
Fish Taco Sauce
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Take your tacos to the next level with our go-to fish taco sauce. It's creamy and tangy, with just the right amount of kick. It takes just minutes to mix together and leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a week!
If you love the taste of chipotle, also try our chipotle sea salt, smoky chipotle guacamole dip, or chipotle mushroom sloppy joes!

Isn't the secret always in the sauce? There's no hiding that our grilled fish tacos (pictured above) are made even better with a big spoonful of this versatile fish taco sauce.
You might be wondering, what kind of sauce goes on fish tacos? This recipe is a sour cream and mayonnaise base, brightened up with cilantro and lime, and spiced with just the right amount of smoky heat from chipotle peppers.
It's a creamy sauce you'll want to spread on everything. Use it on burgers, bowls, or as a dip for veggies and fries. It's easy to make at home with just a few ingredients and leftovers store well in the fridge.

Ingredients
All the ingredients are straightforward (apart from maybe the chipotles in adobo.) If these are a new ingredient to you, they'll soon become a pantry staple!
Here's what goes into making this sauce for fish tacos:
- Sour cream ā makes up the base of the sauce, and adds a wonderful tang and creaminess.
- Mayonnaise ā for richness and flavor, and adds to the creamy texture.
- Cilantro ā this fresh herb brightens this sauce right up!
- Chipotles in adobo sauce ā smoky and spicy, with a mild sweetness, and extra bold taste!
- Sea salt ā to make all the flavors pop.
- Lime ā for a more tangy citrus taste.
- Garlic ā for a bit of added kick.
How to make fish taco sauce
It couldn't be easier to make this fish taco sauce recipe at home. Here's everything you'll need to make it in a couple of simple steps:
- Place all ingredients into a small bowl.
- Mix everything together until well combined and either serve right away or cover it and store it in the fridge for up to a week. That's it!
Recipe tips
Even though this is a very simple recipe, we have a couple of tips so that it is the absolute best.
- This sauce tastes best when it's been allowed to rest for 20 minutes. When you're making dinner, make this fish taco sauce first. The flavors will meld as you make the rest of dinner.
- When you buy a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pour them into a small blender and blend them until they're smooth. You can store the blended peppers in a clean jar in your fridge for nearly forever. They're much easier to use this way!
- This sauce will keep well for up to a week in your fridge, so you might want to make extra to serve with burgers, wraps, fries, or more tacos later this week.

Ideas for serving fish taco sauce
This versatile creamy sauce can be used for much more than tacos. Here are all the ways we love to enjoy it:
- As a delicious sauce on any of our tacos
- Used in addition to (or in place of) the sauce on any of these burgers
- As a dip with a kick for fresh chopped veggies or with
- Drizzled on top of
Recipe FAQs
How long does it last in the fridge?
This fish taco sauce will keep in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Is this a spicy sauce?
No, not really. It has a slight bit of heat but it is so mild that even our youngest taste testers love it. If you want a spicier bite, either add more adobo sauce or a squeeze of sriracha.


Fish Taco Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise (can be light)
- ½ cup minced cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 limes (zest and juice)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a medium-sized bowl.1 cup sour cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup minced cilantro, 2 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 2 limes, 2 cloves garlic
- Mix well then either use it right away or put the bowl into your fridge. Note: this sauce tastes best when it's been allowed to rest for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our taco recipes & sauce recipes!