Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw Recipe

Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw are a delicious twist on traditional tacos and are bursting with fresh flavor. They’re the perfect lighter meal for your next Taco Tuesday.

Preparing These Easy Fish Tacos

If you’re a fish taco fan, you are going to love this fresh and flavorful take on them. The tilapia is mild and flaky and a southwestern slaw adds great texture and tangy, fresh flavors. A homemade pico de gallo also adds more flavor and charred tortillas add a slightly smoky dimension.

This fish taco recipe couldn’t be easier to make. The fish is seasoned with a spice blend consisting of chili powder, cumin oregano, salt and pepper. Once that’s done, they’re quickly cooked on a grill for about 6 minutes.

After the fish is cooked, it’s shredded into bite-size pieces. Then, you top it off with the crunchy slaw and the pico. You now have a tasty treat and healthy dinner.

Southwestern Slaw Takes This Easy Recipe Over the Top

The southwestern slaw is also very simple to prepare. It’s got an easy list of ingredients, starting with a bagged coleslaw mix. You know the one! It’s got green cabbage, red cabbage and carrots.

In addition to the bagged mix, you add a jalapeno, red onion, tomatoes, black beans and fresh cilantro. It gets dressed very simply with a combination of lime juice, honey, a little oil, a little vinegar and some spices.

That’s all there is to it. It adds great tangy flavor to the tacos along with a nice crunch.

And, I realize the black beans may sound like an odd addition to coleslaw, but they add great flavor along with an interesting texture. If you’d like to add a second slaw to serve with these tacos, this mango slaw is also a great option.

Short Ingredient List – Big Pico Flavor

I also like to add homemade pico de gallo to finish off these tacos. You certainly can use store-bought pico or salsa, but the homemade version really makes a difference.

It’s actually quite easy to make and has a relatively short ingredient list. All you need are tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper. It’s that simple.

But, while it may be simple, it packs some amazing fresh flavor. It’s also fantastic as a dip for tortilla chips. If you’d like to add a second slaw to serve with these tacos, this mango slaw is also a great option.

(For an extra treat, add a dip of this fantastic guacamole for even more flavor!)

Pro Tip – Char the Tortillas

The final piece to this fish tacos recipe is taking the extra step to char the tortillas. It’s really easy to do and adds a slightly smoky depth to the tacos.

Since you already have the fish on the grill, you can char the tortillas on the grill. They go very quickly, so it’s best to do one or two at a time and watch them very closely. You just want them to get a little char on them, not burn.

Another option – if you have a gas stove you can char them directly on the burner. Again, make sure you watch them very closely so they don’t over-char.

Once they’re charred, I suggest wrapping them in slightly damp paper towels. This will help keep them soft along with keeping them warm.

So what are you waiting for? Go make yourself some grilled fish tacos tonight!

Tips and Tricks

• My preference for these tacos are flour tortillas. But, if you prefer using soft corn tortillas that works as well.
• I highly recommend charring the tortillas slightly. This really brings out their flavor and adds a nice smokiness to the tacos.
• While the tacos along with the southwestern slaw and the homemade pico de gallo are easy to make, if you’re really pressed for time you can use store-bought pico and toss shredded cabbage with a little lime juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper. The tacos will be just as delicious.

Ingredients Needed to Make Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw

Full instructions can be found below in the printable recipe card

• Tilapia or other flaky white fish
• Spices
• Flour tortillas
• Southwestern slaw
• Pico de gallo
• Limes

Making the Grilled Fish Tacos

• Start by seasoning the fish fillets and coating with cooking spray so they don’t stick to the grill.
• Make the southwestern slaw and pico de gallo.
• Grill fish just until flaky. I cooked them on the outdoor grill, but an indoor grill pan or a skillet works as well.
• Shred cooked fish before serving.
• Char tortillas on the grill or over a gas burner to give them extra flavor.