Easy Fish Tacos (+bonus Fresh Strawberry Margarita Recipe!)

Another night, another dinner on the deck.

Our menu around here has clearly begun to reflect that summer and warm weather are here!

We’ve been eating a lot of salads (until the massive bagged lettuce recall recently 😳), grilling, or having “Happy Hour at Home” for dinner.

All our vacation plans got cancelled this summer. No Paris, no London, no Bordeaux, no Napa, and the first summer in years we haven’t been to Mexico. So, we’ve been trying to work-in some fun things here and there, including some fun dinners… sort of like “vacationing” at home…

Fish tacos and strawberry margaritas from the berries we picked at the strawberry patch were on the menu recently.

Plus, can I say that my husband is the best. I was working on dinner, and he came out dressed and ready for vacation!

He always makes things fun. ❤️🌮🏝

Let’s Make Some Fish Tacos!

The Seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together some cayenne pepper, cumin, and salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture generously over both sides of your tilapia fillets.

I used foil on my sheet pan for easy cleanup. Nobody wants to come back to a messy kitchen after a relaxing dinner, especially a dinner where margaritas were involved, right? 🤣

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Then, drizzle your fish with a little olive oil, and top each one with a small pat of butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I turned the broiler on for the last 2-3 minutes to crisp up the edges just a bit more.

The Sauce

In another small bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, garlic powder and hot sauce. Store this in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. This stuff is just so good. I probably added a little more lime juice even than the recipe calls for, because I love how the tangy lime flavor complements this fish taco.

Oh, and don’t forget to save some lime wedges for squeezing over the finished tacos. The lime is a big deal in this recipe. Don’t get skimpy. 🍈

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The Toppings

I love the freshness of the toppings on these tacos. That’s why this is such a great summer supper. Because the fish is so mild, you don’t want your toppings to be too overpowering, so fresh and simple is the way to go.

I used:

• shredded cabbage (you could shred your own red cabbage, which would be lovely, but I used a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix and it worked fine)
• avocado, cut in large chunks
• grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
• cilantro (do yourself a favor and use one of THESE for cutting it. If you love cilantro as much as we do, you’ll be thankful.)
• red onion (I don’t eat raw onions, so I left this off)
• lime wedges
• Cojita cheese (I didn’t use this on mine, but my hubs did)

To Serve:

I think these are best with corn tortillas, but you can use what you like. Choose the kind that are on the smaller size.

Warm your tortillas gently on both sides in a dry pan, until just barely toasted, but still pliable.

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Gently break your cooked fish into large chunks. You don’t want the fish finely shredded, so go easy.

Lay the fish in the warmed tortilla and add your toppings of choice. Drizzle lightly with the homemade sauce. Finish with a generous squeeze of fresh lime all over the top.

You guys, these are so good. And so simple. You really need to try them.

Weird story: I had the best fish tacos I’ve ever had, several years ago at a restaurant on the strip in VEGAS, of all places!

Since then, I’ve tried to find some just as good at many, many places, including every single resort I’ve been to in Mexico over the past many years. No luck. I’ve never found any as good as the infamous Vegas Fish Tacos, but these are close. These will be happening again at my house, for sure. 🌮 🐟

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

Ok now, really. Is it even worth having tacos if you’re not going to have margs too?

I’m not sure.

But what I can say for certain is that these Fresh Strawberry Margaritas took this meal right over the top.

Please, don’t even think about making margaritas from a mix. Please, I’m begging you. The real deal is a bazillion times better, and so simple to make. There’s just no point in making yourself sad with a mix that looks good on the bottle, but really contains nothing but artificial ingredients and disappointment. You know what I mean.

See how easy? And just look at those beauties! We used the fresh strawberries we picked from the berry patch, but any strawberries will work, even ones you buy frozen from the store. Just adjust the amount of simple syrup you add (if any) based on the sweetness of your berries.

Happy Hour at Home

We served our Fish Tacos and Fresh Strawberry Margaritas on the deck for “happy hour”, so we didn’t have any sides to go with them. I plated them on a rectangular plate, and we took them outside to enjoy.

And if you’re as lucky as me, you’ll have someone as fun as this guy to enjoy them with.

Cheers!

Resources:

Gourmet Herb Scissor Set

Vitamix 5300 Blender, professional grade

This is similar to the blender I have had for a few years now (mine is the 6300). I went through several other various blenders, some that were fairly expensive, and they just never got the job done. I finally gave in and ordered a Vitamix, and have not been disappointed. It has lasted without a problem for about 4 years now, and we have given it a workout.

Taco Stand Holders, 4 pack, stainless steel

When I was arranging my tacos on the plate, I was wishing I had some of these handy stands. I ordered them the following day, so that the next time we make these tacos, I can prop them up and hold them together a bit better. I haven’t tried them yet, but will let you know when I do!

3 Tier Serving Stand with 3 Porcelain Serving Platters

I ordered this tiered stand to serve food on at my daughter’s bridal shower last summer. Since then, I’ve also used it for several other purposes, which you can see HERE . Plus, as a bonus, the rectangular plates that come with it are perfect for serving things like these tacos. I love how versatile this has turned out to be. I definitely got my money’s worth!

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