These grilled fish tacos are a summer favorite. Smoky, flavorful grilled fish is served on warm tortillas with a crisp, refreshing jalapeño corn slaw. Light, bright, and full of flavor, they make an ideal warm-weather meal.
Have a Monday margarita with these tacos!
These tacos are an easy way to make a weeknight dinner feel special. The fish grills up smoky, flaky and buttery, while the jalapeño corn slaw adds crunchy, citrusy contrast and a touch of heat. Together they create a balanced, satisfying bite.
Fish tacos are one of our go-to meals. While beer-battered versions are fantastic, grilled fish tacos feel lighter and are perfect for hot weather when you don’t want to turn on the oven. They’re customizable, quick to make, and won’t leave you feeling heavy after eating.
Grilling keeps the kitchen cool, and the meal stays fresh and bright. The slaw adds a bright crunch, and it’s ideal served either on the tacos or alongside them as a salad.
For the fish, choose a mild white fish such as cod. Salmon also works well if you prefer it. I season generously with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder and a pinch of chipotle chili powder so every bite has layered, smoky flavor.
Using a grill pan is a helpful trick to get perfect, intact fillets on the grill. A well-oiled grill pan prevents the fish from flaking through the grates and makes flipping easier, especially for home cooks new to grilling. If your fillets are large and firm, you can place them directly on the grates — just watch them closely, since fish cooks very quickly.
Now… the slaw.
This jalapeño corn slaw might be our favorite summer slaw. It adds a bright, crisp counterpoint to the tender fish. The slaw combines super thinly sliced green cabbage, corn cut right from grilled ears, thinly sliced jalapeños (seeds removed if you want less heat), lots of fresh cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
The texture is wonderfully crunchy and refreshing, slightly sweet from the corn and bright from the lime and cilantro. It’s so good you’ll want to eat it by the bowl — and it works perfectly as either a taco topping or a side salad.
My favorite toppings for these tacos are quick pickled onions, crumbled cotija cheese, extra cilantro and fresh lime wedges. Those simple additions brighten the tacos and add a salty, tangy finish.
Assemble warm tortillas with the grilled fish, spoonfuls of the jalapeño corn slaw, pickled onions, cotija and cilantro. Finish with a spritz of lime and serve immediately.
And that’s dinner — light, fresh, and full of summer flavor.
Grilled Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Corn Slaw
Grilled Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Corn Slaw
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Ingredients
- 1 pound cod or similar mild white fish
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- flour or corn tortillas, your choice
- pickled onions, for topping
- crumbled cotija cheese, for topping
- fresh cilantro, for topping
- fresh lime wedges, for spritzing
Jalapeño Corn Slaw
- 1 small green cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 ears of grilled corn kernels cut from the cob
- 2 jalapeño peppers thinly sliced, seeds removed for milder heat
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your grill to high. If you plan to grill corn for the slaw, do that first since the fish cooks quickly.
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Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin and chipotle chili powder. Place the fillets on a grill pan or directly on the grates if using large pieces.
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Place the grill pan on the grill. If you haven’t already grilled the corn, add the ears to the grates now to char for the slaw.
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Grill the fish 2 to 3 minutes with the lid closed, then gently flip and grill another 2 to 3 minutes, until flaky and opaque. Avoid overcooking.
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Warm tortillas if desired. Assemble tacos by layering fish, jalapeño corn slaw, pickled onions, cotija and cilantro. Finish with lime.
Jalapeño Corn Slaw
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Combine thinly sliced cabbage, grilled corn kernels, sliced jalapeños and cilantro in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, add lime juice and olive oil, then toss with tongs until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Hot pink toppings are life.