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These Fiesta Fish Taco Bowls are like a fish burrito in a bowl. Crispy fish, veggies, and sauce over a bed of cooked rice. It’s an entire meal in one bowl!
If you were to ask me me what my favorite overall food of all time is, I would probably say “fish tacos”. Mexican fish tacos, Baja fish tacos, even shrimp tacos! I love them all. Probably because they combine two of my favorite things – seafood and Mexican food. While trying to come up with new ways to make fish tacos, this idea for fish taco bowls came to me. Made it. Loved it.
Ingredients in Fiesta Fish Taco Bowls
- Taco seasoning
- Tilapia filets
- Vegetable oil
- Onion – diced
- Garlic – minced
- Can of black beans
- Fresh corn kernels
- Cooked rice
- Cilantro dressing
- Avocado
- Cabbage – shredded
- Tortilla strips
Why Taco Bowls?
Taco and Burrito Bowls have become increasingly popular as a way to enjoy all the flavor of the burrito or taco, without the added calories of the tortilla. Plus, it’s just a fun variation. You can eat with a fork instead of with your hands. Also, you can see all the colors and textures that you’re about to taste, rather than hiding them inside the tortilla.
Frequently Asked Questions
When thinking about sides that pair well with fish tacos, you can’t go wrong with classic refried beans. Elote (Mexican street corn) or a fresh coleslaw of green cabbage and red cabbage are also excellent sides to go with fish tacos!
The most popular fish used for fish tacos are typically halibut, tilapia, mahi mahi, snapper, cod, bass and catfish because these fish are lean and flakey white fish that are mild in flavor, cook quickly, and are relatively inexpensive.
Cod and tilapia are very similar. Nutritionally, they are almost exactly the same. They both contain the same amount of protein per filet (23g) and are both heart-healthy and contain a multitude of vitamins and minerals. When it comes to taste, it isn’t hugely noticeable when they are fried and all dressed up. However, tilapia is slightly more mild than cod. Probably the biggest difference between the two comes down to price. Tilapia is distinctly cheaper than cod.
Read more: 35+ Easy Dinner Ideas
Talking About Tacos
There are so many ways to make this dish taste fabulous. I have tried it with our Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Rice and I loved it even more. You can even try it with Mexican Rice and I am sure it would be great!
There are so many possibilities with this dish! Check out some of the other ways to enjoy tacos in these recipes below:
- Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos are a light and fresh summertime supper. Flaky fish, a perfect blend of spices and all your favorite toppings make these a family favorite.
- Emily’s Southwest Taco Soup is a simple recipe bursting with flavor. A perfect soup supper any night of the week.
- Chicken Taco Salad in a Tortilla Bowl is the best taco salad ever! The chicken, rather than beef, puts this right over the top.
How to Make Fiesta Fish Taco Bowls
Fiesta Fish Taco Bowls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 1 pound tilapia fillets about 4-5
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels it is best if you cut it straight from the cob after being steamed for a minutes of two
- 2-3 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 cup cilantro dressing click here for the recipe I used or chipotle ranch dressing
- 1 avocado pitted and diced
- 1 cup cabbage shredded
- 1 cup tortilla strips see recipe here
optional:
- salsa sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, limes, cotija or feta cheese
Instructions
- Generously rub each tilapa fillet with taco seasoning. Heat oil in a large skillet (medium heat) and add tilapia. Fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until cooked through (you know it is done when it flakes easily and is white all the way through). Remove fish from skillet and cut or flake into pieces, set aside and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, add garlic and onion (add a little more oil if you need to) and sauté for a minute or two until onion is soft.
- Add black beans and corn and sauté another couple minutes.
- In each bowl, layer rice, cooked fish, cilantro dressing, corn/black beans, avocado, cabbage and tortilla strips. Add any other additional toppings you would like!
Notes
- Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Mango salsa
- Sour cream
- Chopped tomatoes
- Limes (try grilling your lime slices for extra flavor)
- Grilled corn
- Cotija cheese
- Queso fresco
- Fresh cilantro
- Jalapeño
Nutrition Information
Love these burrito bowls because they’re so easy to customize! Perfect for a family of picky eaters, haha
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
I love these tacos!!! But now the link for the cilantro dressing isn’t working. It was the best 🙁
So sorry it wasn’t working! I fixed the link so it should work now. Hope this helps!
I don’t think this is the one you had before. It was a very basic one. Just avocado,mayo, lime, and cilantro 🙁
Thank you for responding though 🙂
thank you so much for this recipe! I actually have a couple of suggestions that I just tried out to make it even healthier: rather than using extra oil, beyond the first tablespoon of oil I just compensated with canola oil cooking spray. the rice and tortilla strips can also be sacrificed, along with the dressing! just bulk up on the cabbage on the bottom, I added just a few drops of red wine vinegar to the cabbage and didn’t miss dressing at all! I also made the avocado into a light guacamole by mashing it with some adobo seasoning and cayenne. The fish was PERFECT BTW!!
This variation got a HUGE thumbs up from my husband, with the one request that I add some lime next time. I wanted to rewind my night as soon as I was done eating it just so I could eat it again. yummmmm (oh, I also added some adobo seasoning to the black beans & corn mixture while it was cooking)
Thank you so much for sharing this! These are great ideas for lightening up the recipe!
This was seriously amazing! My taste buds thank you for this!
I made this last night and we all LOVED it! Thanks for the recipe! I will be making this again for sure!!
I’m all about a fiesta, especially if it’s in my mouth!
Love the fish taco bowls. Great ingredients. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
this fiesta bowl looks so good! i have yet to try fish tacos but hear they are amazing, may have to give this recipe a whirl 🙂 thank you for sharing!