What to Serve With Fish Tacos

Looking for side dishes to go with fish tacos? If you are undecided about what to serve with fish tacos, find everything from healthy, easy, or decadent sides here, along with fish taco toppings and expert tips!

With Cinco de Mayo and summer approaching, fish taco recipes become popular dinner choices! Not only are they healthy, but can be prepared in countless ways, such as crispy, baked, Baja, grilled, or even blackened fish tacos.

For entertaining, fiestas, taco bars, or summer gatherings easy fish tacos not only make an impressive meal, but they are effortless to prepare. Whether you are looking for side dishes for tacos, or other lighter dishes, such Mexican fish, find a variety of options below!

What to eat with fish tacos?

Restaurants often serve fish tacos with Mexican rice and some sort of bean dish. This is certainly an option when serving at home, but there are many more possibilities!

Depending on your method of preparing the tacos, choose the sides accordingly. For instance, if making grilled fish tacos, throw on grilled street corn, also known as elote.

If using the oven to bake or broil the fish, try fiesta potatoes, spicy cornbread or sweet corn cake. Of course, you can always keep in cool and easy with slices of watermelon and fresh slaw!

• Slaw
• Rice
• Chips and salsa
• Fruit Salad, such as watermelon or pineapple
• Grilled Street Corn
• Mexican Corn Cake
• Elote salad
• Mango Black Bean Salad
• Black beans
• Cilantro lime rice
• Jalapeno cornbread
• Black bean soup
• Queso fundido
• Frijoles y chorizo
• Refried beans
• Pozole
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Mexican Diced Potato Hash

Fish tacos toppings

Enhance the spices and flavor with a simple squeeze of fresh lime juice, or offer a combination of toppings, perfect for a fish taco fiesta! Set out corn tortillas, flour tortillas, and hot sauces for personal tastes.

1. Cotija Cheese
2. Slaw or shredded cabbage
3. Guacamole
4. Salsa – Choose from a variety, such as tomatillo, mango salsa, spicy, or pineapple
5. Cilantro
6. Jalapeños
7. Pickled red onions
8. Sour Cream
9. Diced tomatoes
10. Sliced avocados
11. Creamy fish taco sauce (see recipe on blackened fish tacos)

Tips for cooking fish

• Drizzle fish with oil then season with a combination of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, or cayenne pepper.
• Most recipes describe fish as being done when it “flakes easily with a fork.” For more reliability use an instant read thermometer to make sure it’s at 145ºF in the thickness part of the filet. Also look for the color inside changing from translucent to opaque.
• Fresh fish isn’t readily available where I live, so I often use frozen fish. Allow 24 hours in the refrigerator to thaw a 1 pound package. If you need to speed up the process, leave fish in vacuumed sealed pouches and run under cool water. Directly rinsing fish will change the texture and add too much moisture.
• Whether I’m baking, frying, or poaching fish, I always pat it dry first to remove excess moisture and prevent it from becoming mushy.
• A general rule of thumb is to cook 10 minutes per inch thickness of fish, flipping halfway through.  Add 5 minutes if cooked in foil or in a sauce, such as in this recipe.

Best way to reheat fish tacos 

When making homemade fish tacos, I recommend refrigerating leftover fish separately from all the taco fixings. For best results, avoid reheating an assembled fish taco. Instead, remove the fish and reheat using one of the suggested ways below.

Since seafood cooks so quickly, reheating fish may lead to overcooking. Therefore, you’ll want to use a gentle approach, warming it low and slow. I don’t recommend microwaving leftover fish.

How to Reheat Baked Fish

1. Place the fish in a foil packet so it’s completely covered. For thinner white fish, such as tilapia, add a dash of water, broth, or fish stock to the foil before closing.
2. Transfer the packet to a baking pan and place in a 275ºF oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness and type of fish. Cod, halibut, mahi mahi will take longer. The fish should have a 130ºF internal temperature.

How to Reheat fried Fish

1. Oven Method: Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and heat in a 350ºF oven for 10-15 minutes
2. Skillet Method: Lightly grease a nonstick skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the hot skillet and heat for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through.
3. Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 320ºF. Place the fish in the basket and bake 5-7 minutes, turning halfway through.

More easy dishes to serve with fish tacos 

Looking for the perfect side dish recipes to serve with fish tacos? Find what to serve with fish tacos, along with drinks and desserts!

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see a web story slideshow of the recipes!

1. Skinny Margarita

Want a fresh, healthy margarita that is low in calories? Learn how to make an easy Skinny Margarita sweetened with agave, low in carbs, and the best, refreshing margarita recipe ever!

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2. Frozen Fruit Salad

Frozen Fruit Salad recipe is a creamy ambrosia-style salad mixed together with bananas, pineapple, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, and Cool Whip. Old fashioned fruit salad with frozen, canned, or fresh fruit can be served in cups or sliced for an easy make ahead dish!

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3. Homemade Stuffed Churros (Gluten Free)

Easy Homemade Stuffed Churros recipe are so decadent, light, and airy no one will realize they are gluten free! Soft cinnamon sugar sticks are wrapped around gooey filling, such as chocolate, jelly, or cream!

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4. Fresh Avocado Shrimp Salsa

Fresh Avocado Shrimp Salsa tastes like mexican shrimp ceviche. Cilantro, tomatoes, and cucumbers are mixed with a spicy jalapeno and lots of juicy lime.

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5. Grilled Zucchini

Looking for an easy recipe to use up that summer zucchini or squash? Best Grilled Zucchini uses a handful of staple kitchen ingredients for a marinade, cooks on the grill in minutes, and is topped with fresh lemon and parmesan.

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6. Gluten-Free Corn Casserole

Never miss out on your favorite holiday dish again! Gluten-free corn casserole makes a creamy, comforting cornbread casserole with an easy 5-minute prep and no Jiffy mix necessary!

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7. Limeade Margarita

An easy Limeade Margarita is the world's best margarita recipe without any work or prep! Enjoy it on the rocks, frozen, or a big batch perfect for easy entertaining at parties. 

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