Grilled Fish Tacos

Name: Grilled Fish Tacos Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 58 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds cod fillets; 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon hot sauce, (optional); 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, (2% or whole milk work best); 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, (optional, but recommended); 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 2 teaspoons honey; Several dashes of hot sauce; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; 8 corn tortillas, (warmed); 2 cups shredded cabbage; 1 avocado, (peeled and sliced thin); crumbled queso fresco; cilantro; lime wedges

By Danae

on Apr 25, 2022, Updated Aug 16, 2026

4.60 from 5 votes

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Grilled fish tacos are a fast, flavorful, and healthy dinner! Chili-lime marinated cod is grilled until it’s flaky then topped with shredded cabbage, a creamy Greek yogurt crema, and slices of avocado. They’re ready to eat in less than an hour with only 20 minutes of prep time!

Three Grilled Fish Tacos topped with cabbage, avocado, and white sauce on a plate.

Why You’ll Love These Grilled Fish Tacos

Fish tacos are a must make for summer grilling! What makes my grilled fish tacos special, is that they’re marinated in chili powder, cumin, garlic, and lime juice. It gives them incredible flavor and they only need to marinate for 30 minutes. The key to a good grilled fish taco is to grill the cod just until it’s flaky. Overcooking will leave it dry, so use a meat thermometer and pull the fillets off the grill when they reach 130°-145°. I grill until 135° so they’re perfectly juicy, tender, and flaky.

Fish tacos are traditionally topped with shredded cabbage and a mayonnaise or Mexican crema with lime juice. I stuck to tradition, with the exception of lightening up the creamy white taco sauce. To make it lighter I combined both mayo and Greek yogurt. It’s creamy and citrusy with a hint of heat from the hot sauce. You can even mix it together with the cabbage and make a cabbage slaw topping.

Grilled Fish Tacos ingredients on a sheet pan.

Cod Fillets – Cod is a mild tasting white fish that holds up well on the grill. It also soaks up the flavor of the Mexican spices and lime juice well without a strong fish flavor competing with them. You can use frozen or fresh cod for these tacos.

Limes – You will want to use fresh limes versus bottled juice for the best flavor. Look for limes at the grocery store that aren’t rock hard and have smooth skin. These will likely yield more juice.

Hot Sauce – This is an optional ingredient, but if you like a little spicy flavor add it in. Cholula hot sauce is my go-to.

Chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika – A blend of spices used to season the cod. It’s a combination I use often in both Mexican and Southwest inspired recipes.

Greek Yogurt – Instead of using just mayonnaise or sour cream for the fish taco sauce, I like to use 2% plain Greek yogurt. It keeps the sauce a little lighter, but you still get a rich, creamy, flavor and consistency.

Honey – Adds a touch of sweetness to the taco sauce. You can also replace the honey with agave, sugar, or maple syrup.

Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise is generally the main ingredient in creamy fish taco sauce. I like to combine it with the Greek yogurt for a lighter sauce. *NOTE* – If you are opposed to mayonnaise you can omit it and just use Greek yogurt.

Corn Tortillas – To keep the corn tortillas from falling apart, warm them over an open flame on a gas stove or grill.

Shredded Cabbage – A classic topping for fish tacos. It adds a fresh and crunchy element to them. You can use red, green, or a combination of both types of cabbage.

Queso Fresco – A mild flavored, crumbly Mexican cheese. Similar to feta, but not nearly as salty. You can substitute queso fresco with cotija cheese.

Dietary Substitutions

Dairy-free crema – To make the crema dairy-free and/or egg-free substitute the Greek yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt and mayo with vegan mayonnaise.

Gluten-free – For gluten-free fish tacos simply use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. The fish and toppings are already naturally gluten-free.

Grilled Fish Taco topped with cabbage, avocado, and white sauce.

Tips for Making Grilled Fish Tacos

Allow 30 minutes to marinate the fish. It adds incredible flavor, but don’t marinate it much longer than that or the acidity of the lime juice will start to “cook” the fish, like ceviche.
Workflow tip: To ensure the tacos are ready to eat in under an hour, chop the cabbage, slice the avocado, and make the crema while the fish is marinating. Next, preheat the grill and clean and oil the grates. Grill the fish and about a minute before the fish is cooked throw the tortillas onto the grill to warm them.
Time saving tip: buy a bag of coleslaw mix rather than shredding the cabbage yourself.
Oil the grill grates well. Since cod is lean, it tends to stick to grill grates if they aren’t properly oiled. Clean the grates first, then either spray them with cooking oil or dip a paper towel in oil and use metal tongs to rub it on the grates.
Don’t overcook the cod. Cod cooks quickly on the grill. Choose fillets of even thickness so they cook at the same rate. Flip only once to prevent them from breaking. I use a meat thermometer to ensure the fish isn’t overcooked. Remove it when the internal temperature is 130°-145° F. It will flake easily when it’s done.
Warm the tortillas before assembling the fish tacos. I recommend warming them on the grill for a minute so they get a nice char. You can also wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave or wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven.

What Kind Of Fish Is Best For Fish Tacos?

A mild white fleshed fish such as cod, halibut, mahi mahi, or tilapia are all great for fish tacos. You can also use salmon for fish tacos like I did with these Grilled Salmon Tacos with Strawberry Avocado Salsa.

Three grilled cod fillets on a white plate.

How To Grill Fish For Fish Tacos

Preheat your grill to 400° F. The grill need to be properly heated so that the fish gets a good crust. I let the grill heat for at least 10 minutes before adding the fish to it.
Brush the grates clean. Making sure they are clean helps ensure that the fish doesn’t stick to them.
Oil the grill grates well so the fish doesn’t stick to them. Because cod is lean you’ll want to rub the fillets on both sides with oil or use a marinade has oil in it.
Let the fish cook untouched for 3-4 minutes. Trying to flip fish before it’s ready can cause it to tear and break. You only need to flip the fish once, flipping too often can also cause it to fall apart.
White fish cooks quickly on the grill, especially if you are using fillets. Cod fillets take between 6-9 minutes to cook. You’ll know the fish is done when it flakes easily in the middle with a fork.
Let the cod rest before flaking it. This allows the moisture to reabsorb into the fish. It also allows for carry over cooking. It will continue to cook for several minutes without drying out.

Serving Suggestions

I love to make a side dish or have some sort of chips and dip situation to serve with tacos. My Mexican Street Corn Salad and Mexican Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette are delicious salads to serve with tacos.

This Black Bean and Corn Salsa Salad doubles as a dip to serve with tortilla chips. And you must try this Mexican Corn and Green Chile Dip and my green chile guacamole, which can also be added as topping to the grilled fish tacos.

Storage and Reheating

Storage – Store the components for the grilled fish tacos in separate containers for freshness. The leftover grilled fish, white sauce “crema”, and shredded cabbage will keep for 3-4 days. It’s best to slice the avocado just before serving to keep it from turning brown.

Reheating – The best way to reheat fish for tacos is in the oven. Wrap the fish loosely in foil with a splash of water or broth. Warm it in a 325° F. oven for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through. It takes a little extra time, but warming it in the microwave tends to make the fish rubbery and dry.

Grilled Fish Tacos topped with cabbage, avocado, and white sauce.

More Taco Recipes

Fish and shrimp tacos are perfect for summer and grilling. I absolutely love these Grilled Salmon Tacos with Corn Salsa, Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Slaw, and Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde.

Ground beef tacos and, turkey tacos, and baked chicken tacos are easy weeknight dinner options and kid-friendly, as are my slow cooker Creamy Green Chile Chicken Tacos.

If you’ve never had breakfast tacos, you’re missing out! Try these Sweet Potato, Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tacos and Egg, Green Chile, and Cheese Breakfast Tacos.