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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    By Kaleigh McMordie - March 20, 2020, Updated June 30, 2020

    Healthy Coconut Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    overhead view of crunchy coconut fish tacos topped with a fresh mango salsa.

    Healthy Coconut Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa with a crunchy baked coconut breading are easy to make, super delicious, and perfect for weeknight dinners or celebrating with friends! (gluten-free and dairy-free options)

    Crunchy Coconut Fish Tacos topped with a fresh mango salsa are the perfect tacos for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta or any time of year! They're baked, not fried, so you can indulge healthfully. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo! | via livelytable.com

    This post was originally published May 2016 and has been updated.

    Can I tell you a secret? These coconut fish tacos are the first recipe I ever truly developed by myself. It was probably the start of my love affair with cooking (and also with Fridge Foraging). I was about 14 years old.

    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. I couldn't drive at the time, so I was usually left at the mercy of our refrigerator contents, and one day I came up with these healthy coconut crusted fish tacos. My family loved them, and they have been on regular rotation in my house ever since. 

    Fresh mango salsa in a bowl.

    Why You'll Love These Coconut Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa

    • These fish tacos are so delicious with a crispy baked coconut exterior surrounding tender white fish, topped with a fresh mango salsa, creamy avocado, and tangy cotija that will leave you feeling like you're on vacation at the beach. 
    • They're so easy to make - even a 14-year-old can make them!
    • They're a healthy and satisfying weeknight dinner option, loaded with  the perfect trifecta of protein, fiber, and healthy fats! 

    Fish getting covered with a coconut seasoning on a pan.

    How To Make Healthy Coconut Fish Tacos

    These baked fish tacos are super easy to make!

    1. Make the coconut breading. 
    2. Squeeze some lime on your fish and coat with the coconut breading. 
    3. Bake the fish for 15-20 minutes or until opaque and flaky.
    4. While the fish bakes, make the mango salsa and warm some corn tortillas.
    5. Use a fork to gently break the fish apart into large chunks. Load into tortillas with the mango salsa and enjoy!

    Coconut crusted fish on a pan out of the oven.

    How To Dice A Mango

    Just like any other fruit, I prefer to buy whole mangoes and cut them myself. It's way less expensive than buying pre-cut fruit. But mangoes can be tricky. They have a very large, hard seed in the middle and can be slippery. To easily dice a mango, cut vertically through the mango on either side of the big seed. Take one half and use a paring knife to score the mango vertically and horizontally in a grid, cutting almost all the way through, but not getting the skin. Then push the outside of the skin in toward the center to pop the flesh outward and use the paring knife to cut between the flesh and skin, yielding perfectly diced mango chunks!

    Fresh mango cut into pieces.

    Tips For Making The Best Coconut Fish Tacos

    • The salsa can be made up to a day in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
    • The breading can also be made in advance. I like to make a double batch to keep in the pantry for easy dinner prep when the craving for these tacos strikes. Store it in a mason jar or other airtight container up to 3 months.
    • Thicker fish filets will take longer to cook than thinner ones. The fish is ready when it is opaque and easily flakes, or when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
    • Broil the fish at the end for an extra crunchy coconut coating. Just watch carefully so that it doesn't burn!

    Crunchy coconut fish tacos topped with a fresh mango salsa on a white plate.

    What To Serve With Fish Tacos

    Chips and salsa or simple guacamole always does the trick for me, or try these other delicious Tex-Mex and Mexican-inspired recipes:

    • Easy Refried Black Beans
    • Caramelized Onion Guacamole
    • Granny Smith Apple Jicama Slaw
    • Cilantro Lime Quinoa
    • The Best Skinny Margaritas
    • Easy Pickled Red Onions
    • Homemade Corn Tortillas

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

    Print

    Healthy Coconut Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa

    crunchy coconut fish tacos topped with a fresh mango salsa on a white plate.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    Healthy Coconut Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa with a crunchy baked coconut breading are easy to make, super delicious, and perfect for weeknight dinners or celebrating with friends! (gluten-free and dairy-free options)

    • Author: Kaleigh
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 35 minutes
    • Yield: 8 tacos 1x
    • Category: main dish
    • Method: baked
    • Cuisine: Tex Mex

    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the Coconut Fish Tacos:

    • ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
    • ½ cup panko bread crumbs (use gf breadcrumbs for gluten-free option)
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • ½ tsp chili powder
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 1 lb whitefish filets (such as tilapia or cod)
    • 8 corn tortillas

    For the Mango Salsa:

    • ½ mango, diced
    • 1 medium ripe tomato, diced
    • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
    • ¼ small red onion, diced
    • 1 small bunch cilantro leaves, diced
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
    • Salt, to taste

    For serving:

    • 1 small avocado, diced
    • 2 tbsp cotija cheese or queso fresco (omit for dairy-free)
    • fresh jalapeño (optional)
    • limes (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
    2. Mix together coconut, bread crumbs, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and salt. Pour onto a plate for coating the fish.
    3. Rinse fish filets and pat dry with a paper towel. Squeeze lime juice over fish and then coat with the coconut mixture by gently pressing breading onto both sides. Place on lined baking sheet.
    4. Bake fish for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. Broil for the last minute to get the coconut nice and crispy. Remove from oven and use a fork to gently break filets into smaller pieces.
    5. While fish is cooking prepare mango salsa. Dice mango, tomato, jalapeño, onion and cilantro and place in a small bowl. Add lime juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
    6. Once fish is done, assemble tacos on warmed corn tortillas and top with mango salsa and any additional toppings you'd like.

    Notes

    • Mango salsa can be made up to a day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
    • Extra coconut breading can be made and stored in the pantry in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Make sure you don't store any breading that has been placed on the plate to coat the fish.
    • Thicker fish filets will take longer to cook than thinner ones. The fish is ready when it is opaque and easily flakes, or when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

    Keywords: coconut fish tacos with mango salsa, healthy fish tacos, baked coconut fish tacos

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission off of your purchase with no extra cost to you. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

    About Kaleigh McMordie

    Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda says

      January 05, 2020 at 8:05 pm

      Delicious! Even my super picky kiddos loved it!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Andrea says

      May 04, 2018 at 10:55 am

      I’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?

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        May 04, 2018 at 11:41 am

        Hi 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!

        Reply
    3. Miranda says

      October 11, 2017 at 7:22 pm

      This has become my families favorite meal! Even my picky eater gobbles it up!

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        October 12, 2017 at 4:44 pm

        Hi Miranda,
        Thanks so much for stopping by, tis is one of our favorite meals, too! So glad you like it!

        Reply
    4. Jamie @ Dishing Out Health says

      May 03, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      These look fantastic, Kaleigh! Love the flavor combinations.

      Reply
      • Kaleigh M says

        May 03, 2016 at 8:26 pm

        Thank you, Jamie!

        Reply
    5. nutritioulicious says

      May 02, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Gorgeous! And of course delicious! Love fish tacos!!

      Reply
      • Kaleigh M says

        May 02, 2016 at 7:37 pm

        Thanks, Jessica! Me too! One of my favorites! 🙂

        Reply

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