Tempura-battered tilapia fish tacos with spicy slaw, pickled onions, shredded cheese, topped with cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime served on flour tortilla shells.
When I first heard of fish tacos, I imagined a mushy taco of shredded baked fish. It didn’t sound too appetizing.
Then, I saw a friend order them at a restaurant where the fish was actually battered and fried, served with coleslaw, and realized that’s what fish tacos were all about!
Some of my family liked shredding the fish into finer pieces and others left them whole like the photo above. The fish is tender and falls apart easily either way.
Ingredients for Fish Tacos with Spicy Slaw
- Tilapia Fillets
- Tempura Powder Mix
- Cold Water
- Canola Oil
- Flour Tortillas
- Dole’s 14 oz Bag of Classic Slaw
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha Sauce
- Shallot
- Salt
- Cilantro
- Shredded Colby Jack or Crumbled Queso Fresco Cheese
- Lime
Spicy Slaw Pickled Onions
How is it made?
The tilapia tacos are mixed in a tempura batter and fried in canola oil (vegetable oil works too) to get a golden crispy coating.
I used Dole’s Classic Coleslaw mix from the produce section with all of the salad mixes. It’s a dry mix with no sauces added to it.
I mixed the dry slaw with mayonnaise and sriracha to give it a little kick.
The onions are pickled in lime juice with a hint of salt to give acid to this dish.
Can fish tacos be refrigerated?
The tempura-battered fish keeps pretty well. I made extra and we were eating it 3 days later.
They tasted great and still had a bit of a crisp coating.
The fish lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator after cooking.
To make it ahead: mix the tempura batter with the fish, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours prior to cooking.
The spicy slaw lasts in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, and the pickled onions for up to 2 weeks.
Try these other great recipes!
- Chicken-Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Chicken Flautas
- Corn and Black Bean Salsa
- Easy Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans
- Easy Homemade Refried Beans
- Instant Pot Street-Style Beef Tacos (with homemade Pico de Gallo!)
- Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas
- Mexican Black Beans
- Mexican Street Corn in a Cup
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- The BEST Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
Enjoy!
Fish Tacos with Spicy Slaw
Tempura battered tilapia fish tacos with spicy slaw, pickled onions, shredded cheese, topped with cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime served on flour tortilla shells.
Ingredients
Fish Fry
- 1 lb Tilapia Fillets, cut into 1 1/2" - 2" Pieces
- 1 cup Tempura Powder Mix
- 3/4 cup Cold Water
- Salt to taste
- Canola Oil for frying
Spicy Slaw
- Dole's 14 oz Bag of Classic Slaw
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Sriracha
Pickled Onions
- 1 Shallot, sliced thin
- 1 Lime, halved
- Dash of Salt
Finishings
- Flour Tortillas
- Cilantro for Topping
- Shredded Colby Jack or Crumbled Queso Fresco Cheese
- 1 Lime, quartered
Instructions
- In a small bowl, squeeze both halves of lime juice, add a dash of salt, and sliced shallots. Mix well and set aside.
- Place coleslaw in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise and sriracha and blend well, set aside.
- Mix tempura batter with cold water in a bowl. Consistency should be like pancake batter. Add tilapia and coat each piece.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add canola oil. Once the oil is hot, begin cooking battered tilapia in batches. Cook fish 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Place cooked fish on a towel-lined plate. Salt the fish to taste.
- Serve fish in warmed flour tortilla shells, top with slaw, pickled onion, cilantro leaves, cheese, and a squeeze of lime.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 583Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 127mgSodium 995mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 4gSugar 10gProtein 40g
Nutrition is not always accurate and products used in the recipe may differ from local ingredients available to you.
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