Family-Meal Fish Tacos
Updated August 10, 2025
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
1 ½ pounds firm white fish fillets, like cod or red snapper, skinless
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped, or more to taste
12 white corn tortillas
3 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 4-inch lengths
5 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
2 limes, cut into wedges
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
49 grams carbs; 137 milligrams cholesterol; 765 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 49 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 9 grams fiber; 1004 milligrams sodium; 38 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350. Combine the chile powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin and red-pepper flakes in a shallow dish. Season the fish fillets aggressively with salt and pepper, then press them into the spice mixture, turning to coat. Set aside.
- Step 2
Combine the sour cream and the chipotles in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Step 3
Cook the tortillas until they are toasted in a large skillet set over high heat, approximately 30 seconds or so per side, then stack them on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap the foil around the tortillas, and place the package into the oven to heat.
- Step 4
Turn the heat under the pan down to medium-high, and add a tablespoon of the oil and then the scallions. Cook these, tossing occasionally, until they are about to char, then remove and set aside.
- Step 5
Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat it until it begins to shimmer. Add the fish and cook until well browned and crisp, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and slice into strips or simply break into pieces.
- Step 6
Serve the fish with warm tortillas, garnished with the scallions, radishes, cheese and chipotle sour cream, and lime wedges on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
Lovely. But fish tacos need more veggies. Cilantro leaves, minced tomato, avocado. Maybe some finely sliced lettuce or cabbage. Put some California in it, dude!!
Generic recipe terms like "Red Snapper" and "Cod" represent both threatened species and safer alternatives. For example, rockfish from places like Alaska and CA may be labeled as red snapper and it is considered a good choice, but other fish labeled as red snapper may not be. Ditto for Atlantic cod. Seafood Watch has a wallet guide that I've found to be very helpful when shopping for ingredients.
I made this once and was so taken with the fish preparation that I've made the fish alone over and over.
I always mess up fish, overcook it beyond the point of redemption. I used Mahi Mahi filets and they came out perfect. My husband raved about this dish. Will definitely be making it again!
Super good, and really easy. I find it hard to eat with the charred scallions, however, they don't want to let me bite through them...I will chop them next time because they flavor they provide is great. Also, didn't use cheddar - subbed in Cotija and it was amazing and let the flavor profile emerge more, I think. Cheddar seems a bit heavy to me on this one. I also used a Mexican Crema instead of sour cream... and added juice from 1/3 of a lime + dash of salt to amp up the Chipotle cream.
OMG!! My lips are still burning and I didn't add red pepper to the fish. These were tasty, but the tacos are too small to accommodate the ingredients. Would be better as a wrap. I need to rethink this recipe.