Fish Tacos
Seasoned cod cooked in lemon and oil, filled into warm taco shells with a creamy cilantro sauce and fresh toppings. A fast, weeknight-friendly dinner ready in about 20 minutes.
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 package taco seasoning mix, divided
- 1 pound cod or white fish fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 fillets)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 (12 count) package taco shells, warmed (or 1 (12 count) package flour tortillas)
- shredded cabbage
- chopped tomato
- lime juice
- taco sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning mix. Set this sauce aside while you cook the fish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the fish pieces, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and the remaining taco seasoning mix, then pour everything into a large skillet.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.
- Fill the warmed taco shells with the fish mixture.
- Top with the cilantro sauce and your choice of toppings — shredded cabbage, chopped tomato, a squeeze of lime juice, and taco sauce all work well here.
Chef's Note: Cooking the fish directly in its seasoning and oil, right in the skillet, keeps this recipe genuinely fast — there's no separate marinating step, and the constant stirring breaks the cod into flaky, bite-sized pieces that fill a taco shell perfectly. Splitting the taco seasoning between the sauce and the fish means both components carry the same flavor base, so nothing tastes like an afterthought.
Warm, crisp taco shells hold up better than flour tortillas once the fish and toppings go in, but tortillas make a fine substitute if that's what you have or prefer. Don't skip warming the shells first — a few minutes in a low oven keeps them from cracking when you fill them. The toppings here are meant to be flexible, so add avocado, pickled onion, or a hot sauce if you'd like to build it out further.
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