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Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw

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.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw, finished product

Making the Fish Tacos is Easy!

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

The fish couldn’t be easier to make, it’s quickly season with a spice mixture consisting of chili powder, cumin oregano, salt and pepper. Once that’s done, they’re quickly cooked on the grill for about 6 minutes.

After the fish is cooked it’s shredded into bite size pieces. Then you top it off with the slaw and the pico and you’re ready for a real taste treat.

Demonstration on how to shred cooked fish

The Southwestern Slaw Takes it Over the Top!

The southwestern slaw is also very easy 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 cilantro. It gets dressed very simply with a combination of lime juice, honey, a tiny bit of 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.

Southwestern Slaw, finished product

Short Ingredient List – Still Big Flavor

I also like to add homemade pico de gallo and guacamole 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 amazing as a dip for tortilla chips.

Pico de Gallo, finished product

Definitely Char the Tortillas

The final piece to these grilled fish tacos is taking the 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 is to char them directly on the burner. Again, make sure you watch them very closely so they don’t go too far.

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!

Ingredients Needed to Make Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw

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 also works just fine.
  • Shred cooked fish before serving.
  • Char tortillas on the grill or over a gas burner to give them extra flavor.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw, finished product

Yield: 4

Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw

Grilled Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw

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.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tilapia fillets, about 4 oz each
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • cooking spray or oil
  • 8 taco size flour tortillas
  • Southwestern slaw (click the link in the instructions below for the recipe)
  • pico de gallo
  • lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Pat fish fillets dry and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
  3. Generously coat each fillet with spice mixture.
  4. Spray both sides of the fillets with cooking spray or drizzle with oil to prevent sticking on the grill.
  5. Preheat grill to medium heat (about 350 degrees). This works best to grill on a flat grill pan that you put on top of the grates.
  6. Grill fish on preheated grill for about 3 minutes per side, until fish is flaky. Make sure you are using a spatula to gently turn fish as they will break apart easily.
  7. Once fish is cooked, shred with two forks into bite-size chunks
  8. If desired, char tortillas briefly on the grill or over a gas burner, making sure you watch them carefully (they can burn quickly!). Wrap in a damp paper towel to keep them soft.
  9. Divide the fish between the tortillas and top with the southwestern slaw and pico de gallo. Squeeze some lime juice over the top, if desired.

Notes

  • You can substitute any white flaky fish for the tipapia
  • If you don't have an outdoor grill, the fish can easily be cooked on a grill pan or in a skillet.
  • The recipe for the southwestern slaw can be found here.
  • The recipe for the pico de gallo can be found here.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 827mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 15g

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