Looking for a weeknight dinner that feels restaurant-fancy but is surprisingly simple? These tilapia fish tacos deliver big flavor with minimal effort. Topped with crunchy red cabbage slaw and a juicy peach mango salsa, they come together in under 20 minutes—and just happen to be naturally gluten-free.
These tacos are one of my favorite dishes to serve when hosting gluten-free friends—fresh, crowd-pleasing, and no one misses the gluten.
Why You’ll Love These Tacos
Searching for more gluten-free seafood recipes? butter poached lobster / baked teriyaki salmon / blackened cod with avocado corn salsa
Ingredients
TIP
Don’t skip warming your tortillas—10–15 seconds over a gas flame makes them soft, flexible, and adds a subtle char that brings everything together.
Ingredient Notes
- Tilapia: Fresh or frozen fillets both work well. If using frozen, make sure they’re fully thawed and patted dry so they sear properly.
- Peach & Mango: I used my peach mango salsa recipe for these fish tacos, which pairs perfectly with the tilapia. My pineapple salsa or black bean corn salsa would also be delicious, too.
- Red Cabbage: Adds crunch and color. You can sub with green cabbage in a pinch, but red has more visual pop.
- Sour Cream: Feel free to use plain Greek yogurt instead for a slightly tangier crema.
- Jalapeño: Totally optional. If you’re spice-sensitive, leave it out. Want more kick? Add a second one or keep the seeds in.
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Yes—cod, mahi-mahi, or halibut all work well. Just adjust cook time based on thickness and flakeability.
You can make the crema and salsa up to a day ahead, and mix the spices in advance too. That way, everything comes together fast when it’s time to eat.
Expert Tips
Storage & Reheating
- Storage: Keep leftover tilapia in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store slaw and salsa separately to maintain texture and freshness.
- Freezer Option: Freezing is not ideal—the texture suffers. Just cook what you’ll eat, or store extra tilapia in the fridge.
- Reheating: Warm tilapia in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. Avoid microwaving (it dries out the fish). Slaw, salsa, and crema are best served chilled.
More gluten-free meals to try
Making these for taco night?
I’d love to hear how they turned out—leave a comment and rating below! You can also tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Tilapia Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- 1 pound tilapia filets - about 3-4 filets
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Cabbage Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt - dairy-free alternative if needed
- 2 tbsp cilantro - finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Serving:
- 8 small gluten-free corn tortillas
- 2 cups fruit salsa - I recommend my peach mango salsa recipe
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
Prepare the Fish:
- In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Pat the tilapia filets dry with paper towels. Evenly sprinkle the spice mix on both sides of each filet.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tilapia filets.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Prepare the Slaw:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the shredded red cabbage, lime juice, and kosher salt.
- Toss well to combine. Set aside for flavors to meld.
Prepare the Sauce:
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream or greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, lime zest, and salt.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
Assembling the Tacos:
- Warm the corn tortillas over a gas flame until charred on the edges or by placing them on a hot skillet for a few seconds on each side until they’re pliable.
- Place a portion of the cooked tilapia on each tortilla.
- Top with a generous helping of the slaw and fruit salsa.
- Drizzle with the prepared cilantro-lime sour cream sauce.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: If you have celiac disease or are gluten-free for other reasons, be sure to double check that all of your ingredients are gluten-free. Most corn tortillas are gluten-free, as they usually contain just corn, salt and water, but always confirm before purchasing.
- Dairy-Free Option: To make this recipe dairy-free, either omit the cilantro lime crema or substitute the sour cream with a dairy-free sour cream or greek yogurt alternative. Everything else is dairy-free as listed in the recipe instructions.
- Salsa Variations: You can use any salsa you like for this recipe, but I find that fruit salsas go so well with this tilapia taco recipe! My peach mango salsa is what was used in the photos of this recipe and so good! You can also try my pineapple salsa instead.
- Tilapia Thickness: My tilapia filets were on the thicker side, if yours are thinner, you may need to only cook them for 2-3 minutes per side. Be sure not to overcook the tilapia as it can get rubbery. While tilapia is recommended, feel free to substitute with other white fish like cod, halibut, or mahi-mahi.
- Storage: Store any leftover fish separately from the tortillas to keep the tortillas from getting soggy. Reheat fish in a skillet or oven for the best texture. I don’t recommend microwaving the fish to reheat.
- Prep Ahead: The cilantro-lime sour cream sauce can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. This will allow the flavors to meld and develop even further. The red cabbage slaw can also be prepared in advance. It’s crunchiest on the first day, but will store well for a few days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Step-by-Step instructions
Need some visual cues to help you out while you’re cooking! I’ve got you! The below photos are here to help you make this recipe perfectly!
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please use the above recipe card.
These are extremely colorful and gorgeous. I imagine these would taste amazing! Love me some peach; personally I’ll be missing strawberries.
Thank you so much Leisel! I’m a big fan of colorful recipes! I’m definitely going to be missing strawberries too! I love when they’re in season!
Love the colors and I’m a big fan of fish taco. I’m pinning this 🙂
Thank you! I LOVE fish tacos! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my gosh. I love fish tacos, they’re perfect for the end of summer. Delish!
I love fruit salsa. This looks amazingly good:)
I love tacos! I’ve never tried heating up my tortillas though. Will definitely have to do that next time!
Your recipes are always so original! Who would’ve thought to mix peaches and fish? I have to try this
UNREAL COMBO- i like, i like. BB2U
Yum! I LOVE fish tacos and these look amazing. And I just bought some more peaches tonight. I agree that I’m not ready for summer to end….I am soaking it up while I can. I love fall but we will have plenty of time for sweaters and pumpkin in October and November (well, pumpkin bread is allowed to stay). 🙂
Would flounder work?
Hi Sean! Flounder would definitely works and would be delicious! Try cooking the flounder for about the same amount of time as the tilapia in the recipe. Let me know how it tastes!