Baja Fish Tacos with Slaw and Avocado Sauce
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Keep things fresh and flavorful with these Baja fish tacos. Perfectly seasoned white fish is tucked into warm tortillas with a colorful southwest slaw and creamy avocado dressing. This weeknight dinner is simple to make and ready in 30 minutes!
I make a lot of tacos, and these Baja fish tacos sit right at the top of my favorites list. They’re fresh, colorful, and packed with flavor—each bite really does feel like a little fiesta. This version skips the heavy batter in favor of a lighter, cleaner-tasting taco that lets the fish and toppings shine. The result is a meal that feels vibrant and satisfying without being overly rich.
The fish is simply seasoned with a warm blend of cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, and chili powder, then cooked until flaky and tender. I use a firm white fish that holds together well and cooks quickly. Everything is tucked into soft tortillas, piled high with crunchy southwest-style slaw for texture, and finished with a generous drizzle of creamy avocado sauce. They’re easy to make, great for feeding a crowd, and always disappear fast.
Traditionally, Baja fish tacos are made with grilled or beer-battered fish and topped with fresh salsa and a creamy dressing. While those versions are delicious, this lighter take keeps all the bold, coastal flavors while making them perfect for an easy weeknight dinner—or anytime you’re craving something fresh, fun, and full of color.
Make it a feast
Baja fish tacos are easily a meal on their own, but I’ll often set down a bowl of my easy guacamole or some corn salsa with tortilla chips. If I want to add some more veggies, I’ll make my Mexican con cucumber salad with elote dressing. And you’ll almost always find one of my many margarita recipes on the table when I make these tacos.
What type of fish is best for tacos?
The best type of fish for tacos is a firm white-fleshed fish that flakes well when cooked. White fish typically has a milder flavor, so it seasons well and cooks quickly. My favorite fish for tacos are halibut, cod, rockfish, mahi-mahi, and snapper.
Baja Fish Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
The Blackened Fish
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil (divided)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, and chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ lb white fish
The Coleslaw
The Tacos
- Creamy avocado sauce
- 12 4-inch tortillas (warmed)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix two tablespoons of the oil, cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, chili powder, and sea salt until it forms a paste.1 teaspoon EACH: cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, and chili powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Dry the fish with paper towels and place it on a flat surface. (A baking dish works well.) Rub the paste into the fish and set it aside on your counter to marinate while you prepare the rest of dinner.1 ½ lb white fish, 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- In a large bowl, add the green and purple cabbage, carrot, red onion, and cilantro. Add the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat.2 cups green cabbage, 2 cups purple cabbage, 1 medium carrot, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pinch sea salt and pepper
- Make the avocado sauce by blending the ingredients in your blender or food processor.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the fish starts to look crispy and flakes easily with a fork. Work in batches if needed. Break the fish into smaller pieces for serving.
- Serve on warm tortillas topped with slaw, a few pieces of the fish, and a good slather of the avocado sauce.12 4-inch tortillas, Creamy avocado sauce
Nutrition
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What a fantastic recipe. Thank you! It was delicious, flavorful, and those eating it kept saying how good it tastes.
Why do you specify sea salt as your type of salt?
Great question! Salt varies widely in flavor and sea salt is a lot more mellow than table salt. If you only have boxed table salt on hand, only use half the amount or you’ll likely find it too salty.
These are absolutely delicious, I have made them many times, I am making them tonight using salmon…but with your same spices. So good
One of my favorite recipes!!
This is so fast, simple, and delicious. I buy premade coleslaw to save more time.
It’s a go-to dish for our family! We make it almost once a week!
That’s so awesome to hear, Ben! And good call on the premade coleslaw. It is so much easier!
Ooh, I’m so excited about this recipe! I love that you made it Whole30-compliant, although those tortillas look miiiighty good. And hey, your photos weren’t that bad! You should have seen my first shots… ohhhh so bad
Just finished these for dinner and they were awesome! Love the little bit sweet slaw combo with the guacamole! As usual, yum!!
Delish!! I stumbled upon your blog while looking for fish taco inspiration. What a delightful combination of ingredients and so easy to prepare. I made this last night with tilapia and it was superb. I have enough of the guac left over so will make again, this time with cod. Thanks again for the recipe. My interest is piqued anytime a recipe calls for avocados! Mmmmmmm.
Hi Robin,
I’m a totally avocado fan too! So happy the recipe turned out for you. It’s my go-to, quick and easy recipe for a light dinner in a hurry 🙂
Gorgeous! I really need to skip the cilantro (hate it), but then: this is the perfect dish! Can’t wait to try it!
This is what I would really like to eat!:)