Crunchy, healthy Coconut Crusted Fish Tacos topped with a fresh mango salsa are the perfect tacos for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta or any time of year! (gluten-free and dairy-free options)
Y’all. I am so excited to share this recipe with you. And it’s been a long time coming. It’s the very first recipe I truly developed, and I’m still pretty proud of it. If I had to name one recipe that is my signature recipe that turns out perfectly every time, it’s this one. Meet my coconut crusted fish tacos.
I’ve been making these fish tacos since I was about 14 years old when I first started cooking. I had been baking with my mom since I could stand up, but when my mom went back to work part-time when I was a teenager, I started making dinner some of the days she worked to help out. That’s when I came up with these delicious fish tacos.
I couldn’t drive at the time, so I was usually left at the mercy of our refrigerator contents, and that’s still how I cook a lot of the time. That’s when I really fell in love with cooking and the creativity it allowed me.
Back to the important thing here, the tacos. These coconut crusted fish tacos are amazing. They turn out so delicious every single time. The sweet coconutty fish goes wonderfully with a tropical mango salsa, plus creamy avocado and salty cotija cheese to balance it out. It’s a party of flavors in your mouth! Or should I say a fiesta?! It is almost Cinco de Mayo after all.
My family loved these healthy coconut crusted fish tacos the first time I made them, and my husband still loves when I make them too! Since the crunchy coconut coating is a product of baking and not frying, the fish is a healthier version of crispy fish tacos. And you get loads of fruits and veggies with the yummy mango salsa! (The salsa is also amazing as-is with chips, so you might want to double to recipe, just sayin’.)
Basically, you need these tacos in your life, especially for Cinco de Mayo! If you need more fiesta inspiration, try some salsa verde, huevos rancheros tostadas, or skillet fajitas! And don’t forget the guac and margaritas!
Coconut Crusted Fish Tacos
Crunchy, Healthy Coconut Crusted Fish Tacos topped with a fresh mango salsa are the perfect tacos for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta or any time of year! (gluten-free and dairy-free options)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 tacos 1x
- Category: Main dish
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
Ingredients
Coconut crust:
- 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- Juice of 1 lime
- 4 tilapia filets
- 8 corn tortillas
Mango Salsa:
- 1/2 mango, diced
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1 small bunch cilantro leaves, diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
To serve:
- 1 small avocado, diced
- 2 tbsp cotija cheese or queso fresco
- fresh jalapeño (optional)
- limes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
- Mix together all ingredients for the coconut crust. Set aside.
- Rinse tilapia filets and pat dry with a paper towel. Squeeze lime juice over fish and then coat with the coconut mixture. Place on lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. Broil for the last minute to get the coconut nice and brown. Remove from oven and use a fork to gently break filets into smaller pieces.
- While fish is cooking prepare mango salsa. Dice veggies and mango and place in a small bowl. Add lime juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. The salsa can be made up to a day ahead.
- Once fish is done, assemble tacos: Add fish, mango salsa, avocado chunks, and cotija cheese to warm tortillas and serve immediately.
Notes
for gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs
for dairy-free, omit cheese
Keywords: seafood, tacos
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nutritioulicious says
May 2, 2016 at 12:24 pmGorgeous! And of course delicious! Love fish tacos!!
Kaleigh M says
May 2, 2016 at 7:37 pmThanks, Jessica! Me too! One of my favorites! 🙂
Jamie @ Dishing Out Health says
May 3, 2016 at 7:06 pmThese look fantastic, Kaleigh! Love the flavor combinations.
Kaleigh M says
May 3, 2016 at 8:26 pmThank you, Jamie!
Miranda says
October 11, 2017 at 7:22 pmThis has become my families favorite meal! Even my picky eater gobbles it up!
Kaleigh says
October 12, 2017 at 4:44 pmHi Miranda,
Thanks so much for stopping by, tis is one of our favorite meals, too! So glad you like it!
Andrea says
May 4, 2018 at 10:55 amI’m excited to try this recipie tomorrow, how do you get the coconut crust mixture to stick with out dredging it in egg like most recipies?
Kaleigh says
May 4, 2018 at 11:41 amHi Andrea,
I usually just gently press it onto both sides of the fish. You can also use an egg wash if you’d like! Enjoy!