (P.S. the cilantro lime sauce is even better when you add a little extra lime juice - it gives it an extra little kick).

    Reply
  104. Afton says

    March 16, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    Made theses few nights ago, but used mahi mahi instead and the we’re DELICIOUS! Fantastic recipe!!

    Reply
  105. Tara says

    April 13, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    My go to fish recipe. So easy and yummy.

    Reply
  106. Ann Baker says

    April 20, 2019 at 9:51 am

    FABULOUS!!! Love the spice blend on the fish. We blackened ours in a cast iron skillet on the grill. And that avocado sauce -oh em gee. Would be awesome with grilled shrimp or chicken as well. Thank you for a great recipe!

    Reply
  107. Kyle says

    May 14, 2019 at 11:51 am

    Would your recipe work with shrimp in place of Talapia? Would you alter any ingredients or cooking method for shrimp? THANK YOU! This sounds AMAZING!

    Reply
  108. Shari says

    June 29, 2019 at 4:40 pm

    What other white fish can we use? Tilapia is a scary fish at this time. Can't find wild so will only use wild fish

    Reply
  109. uncategorized says

    August 24, 2019 at 12:45 am

    There's definately a great deal to find out about this subject.

    I love all of the points you made.

    Reply
  110. Alissa says

    July 04, 2020 at 7:06 am

    Ohmigosh, this was SO good!!! I used haddock and didn't make the slaw cuz I not as a taco. The avocado cream was fantastic. My daughter's 17 yr old friend asked for the recipe to give her mom. So easy and so tasty!

    Reply
  111. Monica says

    July 25, 2020 at 6:43 pm

    These are the best fish tacos we've had. They're a staple!

    Reply
  112. Rachel says

    August 01, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    This recipe turned out excellent. I purchased a cilantro lime salad/slaw kit.
    The fish would be great on its own. Will definitely use your seasoning for chicken or other seafood.

    Reply
  113. Amber says

    October 16, 2020 at 5:12 pm

    I used this recipe because I was looking for a good blackened seasoning for tilapia. It was very good! I would save it to make it again. Next time I’d like to actually tacos out of them, but the blackened fish alone was excellent

    Reply
  114. Monica says

    January 09, 2022 at 7:23 pm

    Any suggestions of how to make with frozen tilapia as getting fresh is difficult where I live? Thanks!

    Reply
  115. HeatherB says

    April 27, 2023 at 7:47 pm

    I figured after years of using this recipe for fish tacos I should leave a review! I love your blackening seasoning, it’s one of our all time family favorite dinners. Thank you!

    Reply
  116. Natalie Olson says

    February 19, 2024 at 6:24 pm

    These are amazing!!!!!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      March 01, 2024 at 3:34 pm

      Thank you, I'm so glad you like them Natalie!

      Reply
  117. Sara says

    January 26, 2025 at 5:24 pm

    Fantastic!!!

    Reply

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MEET MORGAN

Morgan is a full-time food blogger, pizza-related sleep talker, and self-described hobby hoarder.
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