Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa
A simple, delicious Blackened Fish Tacos that takes no more than 25 minutes to put together. Fresh, healthy and so flavorful, these fish tacos are seasoned and very flavorful, pan fried, then topped with a fresh and light mango peach salsa.
It is absolutely divine, with a capital D.
An Easy Blackened Fish Taco Recipe
This is a very simple and basic blackened fish tacos recipe that we like to make for dinner during busy evenings.
I did say the recipe is ‘basic’, but I promise you, the result and flavor is anything but basic.
You are looking at a flaky white fish (here we use tilapia), coated with yummy spices, filled into a soft flour tortilla, topped with fresh mangoes and peaches tossed in a touch of citrus.
These Blackened Fish Tacos are fresh, light, and loaded with incredibly flavors of savory, tangy and a hint of sweetness of the fruits.
Blackened seasoning are typically associated with Cajun flavors loaded with a lot of spices and a touch of spiciness.
For this blackened fish taco recipe, we are doing a milder, strip down version of your typical Cajun blackened fish. It is still flavorful and very tasty, but it doesn’t have the bold zest. It is also much easier to make using just a few simple seasonings.
I make this blackened fish taco recipe all the time for our family as something quick and simple for everyday dinners, and have found the perfect balance of something strip down yet tastes amazingly delicious.
If you are looking for bolder Cajun and Creole flavors, check out my Blackened Shrimp Pasta and Grilled Cajun Chicken recipe.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for making Blackened Fish Tacos:
For the blackened fish:
- tilapia filets – or another mild, white flaky fish. Catfish works great as well.
- smoked paprika – regular paprika works great too
- garlic powder – if you want to use minced garlic that is fine too.
- salt
For the mango peach salsa:
- Fresh mango – diced into cubes. We are using sweet, ripe mangoes for the salsa. A ripe mango will be yellow/orange in color, and it smells sweet and mango-y, kinda like heaven. If it is still mostly green it has not ripened.
- Fresh peaches – diced into cubes. I love white-flesh peaches (what is used in the pictures), but yellow peaches will be just as yummy.
- Lim juice
- Cilantro
- Salt
Other:
- Flour or corn tortillas
- More cilantro
How to make blackened fish tacos
Blackened fish tacos are light, easy dinner that you can prepare for yourself or the family. Mango and peach bring sweetness to the crispy, savory pan-fried tilapia. I’m telling you, you are in for a real treat!
Mango Peach Salsa
I’m making a very simple salsa. The truth is, there is so much flavor in the fruits (especially when they are in season..like now 🙂 ), you don’t need to add much to it.
Cut up a ripe mango and peach, add cilantro, then enhance it by sprinkling lime juice and adding a pinch of salt to taste. Since the mango and peach are ripened and sweet, they will drive the flavor of the salsa.
If your mango and peach are not at the level of sweetness you like, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to the salsa.
You are highly encourage to devour the rest of the mango that wasn’t used for the recipe. However, should you have leftover mangoes, try my super amazing Thai Mango Sweet Stick Rice recipe. It tastes like heaven on earth.
Blackened Fish
To prepare the the fish for frying, make sure tilapia fillets are completely defrosted and pat dry. Then sprinkle with paprika, salt and garlic powder on both side of the tilapia.
Add some vegetable oil on the pan and sear the fish 3 minutes on each side.
Try not to turn or move the fish too much prior to the 3 minute mark. We want to create a slight char on each side, and a bit of crispness on the edge.
Assemble tacos
Before wrapping the blackened fish and fresh salsa in the tortillas, let’s heat the tortillas so that it is soft and warm.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Microwave: cover with a damp paper towel and heat for 20-30 seconds for a couple of tortillas.
- Skillet: Warm the tortillas very briefly (a few seconds) on both sides until warm
- Over flames on gas stove: heat tortilla directly over the flames for a few seconds on each side. It burns quick!
Use a fork to cut up the fish into smaller pieces and fill tortillas first with the fish, then with Mango Peach Salsa, and then garnish with cilantro and a touch of lime.
And you got yourself a delicious Blackened Fish Tacos…all this under 30 minutes!
Trust me when I tell you these blackened fish tacos are every bit as good as they look. I wish you could taste it through your screen! (How’s that for a futuristic device?)
Variation and Substitution
I love my blackened fish tacos with mango peach salsa, but there are so many other ways to dress your blackened fish tacos. Here are some ideas:
Ways to Serve It
Blackened Fish Tacos are great on its own, but I also love serving it with one of these yummy sides:
- Salads – Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad, Fall Harvest Salad, Broccoli Kale Slaw
- Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice
- French fries or Cheesy Potato Wedges
You can also drizzle your blackened fish tacos with one of my favorite dressings and sauces below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Any white fish that is flaky and mild works great for this. I love using catfish as well. You can do oilier fish like salmon too, I just prefer a milder fish with all the seasoning and toppings added to it.
Grill works great for this recipe as well! I don’t love cooking this in the oven because the grill and skillet will give the outside of the fish a nice sear – providing a crispier texture, whereas an oven wouldn’t.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
OTHER FISH RECIPES
- Asian Salmon Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing
- Garlic Butter Dill Salmon
- Asian Honey Soy Glazed Pan-fried Tilapia
- Panko Crusted Salmon
- Teriyaki Glazed Salmon
- Tilapia with Avocado and Corn Salsa
Blackened Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- ~1 lbs tilapia fillets or another white fish
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
- 4-5 small flour tortillas
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 lime in wedges
Mango Peach Salsa
- 1 cup ripe mangoes cubed
- 1 cup ripe peaches cubed
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro packed
- 1 tbsp lime
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Completely defrost tilapia fillets (see Note 1) and pat dry.
- Coat both sides of the tilapia filets with paprika, garlic powder and salt
- Using a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of mango, 1 cup of peach, 1 tbsp of cilantro and 1 tbsp lime juice to make mango peach salsa. Add salt to taste. Mix well and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to pan (see Note 2). Heat skillet using medium heat. Once the skillet is hot and oil is bubbly, bring tilapia fillets to pan. Fry for 3 minutes, turn tilapia and fry for another 3 minutes on the other side, or until tilapia is done. Tilapia should be brown on the outside, slightly crispy on the edges, and white (not translucent) on the inside when done.
- When the fish is done, use fork to cut fish into smaller pieces. Fish should fall apart very easily (if not it might not be fully cooked).
- Heat up tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. You can also heat tortillas very quickly using a skillet or directly on the flames on a gas stove for a few seconds on each side.
- Fill warm tortillas with fish and Mango Peach Salsa. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve with wedges of lime on the side and enjoy!
I am going to add this one to next month’s meal calendar. I should buy my mango now to let it ripen. 🙂 Great pictures! I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Yes! Would love to hear how it turns out 🙂 Smell the mango and if it smells sweet and like a mango, it’s ripe! 🙂
Glad to find you. Pinning and will be back for more, of course !
I am so glad you swung by! I hope you had a great weekend! 🙂