Flaky redfish is blackened with a house-made blackening seasoning, piled on toasted tortillas, and topped with a sweet and tangy cilantro lime slaw. These scrumptious tacos made with blackened redfish are packed with spicy, tangy, and fresh flavors!
Fish tacos are so tasty and can be made with many different types of fish and toppings. These blackened redfish tacos are made with mild, flaky orange roughy, which falls into the broad "redfish" category.
The sweet and tangy cilantro lime slaw takes these tacos over the top and is the perfect complement to the spicy redfish. If you're in the mood for more delicious fish recipes, be sure to check out our Southern Oven Fried Catfish and Blackened Salmon Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce next!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- How To Make This Recipe
- What Fish Is Best for Fish Tacos?
- What Is Redfish?
- What Are the Best Toppings for Fish Tacos?
- How To Blacken Fish
- Variations and Substitutions
- What to Serve With Fish Tacos
- Storing Instructions
- Recommended Tools For This Recipe
- More Easy Dinner Recipes You Will Love!
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
Cilantro-Lime Slaw
- Red and Green Cabbage. This slaw is made with a combination of shredded red and green cabbage. You use pre-shredded cabbage or shred it yourself.
- Fresh cilantro. Chopped cilantro adds freshness and herbiness to the slaw.
- Fresh jalapeno. Seeded and finely chopped jalapeno is added to the slaw for a subtle touch of heat.
- Green onions. Chopped fresh green onion adds mild onion flavor and a fresh, grassy note.
- Mayonnaise. The base for the slaw dressing.
- Fresh lime juice. For acidity and tanginess.
- Granulated sugar. For a touch of sweetness to balance out the other flavors.
- Salt and cracked black pepper. To season the slaw.
Blackened Redfish
- Smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, black pepper, oregano, and thyme. These are the seasonings used to blacken the fish fillets.
- Redfish filets. These tacos can be made with any redfish variety, such as red snapper, red drum, or orange roughy. Rinse the fish and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Melted unsalted butter. To coat the fish so that seasoning sticks and creates a nice crust when blackened.
- Extra-virgin olive oil. To coat the skillet so that the fish does not stick.
- 4-inch tortillas. Each taco can be made with one flour tortilla or two stacked corn tortillas.
How To Make This Recipe
- Add the cabbage, cilantro, green onion, jalapeno, mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until all of the ingredients are combined. Refrigerate the slaw while you prepare the fish.
- Add all of the spices for the blackening seasoning to a small bowl and use a fork or small whisk to mix them together. Set aside.
- Heat two tablespoons of olive in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat the redfish fillets dry with paper towels.
- Brush each piece of fish with melted butter on one side and generously coat with the blackening seasoning and rub it into the fish with your hands. Repeat on the other side of the fish fillets.
- Immediately place the fish in the hot skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes until a dark crust forms. Flip the fish and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Transfer the fish to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toast the tortillas until warm and browned around the edges.
- Lay the tortillas out flat on a serving plate and top with flaked pieces of blackened redfish. Use tongs to top the fish tacos with coleslaw. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!
What Fish Is Best for Fish Tacos?
I have discovered that just about any fish works great for fish tacos! However, flaky white fish is the most popular fish for tacos because of its mild flavor and light, flaky texture. Some of the best varieties of white fish for tacos are:
- Cod
- Snapper
- Grouper
- Flounder
- Mahi Mahi
Also try making tacos with salmon, tuna, or catfish if you want something a little less traditional!
What Is Redfish?
Redfish is a common term used to describe a number of different fish species. It is most commonly applied to deep-sea rockfish, red drum, and red snapper. Other types of redfish include:
- Ocean perch
- Blackfin snapper
- Orange roughy (this is the fish I used for these tacos!)
Redfish is mild and slighlty sweet and has a slightly delicate, flaky texture. This article goes into great detail about the flavor profile of redfish.
What Are the Best Toppings for Fish Tacos?
No fish taco is complete without fun,flavorful toppings! Some of my favorite toppings for tacos made with fish are:
- Slaw, such as jalapeno slaw or cilantro-lime slaw
- Flavored mayonnaise, such as sriracha mayo or chipotle mayo
- Crema sauce, such as lime or jalapeno crema
- Salsa, such as mango salsa or roma tomato salsa
- Fresh herbs, such as chopped cilantro, or fresh parsley
How To Blacken Fish
The term blackening fish refers to the process of coating fish in melted butter and spicy seasoning then cooking it in a hot skillet until a dark brown crust forms on the exterior.
Blackening is most commonly done to fish, chicken, and shrimp and is very popular in Cajun and Creole cuisine. You can purchase store-bought blackening seasonings or you can easily make your own at home - just check out our Best Homemade Blackening Seasoning recipe!
Variations and Substitutions
Feel free to try these tacos with different combinations of proteins and toppings. Instead of making these tacos with blackened redfish, try:
- Blackened shrimp
- Blackened chicken
- Fried fish
- Fried shrimp
- Fried oysters
What to Serve With Fish Tacos
There are many different sides that perfectly complement tacos made with blackened fish. Some of my favorites are:
- Black beans
- Cilantro-lime rice
- Mexican street corn
- French fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Hush puppies
Storing Instructions
I do not recommend storing fully assembles redfish tacos as the tortillas will become soggy from the fish and slaw liquids.
However, you can store leftover cilantro lime slaw and blackened redfish in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recommended Tools For This Recipe
More Easy Dinner Recipes You Will Love!
- Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken
- Cajun Honey Butter Shrimp
- Cajun Shrimp and Corn Chowder
- Hot Honey Butter Chicken Thighs
📖 Recipe
Blackened Redfish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
Equipment
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Slaw
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro packed
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions green parts only
- 1 fresh jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Juice of one medium lime
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Cracked black pepper to taste
Blackening Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Fish
- 1.5 pounds redfish filets such as red drum, red snapper, or orange roughy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
- 8 four-inch flour tortillas or 16 four-inch corn tortillas
Instructions
- Add the cabbage, cilantro, green onion, jalapeno, mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until all of the ingredients are combined. Refrigerate the slaw while you prepare the fish.
- Add the smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenn pepper, cumin, salt, black pepper, thyme, and oregano to a small bowl and use a fork or small whisk to mix the spices together. Set the blackening seasoning aside.
- Heat two tablespoons of olive in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat the redfish fillets dry with paper towels.
- Brush each piece of fish with melted butter on one side and generously coat with the blackening seasoning, rubbing it into the fish with your hands. Repeat on the other side of the fish fillets.
- Immediately place the fish in the hot skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes until a dark crust forms. Flip the fish and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Transfer the fish to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toast the tortillas until warm and browned around the edges.
- Lay the tortillas out flat on a serving plate and top with flaked pieces of blackened redfish. Use tongs to top the fish tacos with coleslaw. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can use packaged, pre-shredded cabbage or you can shred your own cabbage at home.
- You can also use 2 cups of packaged coleslaw mix to save time.
- Cook the fish immediately after coating it in the butter and blackening seasoning. Allowing it to sit will cause the butter to solidify and the seasoning to clump and fall off.
- If using corn tortillas, stack two on top of one another when serving since they are much thinner than flour street taco tortillas.
- If you use regular taco-size tortillas, you will not get as many tacos.
- Leftover slaw and redfish can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Marlon Boyd
Made these for Taco Tuesday and my Fam loved them! It was so easy to make and will be a go to from now on!
Ashley Boyd
I'm so happy to be a part of your family's Taco Tuesday! Thank you for trying the recipe!
Megan
Wow! This is the best fish taco recipe on the internet! The blackening seasoning is so delicious and the cilantro lime slaw tastes amazing on the tacos! I will definitely be making these again.
Ashley Boyd
You just made my day, Megan! I'm happy you love the tacos. Thank you for trying the recipe.
Tamara
Oh my goodness! These were some of the BEST fish tacos I have ever had. My family devoured them, and everyone went in for seconds!
Ashley Boyd
This comment just made me grin from ear to ear! I'm so happy your family loved the tacos. Thank you for trying the recipe, Tamara!