These Blackened Snapper Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce are so tasty and perfect for your next taco night at home. They only require a few simple steps and are ready to serve in 20 minutes.
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Top Tips for The Best Snapper Tacos
- Make the cilantro key lime cream sauce in advance and chill until ready to use.
- Prep your chopped veggies before the fish so when the fish is cooked, you can easily pull together the tacos.
- Homemade blackened seasoning is very easy to make. You can also use Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic at your fish market.
- For a grain-free option, use almond flour tortillas instead of corn or wheat. I used Maria and Ricardo's tortillas, but Siete tortillas work well too and are easy to find in South Florida grocery stores.
Looking for a grilled version? Try my Grilled Red Snapper Tacos made with fresh snapper fillets, cabbage slaw, and creamy taco sauce.
Fish for Fish Tacos
Great fish tacos start with fresh, high-quality fish. These tacos are made with yellowtail snapper fillets, but you can use any type of snapper you like, including red snapper or mangrove snapper.
Living in the Florida Keys, we're fortunate to have access to many kinds of fresh local fish. Mahi mahi, grouper, and hogfish also make excellent fish tacos.
Use the freshest fish you can find. Red snapper is widely available in grocery stores and seafood markets across the U.S.
What You Need
These tacos are seasoned with Cajun blackened seasoning.
Blackened seasoning is a smoky spice blend made with paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano, and thyme. It adds bold flavor and a little heat, making it perfect for fish tacos.
Ingredients for Blackened Seasoning
- sweet paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground oregano
- ground thyme
- cayenne pepper
- kosher salt
- black pepper
For The Fish
- Thin white fish fillets, such as red snapper or yellowtail, cut into 2-inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- tortillas
- fresh cilantro
- olive oil
- onions
- shredded red or green cabbage
- jalapeno peppers
- limes
- sour cream
Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce
This easy sauce comes together in minutes. If you're short on time, simply top the tacos with sour cream, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
To make the sauce, combine sour cream, cilantro, the juice of 2 limes, jalapeño, and salt in a blender or mixing bowl. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more lime juice if needed to thin the sauce.
Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.
How to Make Snapper Tacos
I usually cook the fish in a 12-inch skillet or cast-iron pan, but you can also grill the fish until it flakes easily with a fork.
- Prep the toppings first. Slice the vegetables and place everything in bowls or on a platter so the tacos are easy to assemble once the fish is cooked.
- Cut the fish into 2-inch pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Season with about 1½ tablespoons of blackened seasoning, reserving the rest for another use.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the fish and cook for about 2 minutes without moving. Flip and cook another 2 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet before assembling the tacos.
Assembling the Tacos
- Spread a spoonful of cilantro lime cream sauce onto each tortilla.
- Top with blackened snapper, cabbage, onions, jalapeños, and your favorite taco toppings.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice before serving.
Taco Toppings
- Homemade Guacamole
- Mango Pico de Gallo or Traditional Pico de Gallo
- Cilantro Lime Crema or Creamy Pink Taco Sauce
- Mexican Slaw
Shredded cabbage, red onions, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, sliced radishes, and jalapeños all make great taco toppings.
What To Serve With Fish Tacos
Serve these easy sides with blackened fish tacos:
Takeaway
These blackened snapper tacos are packed with bold Cajun flavor, flaky fish, fresh toppings, and creamy cilantro lime sauce. They're easy enough for weeknight dinners but good enough for guests and summer cookouts.
- Blackened seasoning adds smoky, spicy flavor to fresh snapper fillets.
- Cilantro lime sauce brings a cool, creamy finish to the tacos.
- Fresh toppings like cabbage, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, and lime add crunch and brightness.
- Cook the fish in a skillet or on the grill until flaky and lightly charred.
- Serve the tacos hot with rice, salsa, guacamole, or your favorite taco sides.
FAQ
Fresh, flaky white fish works best for fish tacos. Snapper, mahi mahi, grouper, hogfish, trout, flounder, and sole are all good choices. Use the freshest fish you can find.
Blackened fish has a smoky flavor with a little heat from cayenne pepper. You can easily adjust the spice level by using more or less cayenne.
Yes. Snapper works very well on the grill. Make sure the grill is hot before adding the fish and lightly oil the grates to help prevent sticking. Cook the fillets over medium-high heat until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
You'll usually get about 3 to 5 yellowtail snapper fillets per pound, depending on the size of the fish.
You can prep the toppings and sauce ahead of time, but cook the fish right before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Corn tortillas are traditional for fish tacos, but flour tortillas also work well. For a grain-free option, try almond flour tortillas.
Creamy sauces like cilantro lime crema, spicy taco sauce, or sour cream with lime juice pair well with blackened fish tacos.
Use flaky fish cooked just until done and avoid overfilling the tortillas. Warm tortillas are also less likely to crack or tear.
Visiting Key Largo?
Check out these posts to make your trip a great one!
- Where's The Best Place To Watch The Sunset in Key Largo?
- Where to Eat Breakfast in Key Largo
- Best Seafood Restaurants in Key Largo
If you're planning the drive to Key West, take a look at my guide on driving from Miami to Key West along Overseas Highway, where I share the best stops, views, and places worth pulling over for along the way.
Blackened Snapper Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE CILANTRO LIME SAUCE
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
FOR THE BLACKENED SEASONING
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper use more for extra heat
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE TACOS
- 1 pound thin white fish fillets, such as red snapper or yellowtail, cut into 2-inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 limes
- 6 tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cabbage, (about ½ head of cabbage)
- 1 red or white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 sliced jalapeno pepper
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
FOR THE CILANTRO CREAM SAUCE
- Combine sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl or food processor. Add more lime juice and salt as needed. Chill until ready to serve.
FOR THE FISH
- In a mason jar with a lid, shake together the blackened seasoning ingredients. Measure out 1-½ tablespoons of the spice blend per pound of fish. Reserve the extra in the covered jar for another use.
- Cut fish into 2-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish with blackened seasoning.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until hot, but not smoking. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the fish and squeeze half a lime over it.
- Cook for another minute or two until the fish is white and flakes easily with a fork. Then remove it to a plate.
TO PLATE THE TACOS
- Heat the tortillas in a dry hot skillet (medium-high) for 15 to 30 seconds each.
- For each taco, spread a little lime cilantro crema on each. Top with fish, cabbage, onions, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro. Add additional sauce on top of each taco, and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a dollop of sour cream.
