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Blackened Fish Tacos are the perfect 20 minute weeknight meal that is packed with flavor. A light fish like mahi mahi is coated in zesty marinade and coated with a flavorful spice blend. The fish is pan seared at high heat to create a char and crust that is perfect in tacos alongside your favorite salsa and toppings.
I am a big fan of the flavors in blackened seafood. You might have tried my Easy Blackened Fish recipe that I shared a few years ago. Today is a similar recipe but using the blackened fish in fish tacos. I love the rich flavor the blackening seasoning adds to the seafood and pairs so nicely in tacos. If you like bold spice-crusted seafood dinners, you’ll also enjoy our Mediterranean Baked Fish with Olives and Lemon.
In my house my kids want to eat tacos at least once or twice a week so I always have recipes on rotation to try. My favorite thing about these Blackened Fish Tacos is that you can have them on the table in under 20 minutes. There is nothing like a fish taco with flaky fish, delicious spices and an easy tomato salsa. I also like to add cabbage slaw to my tacos, like this Easy Mango Cabbage Coleslaw, Easy Caribbean Coleslaw Recipe or this Jalapeño Coleslaw Recipe.
I love how easy you can modify tacos and add ingredients to your liking or what is in your fridge. You can add so many delicious toppings to these like fresh herbs, slaw, fresh vegetables, guacamole or hot sauce. I really love seafood and this recipe is no exception. Some of my other favorite seafood recipes include Easy Pan Fried Fish, Air Fryer Cod, Air Fryer Crab Rangoon, Black Sea Bass Recipe or this Baked Cod with Lemon.
Why We Love these Blackened Fish Tacos
I love blackened fish recipes because of the bold flavors it brings to the seafood and the delicious char and crust on the fish once you sear at a high heat. Here is why we love these tacos:
• Quick & Easy Cook: What I love most about tacos is how easy they are to prepare and cook. This recipe is ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes making this a winning dinner any night of the week.
• Versatile Recipe: The spices in this marinade are easily adapted to suit your own tastes. The tomato salsa is fresh and vibrant, but you can add more or less jalapeno to suit.
• Family Friendly: We should all be adding fish to our weekly diets and I find that tacos are a great way to get the kids eating more fish in this post!
Ingredients Notes
Mahi Mahi Marinade Ingredients
- Fish: I use 1/2 pound of skinless mahi mahi fish filet which makes 6-8 tacos.
- Dried spices: I used a combination of red chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne red pepper, thyme and garlic powder to flavor the marinade.
- Salt and black pepper: Just to taste, bringing out the best in every ingredient.
- Sugar: I added a tablespoon of brown sugar to the marinade to balance the spices, and also the acidity from the lime juice.
- Lime: Some fresh lime juice adds acidity to the marinade.
- Butter: For the best flavor I sauté the fish butter but you can also use olive oil.
Tomato Salsa Ingredients
- Tomatoes: 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes with the stems removed.
- Jalapeño: Chopped jalapeño pepper adds a mild heat to the salsa.
- Lime: The lime juice adds acidity to the salsa, balancing out the sweet tomatoes.
- Cilantro: Freshly chopped cilantro adds a burst of fresh herby flavor to the salsa.
How to Make This Blackened Fish Tacos Recipe
Step 1: Cut the Mahi Mahi filets into pieces and place on a plate.
Step 2: In a small bowl, combine all the salt, black pepper, brown sugar, lime juice and butter. Brush the marinade on the pieces of fish, covering both sides. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
Step 3: In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and mix well. Sprinkle the seasoning mix on both sides of each fish filet. Set aside .
Step 4: Meanwhile, place all the tomato salsa ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Step 5: Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over high heat and add the butter or oil. Turn the heat down to medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted add the mahi mahi in a single layer. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes or until browned and the fish is cooked through and flakes.
Step 6: Heat the tortillas, add the lettuce then the fish. Top with the tomato salsa, fresh cilantro and serve with za’atar roasted carrots and lemon kale salad.
Recipe Modifications
- Fish: in this recipe I used mahi mahi in this recipe, but you could use other varieties of fish fillets. Look for firm, chunky fish filets like cod, tuna, swordfish and salmon which would all work in this recipe.
- Beans: beans are a great addition to any taco, try black beans or pinto beans.
- Vegetables: add extra veggie to the mix by sautéing some red onion, bell peppers, poblano peppers, or corn and adding into the taco.
- Spices: the taco marinade spices can be easily adapted to suit your own tastes and you can also swap out any spices you don’t like. You could also add onion powder, ground coriander or smoked paprika. If you don’t have the right individual spices, then try adding a taco spice blend.
Storage Tips
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: To reheat the fish place into the microwave until heated through.
- Freeze: Once cooked and cooled, place the blackened fish into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. I do not recommend freezing the tomato salsa, it is best made fresh.
For another easy leftover-friendly fish option, check out my Sheet-Pan Mediterranean Cod with Olives and Tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
I think the best fish to use for blackening is a firm, flaky white fish that can hold up well to high heat and bold seasoning. Some of the top choices include mahi mahi, salmon, cod, snapper and grouper. When you are blackening a fish, make sure you use oil or butter and coated with the delicious blackening spices, and use a hot cast-iron skillet for the best crust.
Blackened fish is full of flavor and a bit spicy but not too spicy. The flavors are also smoky but work so well on a light, white fish.
Traditionally the fish is coated in butter as it adds rich flavor and helps create a browned crust. You also can use oil in place of butter. Just stick to oil that can be cooked at a high smoke-point like avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
Butter: Butter provides a full flavor and helps the blackening adhere to the fish better. The milk solids in butter contribute to that dark, crusty texture characteristic of blackened fish.
Oil: High smoke point oils like canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil are good choices. Oil alone may not give quite the same depth of flavor as butter, but it can help achieve a similar crust, and it’s a good alternative if you’re cooking at very high heat.
More Taco Recipes
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Blackened Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Mahi Mahi Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons butter {or oil}
- 1 1/2 pounds mahi mahi fish filets, skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Tomato Salsa:
- 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes, stems removed
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- sea salt & black pepper, to taste
To serve:
- tortillas
- lettuce, shredded
Instructions
- Cut the Mahi Mahi filets into pieces and place on a plate.
- In a small bowl, combine all the salt, black pepper, brown sugar, lime juice and butter. Brush the marinade on the pieces of fish, covering both sides. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne red pepper, thyme, garlic powder and mix well. Sprinkle the seasoning mix on both sides of each fish filet. Set aside .
- Meanwhile, place all the tomato salsa ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over high heat and add the butter or oil. Turn the heat down to medium high heat. Once the butter is melted add the mahi mahi in a single layer. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes or until browned and the fish is cooked through and flakes.
- Heat the tortillas, add the lettuce then the fish. Top with the tomato salsa and serve.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat the fish in the microwave to heat through.
- To freeze, allow the fish to cool down completely and place in an airtight container, in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love these tacos. My kids love making these on movie night and i’m not a big fish person.