cod fish tacos

I’m not sure if it is possible for me to be more excited to share this brand new Cod Fish Taco recipe with you. It’s gonna be your new go-to fish recipe for family weeknight meals. It comes together in only 20 minutes. Everyone in the family will agree the blackened fish and avocado crema are amazing together! 

Allright, I have one for you. Why do a lot of people add the word “fish” after “tuna” and “cod”, but not to other fish species? As in cod fish and tuna fish. Nobody says “salmon fish”, or “trout fish”. If anyone knows the answer to why that is, let me know. And if not, you’ll likely hear me next weekend asking on A Way With Words.

Anywhoo, I have these Cod Fish Tacos here for you today and I am bursting with anticipation for your reviews to start coming in. I think you’re going to be really psyched with how easy they are to make.

I know you’re also going to be so happy that your family will love them! Mine did, and my daughter says she doesn’t like cod fish. I think she had a formative experience early on by some mention in a Richard Scarry book or kids tv show, insinuating all kids don’t like cod fish. She had said she “doesn’t like cod” even before she tried it for the first time. But I told her there is absolutely no reason to not love cod.

I mean, I think of it as more of a gateway fish for other more strongly flavored fish. Cod is so mild and delicate, what’s not to love?! And guess what, I didn’t tell her what kind of fish were in these until she tried them and liked them. Does that make me a bad mom for tricking my kid. I don’t think so.

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Is cod a sustainable seafood choice?

Yes it absolutely can be, but you’ll have to make sure you’re buying sustainable cod by checking your Seafood Watch app first. Unfortunately, because cod is so popular, it is often overfished, therefore, there are many more sources of cod to avoid than to choose, so make sure you check before you buy. 

In a nutshell, Farm Raised Cod from sources worldwide are recommended but hard to find. And if you can find it, Pacific Cod from Alaska is your best bet.

Sustainable Cod at a Glance

Buy It

• Pacific Cod from Alaska
• Pacific Cod from the Pacific Northwest and BC
  Atlantic Cod caught with Pole and Line Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank
• Atlantic Cod from Farms with Recirculating Tanks (worldwide)

Avoid It

• Atlantic Cod from any other source unless it says “certified by the Marine Stewardship Council”
• Pacific cod from Japan and Russia

How to Buy Sustainable Cod

No doubt, fresh off the boat fish is best if you have access to it, but I live in Vemont which is landlocked, so fresh is not always the best choice. I only buy fresh seafood in a couple markets around here. Most is brought in from Boston so it has a half day or so of travel before it gets here. So when I do buy fresh seafood, I buy it mid-week to Friday so I know it hasn’t been sitting around from the weekend.

The good news is that frozen fish is actually just as good as fresh in many ways, and actually better for sustainability reasons.

Here are four reasons to buy frozen fish instead of fresh:

1. Often times frozen fish is less expensive than fresh.
2. Fish is frozen when it is at its peak of freshness.
3. Cod is fished seasonally, so frozen stores of cod fish decreases waste and makes it available year round.
4. Frozen fish is often packaged with much more information about where and how it is fished. The packaging will also include easy to identify certifications of sustainability like that from the Marine Stewardship Council.

 

How to Thaw Frozen Cod

Make sure you take it out of the cryovac bag or grocery store paper and set it on a plate or platter. I like to put a couple layers of paper towel under it too to absorb the liquid as it thaws. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. It will let off a bit of liquid, so pat it dry before cooking it.

 

 

How to Make Cod Fish Tacos

Cut Cod into Bite Size Pieces and Season

• Pat Dry: Make sure your fish is dry before you start working with it. Water will prevent it from browning, and the spices won’t taste as deliciously toasty.
• Cut into Cubes: Cut the fish into pieces that are about 1 inch cubes. The fish will start to flake as it cooks, so don’t worry if your cubes are a little large.
• Cajun Seasoning: Sprinkle the fish with Cajun seasoning. I like Teeny Tiny Spice Company, but there are several on the market that are great. Just keep an eye out for those with extra added salt. You’ll want to scale back on the added salt on the fish in that case.

 

Cook the Fish in Butter

Instead of oil, I used melted and browned butter instead. This is a pretty typical way to blacken fish, so I felt that it was appropriate here. Not only that, cod is so very lean that I think the browned butter really makes the tacos taste rich and buttery.

 

Make Avocado Crema

This healthy riff on Mexican crema, is not cream at all, but pureed yogurt, avocado and lime. It is much lower in calories, doesn’t have high amounts of saturated fat, and it is tangy and delicious. I added in a decent amount of cilantro, garlic and salt to really give it a flavorful kick. It’s a lovely foil to the spicy buttery fish.

What to Put on Cod Fish Tacos

All that’s left is assembling the Cod Fish Tacos. You can use warm Corn Tortillas, or try my favorite Paleo Tortillas to make this taco recipe Grain-Free!

Cabbage:

I love to put shredded cabbage on fish tacos. I love the contrasting crispy crunchy texture and bright purple color it adds to the tacos. If you’re busy and don’t have time to cut cabbage by hand, feel free to use bagged coleslaw instead!

Pico De Gallo:

The acidity of the Pico de Gallo really goes well with the flavor of the cod. You can make your own pico de gallo from scratch or you can purchase it in the refrigerated deli section of your supermarket. Look for those without preservatives and check the date for freshness.

Crema, cilantro and Lime:

Dollop on the avocado crema and add on more cilantro if you like for added color. And I like to serve fresh lime wedges with the cod fish tacos for folks who want a little more pep.

Steps To Make Cod Fish Tacos

What to Serve with Cod Fish Tacos

If you love corn, you can serve the tacos with Skillet Mexican street corn or for meal prep you can make this Mexican Corn Salad with Jalapeno Cilantro Dressing in advance.

Mexican Sauteed Peppers are an easy side dish (and high in vitamin C) to serve with this Cod Fish Taco recipe too.

This Mexican Bean Salad is also a favorite of mine. It’s also a great meal prep option or the leftovers are great to pack for lunches.

For a taco party, you could offer the cod and Beef Barbacoa for different fillings. Make some Mexican Coleslaw, Pico De Gallo and Guacamole too! 

How to Meal Prep this Recipe

Unfortunately, leftover cooked cod is not great, so I recommend prepping the fish the night you’ll eat it. And eating this the night you cook it. But you can do meal prep for this recipe and have it ready even faster!

Crema: The Crema can be made up to 3 days ahead and it won’t change color. Just store it in a sealed container in the fridge and stir well before serving.

Cabbage: You can pre-shred the cabbage (or as I said, buy it in a bag) up to 4 days ahead. Store it in a resealable plastic bag.

If you make follow these steps, you can have these cod fish tacos on the table in less than 15 minutes flat. Boom! (And I won’t judge if you don’t mention which kind of fish they are to your kids either.)

This Fish Taco Recipe is Part of  a Meal Prep Menu:

One more thing! This recipe is part of my Meal Prep Menu which includes five make ahead dinners! In this plan, I give you the prep list, shopping list and plan to prep on the weekend, so you can have all your weeknight meals ready to go with 20 minutes (or less) of time in the kitchen! 

• Monday: Stuffed Shells with Spinach and salad with Lemon Juice Salad Dressing
• Tuesday: Cod Fish Tacos with refried black beans
• Wednesday: Sloppy Joes and Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese
• Thursday: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• Friday: Greek Pizza and lemony green beans

To get the full details, print your shopping list and get started, head over to the Meal Prep Menu to check it out! 

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And if you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! 

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