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Blackened Cod Fish Tacos – full of wonderful flavors, these fish tacos are better than the ones you order in a fancy restaurant!
These Blackened Cod Fish Tacos are so easy to make!
The seasoning for the cod is what makes their flavor unique. Served with avocado, tomatoes and homemade cabbage slaw.
I must admit – I love fish and shrimp tacos! It’s been a long time since I last made these and we haven’t gone to a Mexican restaurant in almost three months.
I got a chicken bowl from Chipotle last week and while eating it I kept telling myself, I have to make some tacos asap!
Why not take a break from traditional tacos using blackened cod fish.
I know that often fish tacos are made with tilapia, but this really isn’t my type of fish.
What fish is best for tacos?
When making fish tacos, I like to use cod fish.
Cod is relatively inexpensive and is perfect for a healthy fast meal.
Cod fish cooks fast and is perfect for some lazy meals !
It takes seasoning well and you can easily flake it.
Let’s even look at it this way: you can easily use your left over fish and these tacos only take 25 minutes (or even less) to prepare.
This is my go to taco recipe for a quick weeknight dinner.
How Long Do You Cook Cod For Fish Tacos?
Depending on the thickness of the fish, cook on the stove top over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side.
Blackening the fish, really matches the spicy nature of tacos.
What toppings do you put on cod fish tacos?
In this cod fish tacos recipe I added cabbage slaw, creamy avocado and flavorful salsa verde.
I really wanted to make this meal a quick one, that’s why I just added avocado slices, instead of making guacamole.
If you are the type of person, who doesn’t like just plain avocado slices in tacos, you can definitely make some homemade avocado and use it in your tacos.
Other toppings you may add to these blackened cod fish tacos?
- grated cheese
- homemade salsa
- homemade blender guacamole
- chipotle mayo
If you are not a fan of cod fish, you can use tilapia or halibut instead. Don’t like fish at all? Try these with chicken. This Crock Pot Shredded Chicken from The Clean Eating Couple is quick and easy to make with only 4 ingredients.
I usually buy my salsa, but I’ve made it from scratch in the past.
This time I had a bottle of Stonewall Salsa Verde, which is one of my favorite brands.
If you are not a huge fan of spicy foods, you can only season the fish for this recipe with salt and pepper.
My family doesn’t mind the spiciness, that’s why I almost always blacken fish for tacos.
For the cabbage slaw, I used a mixture of green and purple cabbage, which I lightly tossed in some olive oil, vinegar and salt . Sorry, not a creamy slaw lover, but this is totally optional and you can add some mayo to the cabbage slaw.
Blackening is a cooking technique, used for cooking fish and other foods.
It is often associated with Cajun cuisine.
Spices used for blackening often are paprika, oregano, chili pepper, garlic or onion powder.
Foods are cooked in a hot cast iron skillet.
We had these tacos for dinner the other day, while watching A Million Ways To Die In The West ( a really crazy movie )!
I usually eat at least 4 of these, a great excuse, since fish changes its taste after sitting in the fridge.
Blackened Cod Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the cod fish:
- 1 1/2 lb cod fish, (cut into 3 inch long fillets)
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp canola oil
Cabbage slaw:
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, (can use lime or lemon juice, I just prefer vinegar for the cabbage slaw)
Other:
- 2 ripe avocados sliced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, (or 1 cup diced tomatoes)
- 1 jalapeño pepper chopped into small pieces
- salsa verde for serving, (I used Stonewall brand, any salsa of your choice is fine)
- lime wedges, (halves) and cilantro for serving
- 12 flour tortillas
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne. Mix and then sprinkle over fish fillets, rub to coat evenly.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium yea and cook fish until browned and firm or for around 4 minutes per side. (Cooking time depends on the thickness of fillets, type of skillet and oven used).
- In a large bowl combine salt, olive oil and apple cider vinegar and stir. Add cabbage and toss, so it is evenly coated with dressing.
- You can make your own salsa, but I used store bought one this time.
- To assemble tacos: Warm tortillas in a skillet. Break cod fish into pieces. Distribute fish evenly between 12 tortillas, add cabbage slaw, avocado, tomatoes and top with salsa. Optional: you can top with some chopped cilantro and jalapeño pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes:
Chipotle Chicken { Copycat } And Nachos Recipe
I’ve never tried using cod before in fish tacos, but that’s a great idea. These tacos look delicious!
Thanks Danielle!!!
I love the colors in these! Blackening is one of my favorite methods of preparing fish – but I have never done it with cod! I’ll have to give this one a try as fish tacos are super popular in our house! Love the vinegar slaw too – pairs so well with the seasoning!
I hope you like them Kathleen!
Thanks Arpita!
These look INCREDIBLE! 🙂 Black Cod is the BOMB and I would totally use it in this recipe! YUM
Thanks!
Wow these fish tacos are brilliant! ! Never tried fish tacos before. . Can’t wait to try this. . Yumm!
The flavours on this fish sound just wonderful. I’ve been wanting to make some easy fish tacos for ages and these seem pretty close to what I was imagining … I would definitely just slice the avocado rather than making guac. Love your colourful photos, too!
Thanks Helen! Tacos are so easy to photograph, right?
Chipotle is a wonderful, magic place all right!
But I much prefer these fish tacos. I can never resist a fish taco, and this recipe is fantastic, Mira!
Thanks a lot Mir! I’m so glad you like it!
These taco’s look so nutritious (and delicious of course) I confess, I’ve never had a fish taco! But I see them on restaurant menu’s all the time, will have to try these. Never been to Chipotle either so it’s time to get out more, huh?!? What a wonderful combination of ingredients.
These are very easy to make Laura and you can easily adjust them to your taste. Chipotle is a good place if you like Mexican food, more like fast food, but they try to use healthier ingredients. 🙂
Fish tacos are my favorite — I order them all the time! I’ve only made them at home once, which is ridiculous, because they were so easy. I love the sound of the blackened cod, and that salsa sounds amazing!
Thanks Marcie! I agree, they are easy to make, but I also rarely make them 🙂 (don’t know why)
These are so gorgeous, Mira! Beautiful photos. I love that you used cod instead of tilapia, and the seasoning blend is so simple! A vinegar slaw is a much better choice than a creamy one, too, I think that’s how fish tacos are traditionally served. I also think sliced avocado is better than guacamole because there is no diluting the avocados. 🙂 Pinned!
Glad you like them Meggan 🙂 Thanks for pinning!