This recipe for blackened fish tacos is easy to make and always yields well seasoned, flaky tilapia; served with a crunchy slaw and a creamy cilantro sauce it’s going to make your taco night amazing!

Below you’ll see how to use the oven to achieve a perfect blackened crust on your tilapia fish tacos. The rest is a cinch; all you have to do is assemble and EAT.

Spicy Blackened Fish Tacos

You can turn up the heat and make these spicy blackened fish tacos by adding a pinch of additional cayenne pepper to the blackened seasoning; which is exactly what sets these fish tacos apart from traditional recipes that use the classic taco seasoning.

While most blackened fish recipes are made in the skillet, I like to take the oven route. It’s more hands-free and still gives the fish a crispy, delicious crust with tender white flaky fish.

Blackened Fish Taco Ingredients

Fish tacos are among the most simple taco recipes to make. All you need are fresh ingredients like the ones listed below:

Tilapia: makes a great option for fish tacos. It’s easy to cook with and flakes perfectly onto the tortilla. You could also use snapper, mahi-mahi, and flounder.
blackened seasoning: a mixture of cajun spices that coat each fish fillet and creates that blackened crust. I like using this blackened seasoning.
shredded cabbage: every fish taco needs a crunchy, fresh slaw. You can shred the cabbage or purchase a pre-bagged coleslaw mix.
fresh lime juice: tenderizes the cabbage.
salt: adds flavor to the slaw.
corn tortillas: use corn or flour tortillas, whichever your family prefers.
cilantro lime dressing: zesty flavors of lime and cilantro in a creamy dressing. Check out my recipe for cilantro lime dressing in the recipe card below!
cilantro: goes in the dressing and gets sprinkled over the finished tacos.

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How to Make Blackened Fish Tacos

Making blackened fish tacos is easy. Once you have your ingredients here is what to do step-by-step:

Get the oven hot
Preheat the oven to 425F and place a baking sheet into the oven.
Season the fish
Generously season both sides of the tilapia fillets with the blackened seasoning.
Grab a pair of oven mitts
Carefully remove the baking sheet from the hot oven and spray it with cooking spray. Place the fish onto the baking sheet, give them a generous spray, and bake until the fish is tender.
Make the slaw and dressing
Toss the shredded cabbage with fresh lime juice and salt. Prepare the cilantro-lime dressing, if making your own.
Assemble
Warm the tortillas and top each with slaw, pieces of blackened fish, and a drizzle of the cilantro-lime dressing. Add chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime for good measure.

You can also watch this video to see these blackened fish tacos in the making:

Best Toppings for Blackened Fish Tacos

Like to load up your fish tacos? Me too! Below are a few topping ideas that would be perfect with these blackened fish tacos:

Fresh Pico de Gallo
Diced avocado
Avocado Salsa
Easy Pineapple Salsa
Queso fresco or Cotija Cheese

What Else to Serve with Spicy Blackend Fish Tacos

These spicy blackened fish tacos are served with a crunchy slaw and a creamy cilantro sauce that complement it perfectly. Outside of those two, you can serve this with fresh pineapple, whose sweetness pairs great with the blackened seasoning.

My Corn & Black Bean Salsa is hearty and super refreshing, which matches these fish tacos perfectly! You can also never go wrong with a batch of homemade salsa and tortilla chips; that’s always a given on taco night!

Blackened Fish Tacos with Tilapia

Print Recipe

Tender fish, creamy dressing, crunchy slaw make these the ULTIMATE fish tacos!

Author: Laura Fuentes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 tacos
Category: Tacos
Method: Stovetop

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds tilapia fillets
2–3 tablespoons blackened seasoning
2 cups shredded green and purple cabbage
2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
½ teaspoon kosher salt
12 corn tortillas, warmed
Cilantro Lime Sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro, additional for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F and place a baking sheet in the oven.
Sprinkle both sides of the tilapia with the seasoning.
Using an oven mitt, remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Generously coat the hot baking sheet with cooking spray and place the seasoned fish fillets on it. Spray the tops of the fillets and carefully return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish until it’s cooked through and flakes easily.
While the fish is in the oven, toss the cabbage with the juice of 1 lime and salt in a medium bowl.
Make the cilantro-lime dressing in your blender and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
To assemble the tacos, place some slaw on each tortilla, top with chunks of blackened fish, and add a generous drizzle of cilantro-lime dressing. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.