Baked Cod Tacos (Printable Version)
Flaky baked cod in warm tortillas with crisp slaw, avocado and zesty cilantro-lime sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Baked Cod
01 - 1 lb fresh cod fillets, cut into strips
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - ½ tsp chili powder
04 - ½ tsp ground cumin
05 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
06 - ¼ tsp garlic powder
07 - ¼ tsp salt
08 - ¼ tsp black pepper
09 - Juice of ½ lime
→ Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
10 - ⅓ cup mayonnaise
11 - ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
12 - ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
13 - Juice of 1 lime
14 - 1 clove garlic, minced
15 - 1-2 tsp honey or agave syrup, to taste
16 - Salt, to taste
17 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Taco Assembly
18 - 8 small corn or flour tortillas
19 - 2 cups shredded cabbage, green or mixed
20 - ½ cup diced red onion
21 - 1 avocado, sliced
22 - Lime wedges, for serving
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - Pat cod fillets dry with paper towels and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Brush the seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of each cod strip.
03 - Bake for 12–15 minutes until the cod is opaque throughout and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
04 - While the cod bakes, combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a food processor or small bowl. Blend or whisk until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.
05 - Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until soft and pliable, about 30 seconds per side.
06 - Place portions of baked cod onto each warm tortilla. Top with shredded cabbage, diced red onion, avocado slices, and a generous drizzle of cilantro lime sauce. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Tricks:
01 -
- The creamy cilantro lime sauce is the kind of thing you will start putting on everything from roasted potatoes to morning eggs.
- Baking the cod instead of frying keeps the house from smelling like a fish market for three days straight.
- Everything comes together in about half an hour which makes this completely doable on a random weeknight.
02 -
- Do not overbake the cod because it goes from perfectly flaky to rubbery in a matter of two minutes so check it at the 12 minute mark.
- Let the sauce sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving because the flavors deepen and meld into something far more complex.
- If your cilantro has gone slimpy in the fridge you can substitute fresh parsley and add an extra squeeze of lime to compensate for the flavor difference.
03 -
- Patting the fish completely dry before seasoning is the single most important step for getting that beautiful golden spiced crust instead of a steamed soggy mess.
- A tiny pinch of smoked paprika in the sauce echoes the seasoning on the fish and ties the whole taco together in a way that will make people ask what your secret is.