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.
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 Seafood Watch 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:
- Often times frozen fish is less expensive than fresh.
- Fish is frozen when it is at its peak of freshness.
- Cod is fished seasonally, so frozen stores of cod fish decreases waste and makes it available year round.
- 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
- 1. Cut cod into 3/4-inch cubes and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and salt. Toss to coat.
- 2. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Add cod, and cook, stirring once or twice until cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- 3. Combine garlic and avocado in a food processor or mini prep.
- 4. Add yogurt, cilantro and salt.
- 5. Puree until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- 6. Divide the cod among 8 warmed corn tortillas. Top with cabbage, pico de gallo and the avocado crema.
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!
Thanks so much for reading, if you are new here please sign up for my email list. I send out the latest recipes and healthy weeknight meal inspiration every Saturday morning.
And if you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review!
PrintCod Fish Tacos
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 8 tacos 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Cod fish tacos with easy cajun seasoned blackened cod, healthy avocado crema made with yogurt, and shredded cabbage. A super easy 20 minute dinner the whole family will adore!
Ingredients
8 corn tortillas, or grain free tortillas if desired
1 avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
2 limes, divided
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound sustainably sourced cod filet
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, see ingredient note
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups freshly sliced or bagged shredded cabbage
Pico de gallo, optional
Instructions
- Warm Tortillas: Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in oven set at 300 degrees. Alternatively, just before serving, warm the tortillas in a microwave, wrapped in a damp paper towel.
- Make Avocado Crema: Puree avocado, garlic, juice from one lime, cilantro, yogurt and ½ teaspoon salt in a mini prep or food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Cut and Season Cod: Cut cod into cubes (about ¾-inch to 1 inch) and spread out on a plate. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and salt. Toss to coat with the spices.
- Cook Fish: Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet over high heat. When butter is melted and just starting to brown, add in the cod. Let cook, stirring once or twice until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble Tacos: Divide the cod among the tortillas, top with cabbage and avocado cream. Serve with pico de gallo on the side.
Notes
Ingredient Note:
I like Teeny Tiny Spice Company organic Cajun seasoning, but there are several on the market that are also 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.
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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 326
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 19 g
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Excellent fish taco recipe. Once assembled, the tacos look very appetizing just like they are pictured with the recipe. My husband remarked that the tacos “looked and tasted gourmet restaurant quality.” I made the pico de gallo too, which says “optional”, but I highly suggest following the red and yellow tomato pico de gallo recipe, it’s delicious. It will, of course, add additional time, but it’s worth it. For the Avocado Crema I used Kite Hill non-dairy yogurt instead of plain yogurt and the Crema tasted fantastic. This is a tasty and beautiful looking dish with wonderful vibrant colors. A healthy dish that you can feel good about eating.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for coming back to leave your review. I am thrilled you liked them so much! Thank you!
Katie, we made these tacos last night for dinner. They were the best fish tacos I have eaten in years. And we have been to Mexico several times. The Cajun seasoning on the cod was so tasty and the guacamole sauce was a perfect topper, I tried to make corn tortillas for the first time and though there is some room for improvement with my technique, they were great. I can’t wait to make them for company.
That’s awesome! I am so glad you like them!
My non-fish lovers decided they DO in fact like fish if it’s made like this! It’s on a frequent rotation.
★★★★★
That is music to my ears Marty! Thank you for letting me know!
We love this method of prep for fish tacos. Great condiment suggestions, too.
★★★★★
Hi Teri. Yay! Glad you tried this one. It’s much appreciated that you came by to rate today!
We have made this recipe several times and love it. Our go to recipe for fish tacos. Easy to make and delicious.
★★★★★
I am thrilled to hear it Nancy! Thank you so much!
I made the cod per your recipe and it was delicious. I made a different sauce as I did not have any avocados and we had no pico as I don’t like raw onion. I really think using the butter was the key. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m glad to hear you like the tacos Karie. Thank you!
so what is the second lime for?
★★★★
Hi Grace. You can use it to squeeze over the tacos at the table. I just cut it into wedges and then place a wedge or two on each plate.
So easy and tasty! Will make again.
★★★★★
My husband love love loves this recipe! It’s the avo cream that’s soooo good!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear it. Thanks so much for the review and rating!
I’ve made a number of fish tacos and these rank with some of the best! The browned butter flavor with the Cajun seasoning was great! I did substitute 1/2 of the yogurt with mayo for the Avocado Crema-because I always put a tad in my guacamole. Maybe next time I’ll try it in it’s healthier version.
★★★★
We will definitely make this again! The crema makes the tacos taste fresh.
★★★★★