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An easy and flavorful Tilapia Fish Tacos recipe that’s ready in only 20 minutes! Pan-seared and drizzled with a delicious chipotle lime sauce, these tacos are filled with flaky and tender tilapia and are perfect for weeknight meals.
Tilapia fish tacos are one of my go-to weeknight meals! Ready in only 20 minutes, they’re easy to make, super flavorful, filling, and healthy!
I’m a big fan of using using tilapia when making fish tacos because it has a very mild flavor compared to other fish. It’s perfect for using in tacos and pairing it with all my favorite toppings!
How to Make Tilapia Fish Tacos
First, pat the tilapia fillets with a paper towel on both sides to remove any excess moisture.
Then, season the fish on both sides with a mixture of ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
It may sound like a very simple mix of seasonings, but it compliments the fish beautifully and doesn’t overpower any of the flavors in the tacos. Trust me, these simple spices are totally enough and add a TON of flavor!
Next, pan-fry the fillets in a large hot skillet with a little olive oil. Tilapia fillets are typically on the thin side and the fish cooks very quickly, so about 3-5 minutes per side should do it!
Once the fish is cooked, transfer it to a plate and flake the fish with a fork into large bite-sized pieces. Serve it in tortillas with a drizzle of this chipotle lime sauce!
Don’t forget the sauce!
Though it may be tempting to skip making the chipotle lime sauce, don’t do it!
It takes the tacos to a whole new level and really completes the whole fish taco experience by adding a creamy and tangy element to every single bite.
And it’s super easy to make! Simply add some plain greek yogurt, a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, a little extra adobo sauce, lime juice, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and it’s ready to serve!
Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- To add a little extra crunch, serve each taco with shredded cabbage, lettuce, or this easy jicama slaw.
- Don’t have tilapia? You can use cod, flounder, or sole instead.
- To make the chipotle lime sauce spicy, add an extra chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. The yogurt really tames the heat of the pepper, so you may need to add more if you like it hot!
- These tacos are great served in corn and flour tortillas! You can use your favorite store-bought tortillas or make your own using these corn tortilla or flour tortilla recipes.
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Tilapia Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the tacos
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound tilapia fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 warm tortillas (corn or flour)
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Suggested toppings
- chopped cilantro
- sliced radishes
- shredded lettuce or cabbage
- lime wedges
Instructions
For the tacos
- In a small bowl, add the ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pat the tilapia fillets with a paper towel on both sides to remove any excess moisture.
- Season both sides of the fillets with the seasoning mixture.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the fish in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.
- Transfer fish to a plate and flake it into big bite-sized pieces with a fork.
- Serve in warm corn tortillas and top with chipotle lime sauce, sliced radishes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
For the sauce
- Add all ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
Notes
- To add a little extra crunch, serve each taco with shredded cabbage, lettuce, or a creamy topping like my Fish Taco Slaw or this easy jicama slaw.
- Don’t have tilapia? You can use cod, flounder, or sole instead.
- To make the chipotle lime sauce spicy, add an extra chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. The yogurt really tames the heat of the pepper, so you may need to add more if you like it hot!
- These tacos are great served in corn and flour tortillas! You can use your favorite store-bought tortillas or make your own using these corn tortilla or flour tortilla recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you’ve been a long time reader of Isabel Eats, this recipe might look a little familiar! This recipe is an update from an old Fish Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema post that I published back in 2016. I’ve updated the photos, recipe instructions, and recipe to be as helpful as possible.
another amazing recipe! came to this blog for the huevos rancheros recipe but have since enjoyed cooking others on the site. the fish was beautifully spiced and great with the sauce. made a mango-avocado salsa to top it off. a lovely summer meal!
another awesome recipe! i came to this blog for the huevos rancheros recipe but have since enjoyed exploring others on here. the fish was beautifully spiced and paired perfectly with the sauce. i made a mango-avocado salsa to top it off. a lovely summer meal. thank you!
I’m not eating flour or any meal, so no tortillas for me. But I made the fish and had it with the chipotle slaw and it was sooo good! So here’s a pitch for fish/coleslaw salad. Yum.
Thank you Pam!
Anyone who eats or creates recipes using this toxic fish is crazy. Tilapia is a toxic and poisonous fish. They are raised in filthy water and fed chicken shit, usually with the chicken cages hung over the tanks. Wild caught does not exist. ★
its the same as all processed food americans eat everyday LOL
These were very good, but the sauce was fiery to my taste, and I like heat better than anyone else in my family. We wound up throwing the sauce out and using bottled salsa instead. If I were making these again I’d increase the yogurt and use just a dab of chipotle sauce.
Hi Don! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe, thank you for your feedback!
I have followed you and all your recipes are wonderful. They recipes remained me my mom cooking those recipes
I have followed you and all your recipes are wonderful
Fantastic recipe! We’re always looking for ways to jazz up tilapia, and these tacos were terrific. I’ve never bought chipotle peppers in adobo sauce before, but they were easy to find on the international isle of the grocery store! The sauce was delicious and I could not believe it was made with Greek yogurt. This was also easy enough for a weeknight meal. We’re adding this to our regular roation!
Hi Leah! Thank you so much. We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I was looking for tilapia recipes, and this was the first recipe I saw. I had everything but jicama, but it’s had plenty of cabbage. It was a big hit with everyone. Thanks for the great recipe!
Really enjoyed this recipe! It was easy to make. I made this along with the jicama slaw which added a nice crunch to these tacos. Will definitely make this again.