Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Carrot Slaw

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Fish tacos with grilled Alaskan cod are topped with a delicious citrus carrot slaw. They’re light, bright, sweet, tangy and perfect for spring and summer. You’ll definitely go back for seconds! This fish taco recipe is easy to make, super flavorful and will be the fan favorite at your next Taco Tuesday party.

Two fish tacos on a table next to limes and avocado.

An Easy Fish Taco Recipe

I’m excited to introduce you to a healthy fish taco recipe that’ll knock your socks off. Not only is it easy to make, but it’s literally bursting with flavor, thanks to the juicy citrus, lime juice and cilantro.

Many fish taco recipes use battered and fried fish (and usually a low quality farmed tilapia). But grilled cod fresh from Alaska makes all the difference. Grilling, rather than battering the fish allows the fish to really shine (which is what you want in a fish taco recipe) and highlights the bold flavors of the slaw.

So what’s in the citrus carrot slaw? Two types of oranges (navel and cara cara), carrots, green cabbage, cilantro and some lime juice. And let me warn you, it’s highly addictive. I had a little leftover after making these tacos, so literally just scooped it up and ate it plain for a snack…it’s that good.

A sliced orange and grilled fish, ready to assemble for fish tacos.

What’s the Best Fish to Use for Fish Tacos?

I always recommend starting with some good quality (preferably wild caught) fish. I’m using fresh Alaskan cod in this recipe (the same I use in my garlic herb baked cod recipe), but you could also use halibut, mahi mahi, salmon or another flaky white fish.

Fish taco on a table.

Assembling fish tacos on a table.

How to Make Fish Tacos

There’s really two parts to making this fish taco recipe – grilling the fish and making the slaw. And then it’s just assembling everything together!

  • Grill the Fish: Heat a grill on medium high heat and grill the fish for a couple of minutes each side, drizzling with fresh lime juice as its grilling. After a few minutes on each side, your fish should be cooked through. Remember, you don’t want to overcook fish or else it ends up dry and rubbery.
  • Make the Slaw: Stir together the oranges, carrots, green cabbage, cilantro and lime juice in a mixing bowl.

Once your fish is grilled and your slaw is made it’s as simple as piling it onto a tortilla. I’m using my favorite Cassava Flour Tortillas, but you could use any type of tortilla. And that’s it! An easy, quick, healthy and tasty fish taco recipe with a Baja and SoCal vibe.

Two fish tacos on a table.

More Taco Recipes You’ll Love

Serve these up with a Classic Margarita or Mango Margarita (to match the orange color!). And if you love coleslaw, make sure to check out my Classic Coleslaw (with mayo) and Vinegar Coleslaw (without mayo). They’re both delicious!

Two fish tacos on a table.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Carrot Slaw

4.94 from 15 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 tacos
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Fish tacos with grilled Alaskan cod are topped with a delicious citrus carrot slaw. They're light, bright, sweet, tangy and perfect for spring and summer.

Ingredients 
 

Grilled Fish

  • 3 filets, cod (or other fish)
  • 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Citrus Carrot Slaw

  • 2 navel oranges, peeled and diced
  • 2 cara cara oranges, peeled and diced
  • 1 large carrot, julienne peeled
  • 1 cup green cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Other Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Mix all of the citrus slaw ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
  • Heat a grill (or grill pan) on medium-high heat and grill the fish for 2-3 minutes on one side. Squeeze the lime over the fish and season with garlic, salt and pepper. Flip the fish and grill for another 2-3 minutes. The fish will likely break apart and that's okay.
  • Assemble the fish tacos by placing small pieces of fish in each taco, then top with the slaw. Garnish with avocado and lime slices.

Lisa's Tips

  • If you don't have an outdoor grill, you can use a grill pan or reversible grill/griddle pan and make these in your kitchen. Super easy!

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 755mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1932IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Fish Taco Recipe, Fish Tacos, grilled fish tacos
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally published February 2016, but updated to include new information. 

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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42 Comments

  1. These were very good. Cara Cara oranges are not in season right now, so I had to use just navel oranges. I also used low carb tortillas. I would love to make your cassava flour tortillas but I don’t have a tortilla press. Thank you for sharing healthy meals with us.5 stars

  2. So delicious, full of flavor and easy to customize to different people’s liking. I know that when I follow a recipe from Lisa that it will be perfect every time. 5 stars

  3. In the mood for fish tacos but hadn’t found that ah ha magic version till now. I also made some lime crema and had some left over mango that offered as options for topping. Looks beautiful too. Will be sharing your recipes with our daughters. Thanks for posting, I know have my go to fish taco recipe.5 stars

  4. Hi Lisa, I was looking at the nutrition label for this recipe and it says 84g of protein for 2 tacos!! That’s a lot… just want to make sure it’s accurate as it would be 1 fillet between 2 tacos right ? How much protein does cod have?

    1. Hi Sanne – thanks for the catch! It does seem that my nutrition calculator was off. I’ve manually adjusted that ingredient, it should be accurate now. :)

  5. Okay… So I’m sitting here doing what I do best… Figuring out what my next meal is going to be🤣🤣 when I decided FISH TACOS sound really good.!!! Then this wonderful voice in my head said “I wonder if Lisa has any fish taco recipes??” I quickly hopped over to the website….do a quick search and BOOM!!! Life is GREAT!! I will be trying these in the next couple of days I cannot wait. Thanks Lisa!!!!

  6. These grilled fish tacos are so delicious! We also tried them with your Coleslaw with mayo and it was just perfect!5 stars

  7. these grilled fish tacos look incredible! I love fish tacos, your recipe is perfect for me. Definitely keeping this recipe! Thank you so much!5 stars

  8. I think a more firm white fish like halibut or swordfish would do better on the grill than cod. Yummy citrus slaw!!4 stars

  9. Thank you for another smash hit recipe.  To quote the husband: “DEE-lish!!” At least I think that’s what he said, his mouth was so full! 

    1. Haha. I think that was likely a good interpretation. ;) Glad you both enjoyed it!

  10. Wow, these grilled fish tacos look incredible! I love fish tacos, your recipe is perfect for me. Very beautiful presentation.
    I definitely want to try this, and I’m sure it’s very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe! YUM!5 stars

  11. I never say no to tacos and yoru look so tasty! That slaw I bet gives them an incredible flavor and so much texture to the bite. I want to try them soon!5 stars

  12. I made this for my family over the weekend. 
    I didn’t have enough white fish for the whole family, so I mixed it up and used some snapper and some swordfish. 
     They were demolished!!!!!! Thank you for such a great recipe :D5 stars

    1. Yay – glad you enjoyed the recipe Claire! And I’m sure they’d be equally delicious with snapper and swordfish. Yum! :) x

  13. I have been using cassava flour more and more…I love that you used it to make tortillas for these fish tacos!5 stars

    1. Yes, cassava flour is great for making tortillas and it’s neutral flavors pairs beautifully with these fish tacos. :)

  14. Beautiful recipe! I love the look of the citrus and carrot slaw – I’m always on the lookout for ways to use up carrots. The fish sounds great, too! I’m looking forward to grilling season and making lots of fresh fish tacos.5 stars

    1. Thanks Ali! It sure is a great combo with the fish, citrus and carrots as well. :)

  15. Hey Lisa! I think I see some cilantro leaves…… Did you use cilantro as well in the slaw or just as a garnish?

  16. I love fish tacos. This recipe looks great. Ahh in the 80s… I can only dream. It’s been above freezing here in Canada lately and we’re all enjoying the unseasonably warm weather :P I’m scared to try SnapChat. I am sure I will have to get into it eventually, but for now I have my hands full with IG, Twitter, and Pinterest!

    1. Too many social platforms, right? But I’ll admit, I’m liking Snapchat so far….it’s more casual and fun. I’ll send you warm vibes from Cali so you can make these tacos! :) x

  17. I refuse to get SnapChat – too complicated for me, and I’m 27, haha. Love this Taco Tuesday recipe feature! Another awesome use of cassava flour.