Blackened Fish Tacos With Cilantro Lime Crema
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Big flavor with weeknight speed. These Blackened Fish Tacos hit the spot every time. Smoky, spiced tilapia and a bright cilantro lime crema come together in under 20 minutes, and one bite in, you’ll be hooked.
I’ve made this fish taco recipe for over 15 years, and the homemade blackening spice is why I keep coming back. I use the same blend on turkey and chicken tacos, but tilapia in a cast iron skillet with cilantro lime crema is where it started. It’s also the first meal I cooked for my husband after we got married, so you know I trust this recipe completely.
I’m lucky enough to live in New England, where fresh seafood is everywhere. But I use tilapia in this recipe because it’s easy to find, no matter where you live, so anyone can make these tacos.
The spice blend comes together from pantry staples you already have, creating a smoky, savory crust in under 10 minutes. The cilantro lime crema takes adds a cool, bright finish to all that bold flavor.
Whether it’s Tuesday night or you’re feeding a crowd this weekend, these tacos are fresh, flavorful, and endlessly customizable.
Why You’ll Love Blackened Fish Tacos
- The blackening spice blend is built from pantry staples, same as I use for my All Purpose Mexican Seasoning.
- The crema comes together quickly and adds a fresh, bright flavor highlighting the fish and cooling down the spice.
- The fish cooks in under 10 minutes from start to finish, and a lighter alternative to fried fish tacos, making it a great weeknight-friendly and a family favorite!
Ingredients for Tilapia Fish Tacos
My favorite fish for fish tacos is tilapia, but feel free to substitute any lean white fish in its place. For the blackening spice, I make my own so I can control the salt and heat, but use your favorite blend if you’ve got one.
For the Fish + Blackening Spices:
- Fresh or frozen tilapia filets – If you’re opting for frozen fish, thaw first and pat dry before seasoning.
- Blackening spice – I make my own spice blend by combining ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano.
- Coarse Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Cayenne – optional if you like spicy
- Butter – Unsalted or salted butter both work. The butter keeps the fish from sticking, and it adds richness while helping the spices bloom right into the fillets for more flavor. Swap in olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
For the Cilantro Lime Crema:
- Fresh lime zest – you’ll need about 1 ½ – 2 limes. Tip: zest the limes before juicing!
- Fresh lime juice – from the limes you just zested.
- Fresh cilantro – chopped fine.
- Fresh garlic – finely minced or pushed through a garlic press.
- Garlic powder – I like using both fresh garlic and garlic powder in this recipe. The powder adds the extra garlic flavor I want, without the heat raw garlic can bring.
- Sour cream – you can also use Greek style plain yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Mayonnaise – I like using mayo in combination with sour cream. It helps keep the sauce together and balances the sharpness of the sour cream and lime.
- Coarse kosher salt
How to Make Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Crema
This is an abbreviated version of the full instructions you’ll find in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. For the best results, use the complete directions.
Step 1
Make the crema sauce by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2
Make the blackening spice and season the fish by sprinkling half the spice mixture in an even layer over each side of the fish. Gently pat the fish to adhere the spices.
Step 3
Cook the fish in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes without moving it before flipping.
Add more butter if the pan runs dry (especially important with cast iron). Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 145°F on a meat thermometer.
Step 4
Serve in warm tortillas with cilantro lime crema and desired toppings. (See list of topping options below.)
What to Serve with Fish Tacos
I like to serve these tilapia fish tacos in tortillas, both corn and flour work great. Some of my favorite add-ins include:
- Homemade guacamole or diced avocado
- Corn salsa
- Mango pico de gallo or Pineapple salsa
- Shredded cabbage or Homemade Slaw mix
- Pickled red onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges for juice
- Sesoned rice and refried or black beans
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- For the Fish: flounder, haddock, or halibut work well. Cod would work well, but it’s thicker than tilapia. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.
- To adjust spice level: Reduce or omit the cayenne pepper if you’re sensitive to heat. If you want to increase the heat, I recommend chopped or pickled jalapeno slices as a topping.
- For a lighter crema: Swap the mayo for all light mayonnaise, or use all sour cream. You could also swap the sour cream for full-fat Greek yogurt.
Tips & Tricks
- Cast iron vs. nonstick: A cast iron skillet gives great crust but will absolutely drink butter, so have extra ready on-hand. Nonstick skillets will require less fat to prevent sticking, but then you’re missing out on the extra flavor butter brings.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Cook in batches if you can’t get all the fish in the pan without overlapping. I can fit 4 tilapia filets in a 12″ cast iron skillet snuggly. This recipe would be a great use for the Blackstone!
- Make a big batch of the blackening spice so you always have some in your spice cabinet.
How to Store Leftover Fish Tacos
Leftover fish tacos are rare in my kitchen but if you do have leftover fish, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Flake it cold over a rice bowl or salad.
Reheating Instructions: Add leftover fish to a skillet and warm over low heat until heated through, or reheat in the air fryer at 280°F until heated through.
Fish Taco Recipe FAQs
Tilapia, is my top choice. It’s an accessible, weeknight-friendly pick, mild, affordable, and holds up to bold seasoning. Any flat white fish like halibut, flounder or haddock is a great substitute and wouldn’t require major adjustments in the cooking time. Avoid oily fish and catfish. The flavor is too strong.
Yes! Thaw frozen fish completely and pat dry before seasoning. Frozen fish holds more moisture, so the dry step matters more here than with fresh.
Yes, you can make the crema up to 3 days in advance. The flavors develop as it sits. Store covered in the fridge until you’re ready to use and give it a stir before serving.
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Blackened Tilapia Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime zest about 1 1/2 limes
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice about 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
Fish + Blackening Spices:
- 1 pound tilapia, fresh or frozen, thaw first if using frozen
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
For Serving
- 8 Tortillas, flour or corn
- Toppings: cabbage or slaw, pickled onions, guacamole, tomato salsa, corn salsa, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Start by making the crema. Combine the mayo, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, garlic powder, and salt into a bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside while you prep the fish.
- Make the spice blend by combining all the spices, the salt, and cayenne pepper (if using) in a bowl and mix until well combined. Sprinkle half the spice mixture in an even layer over one side of the tilapia. Flip and sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the other side. Pat the fish to get the spices to stick.
- Heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and let it melt.
- Add the fish in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes without moving it. Flip. Cook another 3-4 minutes, or until the thickest part of the fish reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. Add more butter if the pan runs dry (especially important with cast iron). Tip: you can remove the fish from heat at 140°F. “Carryover cooking” will bring it to a safe temperature as it rests in the pan.
- Once the tilapia is cooked, flake the fish into large chunks. Serve in warm tortillas with the cilantro lime crema and desired toppings.
Video
Notes
- Fresh or frozen tilapia filets may be used. If using frozen fish, thaw fully and pat dry before seasoning.
- Substitutions for tilapia are: flounder, haddock, or halibut. Cod would work too, but it’s thicker than tilapia. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.
