These Yellowtail Snapper Tacos with creamy cilantro lime sauce are so tasty and perfect for your next taco Tuesday. They only require a few simple steps and are ready to serve in 20 minutes.
Top Tips for The Best Fish Tacos
Authentic Fish tacos take 20 minutes to make and they're so good!!
- Wild-caught fish is harvested from the natural environment of the fish and is a healthier option than farmed fish.
- 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 taco seasoning is very easy to make and a healthier alternative to store-bought mixes that have preservatives in them.
- Try grain-free tortillas instead of corn or wheat for a healthier taco shell. I use Maria and Ricardo's almond flour tortillas for this recipe. They are grain-free and GMO-free.
Fish for Fish Tacos
Great fish tacos start with high-quality fish.
In the Florida Keys, we are fortunate to have so many varieties of snapper such as red snapper, yellowtail, mutton snapper, and mango snapper, to name a few.
You can also make great tacos with locally caught mahimahi, grouper, and hogfish.
Use the freshest fish you can get. Red snapper is available in most markets in the U.S.
What You Need
- Boneless, skinless thin white fish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Homemade taco seasoning: chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground oregano, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
- Tortillas
- Fresh cilantro
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Red or green cabbage
- Jalapeno peppers
- Limes
- Sour cream
- Salt
For the Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce
This is an easy sauce to pull together. If you're pressed for time, just top the tacos with a spoonful of sour cream, a pinch of chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
In a blender or mixing bowl, combine sour cream, cilantro, the juice of two limes, jalapeno, and salt to taste. Blend until smooth and creamy, adjusting the consistency with additional lime juice or salt as needed.
Place in a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
How to Make Snapper Tacos
I cooked my fish in a 12" frying pan or cast iron skillet. You can also grill the fish until it is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Slice and dice the veggies. Place them all in individual bowls or a platter so that when the fish is cooked, taco assembly will be easy.
- Cut the fish into 2-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish with about a tablespoon and a half of the taco seasoning. (Reserve the rest for another dish.)
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the fish to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes without moving; flip the fish and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Season lightly with salt and fresh pepper.
- Heat your tortillas in a separate dry skillet.
Assembling the tacos
- Spread a spoonful of cilantro lime cream sauce on each tortilla.
- Place a portion of flaked snapper fillets on top of the sauce.
- Top with cabbage, onions, sliced jalapenos or your favorite toppings.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the tacos.
Healthy Toppings for Tacos
Typically, tacos are topped with lettuce, tomato, and onions. Here is a list of my favorite healthy tacos toppings:
- Thinly sliced cabbage
- Chopped red onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced tomato
- Sliced radishes
- Fresh lime juice
- Homemade guacamole
- Homemade pico de Gallo
Fish Taco Variations
Instead of taco seasoning on the fish, try these variations:
- Extra crunchy fried fish: Pan Fried Yellowtail Snapper with Panko Breadcrumbs
- Almond flour pan-fried fish: Pan Fried Yellowtail Snapper.
- For oven-roasted or baked snapper: Roasted Yellowtail with Old Bay.
The Bottom Line
Take your Taco Tuesday to the next level with these healthy snapper fish tacos.
Cilantro Lime Sauce is my version of taco sauce. The fresh flavors of cilantro and lime juice mixed with sour cream make a refreshing and creamy taco topping.
Seared in a large skillet, flaky white snapper fillets are cooked in 5 minutes.
Top your tacos with fresh veggies such as crunchy cabbage, diced onions, sliced jalapenos, and extra cilantro. You can also use tomatoes, radishes, guac,salsa, and Pico de Gallo.
Serve the hot snapper tacos immediately with lime wedges and extra cilantro lime sauce on the side.
You can also serve the tacos with a side of Guacamole, Pico De Gallo, or Spanish Rice.
FAQ
The freshest fish you can get is the best for fish tacos. Look for thin, white fish fillets such as yellowtail, mutton snapper, lane snapper, hogfish, mahimahi, and grouper.
Guacamole
Homemade Pico de Gallo
Thinly sliced green or purple cabbage
Chopped cilantro
Diced tomato
Chopped red onions
Sliced radishes
Fresh lime juice
Sour cream
Mango salsa
You should have 4 or 5 fillets in a pound of yellowtail. It really depends on the size of the fish.
"📖 Recipe"
Yellowtail Snapper Tacos Recipe with Cilantro Lime Crema
Ingredients
FOR THE CILANTRO LIME SAUCE
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (one lime)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
FOR THE TACO SEASONING
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper use more for estra heat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
FOR THE TACOS
- 1 pound skinless, boneless snapper fillets (I used Yellowtail snapper)
- 3 limes
- salt
- 2 cups shredded cabbage (about ½ head of cabbage)
- 1 thinly sliced red or white onion
- 1 bunch chopped cilantro rinsed well to remove sand
- 1 sliced jalapeno pepper
- 6 tortillas I used almond flour tortillas (see note)
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 medium bowl, whisk taco spices together. Measure out 1 ½ tablespoons of the spice blend per pound of fish. Reserve the extra in a covered jar for another use.
- Cut fish into 2-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish with taco seasoning.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet for 2 minutes until very hot. Add the fish. Cook 2 minutes. Flip and squeeze half a lime over the fish.
- Cook for another minute or two until the fish is white and flakes easily with a fork. Remove to a plate.
TO PLATE THE TACOS
- Heat the tortillas in a hot skillet (medium-high) for 15 to 30 seconds each.
- For each taco, spread a little Lime Cilantro Cream Sauce on each. Top with fish, cabbage, onions, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro. Top each taco with additional sauce. and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
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