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Fish Taco Bowls are everything you love about a delicious fish taco – but loaded into a bowl. Tender cod fish seasoned with a select spices, served with pickled onions, black beans, rice, jalapeño sauce, and the most delicious slaw!
TACO ‘BOUT A FISH TACO BOWL!
It’s colorful, flavorful and everything you want out of fish tacos but in bowl form. Starting with the fluffy rice, we’ll top it with black beans, sliced serranos or jalapeños, tons of cilantro lime crema, and the real star of the show – a sweet and tangy coleslaw mix.
In all honestly, I could probably make a meal out of that slaw alone, and I have. It’s my signature homemade slaw recipe that I’ve done countless variations on – check these baja fish tacos and these cod fish tacos for proof.
It’s sweet, tangy, slightly smoky and toasty and it starts with a bagged cabbage mix, so it’s quick and easy too.
And that about checks almost all of my boxes for a delicious weeknight dinner recipe!
Ingredients for fish taco bowls:
- Flaky White Fish: The kind of fish you use for this recipe is entirely up to you. Since we’re making bowls out of the fish fillets, it won’t matter if it falls apart; so delicate fishes would be great for this recipe too. Try it with cod fish, mahi mahi, dover sole, tilapia, or halibut. Other types of fish would work too!
- Seasonings: we’ll need a boatload of seasonings for this recipe as it’s essentially what gives these spicy fish taco bowls the best flavor. You’ll need cornstarch to help lock in the moisture on this fish so that it sears beautifully but is tender, flakey, and moist. The best part is, this recipe is naturally gluten-free since we use cornstarch instead of flour for the seasoning mix. You’ll also need kosher salt, garlic powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, old bay seasoning, cayenne pepper and chipotle chili powder.
- Oil: you’ll need this to sear the fish.
- Sour Cream + Mayonnaise: we’ll use a combination of sour cream and mayo to make the green sauce. Here’s the brand of mayo I like to use lately.
- Jalapeños: we’ll use some for the crema, and then some as a topping for the bowls.
- Limes: you’ll need lime juice for the sauce and the slaw, and lime zest for the sauce! Plus lime wedges for serving are always a good idea too!
- Cilantro: We’ll use ¼ cup cilantro for the crema and more to top of spicy fish taco bowls with.
- Sesame Oil: adds the most delicious smoky flavor to the homemade cabbageslaw.
- Agave or Honey: adds a touch of sweetness to the slaw.
- Cabbage Mix: I like to use a bag of pre shredded coleslaw from the store for a quicker weeknight dinner. Leftovers will wilt, so I like to top just enough slaw for the meal and keep the dressing separate from the remaining slaw. in the fridge.
- Bowl stuff: I like to start by bowl with fluffy white rice, but quinoa, cauliflower rice, cilantro lime rice, or doubling the slaw would work too. You can use fiber-fulblack beans or refried beans, avocado, salsa, pickled red onion, guacamole salsa (instead of the crema), lime wedges, cotija cheese, cilantro or anything else you like. Pineapple, mango salsa, or corn salsa would be yummy too!
Tips for success! Bought old bay seasonings and looking for other ways to use it? Try my Seattle Smoked Chowder, Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Southern Shrimp Boil, Crab Cake Cups, and Tomato Crab Bisque.
Making Spicy Fish Taco Bowls
- Start with the sauce. You’ll need a blender for this recipe. I use a bullet blender to make things quick and easy! Start with the sour cream, mayo, jalapeño, lime juice + zest, cilantro, old bay seasoning, and chili powder and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve with the bowls.
- Sear the fish. In a bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, garlic, cumin, paprika, old bay, and cayenne pepper. Pat the fish dry and then generously sprinkle both sides of it with this seasoning mix. Drizzle the oil in a skillet set over medium high heat and cook the fish on both sides until sear and golden. Then flake the fish using a fork before you top the bowls.
- Make the slaw. In a small bowl, whisk the sesame oil, lime juice, agave or honey, garlic powder, and salt. Once mixed, we’ll toss the cabbage mix with this dressing.
- Making spicy fish taco bowls. Place the rice or your choice of base that you’re using in each bowl. Then top with the flaked fish, cabbage slaw, black beans, cilantro, pickled red onion, green sauce, and anything else you like in your bowl. You can even top them with crushed tortilla chips for a little added crunch if you’d like!
If you like this, try:
- Sesame Ponzu Shrimp Rice Bowls
- Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls with Corn Salsa
- Chicken Tinga Bowls
- Steak Fajita Bowls with Garlic Rice
- Mexican Rice
Spicy Fish Taco Bowls
Fish Taco Bowls are everything you love about a delicious fish taco – but loaded into a bowl. Tender cod fish seasoned with a select spices, served with pickled onions, black beans, rice, jalapeño sauce and the most delicious slaw!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pound firm white fish such as cod, tilapia or halibut
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
Crema:
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ jalapeño seeds/ribs removed
- 2 teaspoon lime juice + 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ cup loosely-packed cilantro
- ½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Toppings:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 4-5 teaspoons agave or honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder and kosher salt
- ~4 cups shredded cabbage mix
- Pickled onions
- Prepared rice
- Chopped cilantro/ avocados/ black beans/ cotija cheese for bowls
Instructions
- SAUCE: Add the sour cream, mayo, jalapeño, lime juice, zest, cilantro, old bay, and chipotle chili powder to a blender and blend until mostly smooth with just speckles of cilantro running through the sauce. Pour the sauce into a container, cover, and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- FISH: In a bowl, mix together the cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, old bay, and cayenne. Pat the fish loins/filets dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the prepared seasonings over the fish, making sure to evenly coat both sides. Heat a non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the fish for 2-4 minutes on each side or until the fish starts to turn opaque. Take care not to over cook the fish. Remove the filets to a plate and flake with a fork.
- SLAW: In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, salt, agave, and whisk together. Add the cabbage mix to a bowl and pour the dressing over the mix. Toss to combine, taste and adjust with more seasonings as desired.
- BOWLS: Place the desired amount of rice in bowls, top with flaked fish, cabbage slaw, black beans, avocados, and cilantro as desired. Then drizzle the sauce over the bowls and serve.
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