Celebrate summer with these crispy fried fish tacos topped with mango salsa! They’re light, fresh, and healthy, and packed full of delicious flavor.
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Summer is in full swing, so we’re bringing seafood to our Taco of the Month series this July! These easy fried fish tacos are super fresh and delicious, topped with homemade mango salsa to bring a taste of summer to your plate. Enjoy them for lunch or dinner on the patio or by the beach – if you’re lucky enough to live that close to the ocean!
The crispy fried fish in our tacos is made with just an egg wash and seasoned flour – and no beer – so there’s not a heavy batter on the fish. It’s simple, light, and fresh and really lets the flavor of the cod shine through without being greasy. If you’re looking for a fried fish tacos recipe without beer, this one’s for you!
Fried Fish Tacos Recipe Ingredients
These fried fish tacos are topped with homemade mango salsa and crumbled queso fresco for fresh summer flavor. You’ll need a few kinds of produce to make the mango pico, plus cod fish, egg, and seasoned flour to make the fried fish.
Cod is the best fish to fry for tacos since it keeps its structure well during the frying process. It’s also salty and has a fairly mild flavor, which makes it the perfect base for fresh toppings like mango salsa.
Here’s the full list of ingredients you’ll need to make the mango salsa:
- Red mango
- Roma tomatoes
- Jalapeno
- Yellow onion
- Lime
- Salt
And here’s what you’ll need for the crispy fried fish:
- Frozen cod filets
- Egg
- Flour
- Seasonings – paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, salt, black pepper
- Vegetable oil
To complete these fried fish tacos, make sure to grab corn tortillas, queso fresco, and a few lime wedges. Fried fish tacos are best served on corn tortillas, not flour – they’re thinner and less chewy in texture, which complements the crispy fried fish best.
How To Make Fried Fish Tacos
To make fried cod fish tacos, all you have to do is prepare the mango salsa and the fried fish. You’ll need a few pieces of equipment to fry the fish: a deep frying pan (we recommend a cast iron one like this), a metal spoon, a meat thermometer, a large slotted spoon or spider strainer, and a metal cooling rack.
Once you’ve gathered your cooking tools, here’s what you’ll do to make our fried fish tacos:
- First, prepare the mango salsa. Dice the mango, tomatoes, jalapeno, and onion and combine in a bowl. Stir in lime juice and a pinch of salt, then set aside or refrigerate until serving.
- Next, make the fried fish. Pat the cod filets dry and slice into roughly 1-inch chunks using a very sharp knife. In a small bowl, beat an egg well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine flour and seasonings and set aside.
- Preheat about a quarter-inch of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. While the oil heats up, coat the fish in the egg, then transfer to the seasoned flour and coat well, making sure to break up any pieces that get stuck together so each piece of fish is fully coated. It helps to gently shake off any excess egg before transferring the fish to the seasoned flour.
- Carefully add the coated fish to the oil and fry until golden and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. We like to cook the fish for about 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully flip each piece over and cook for another 2 minutes or so, then flip again and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. We recommend using a metal spoon to flip the fish as it allows you to handle the fish gently and avoid ruining the coating as it cooks.
- Make sure the fish has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F before removing it from the oil. Once it’s cooked, use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to carefully transfer the fried fish to a cooling rack positioned over paper towels. This helps drain the excess grease while keeping the fish nice and crispy.
- Finally, warm the corn tortillas on a cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 15-30 seconds per side. Fill each tortilla with fried fish and top with mango salsa and crumbled queso fresco. Optionally serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the tacos.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re wondering what side goes with fish tacos, we recommend anything from classic chips and salsa to crispy french fries! You’ll also likely have extra mango salsa to dip chips into, and it’s just as delicious on chips as it is on these tacos.
Here are a few sides you can make with our fried fish tacos:
Try our fried fish tacos recipe and don’t forget to rate, comment, and share if you love it! To stay up to date on our Taco of the Month series, sign up for our free email newsletter here.
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these recipes, too:
- Cashew Crusted Fish Tacos
- Parmesan Panko Fish & Chips
- Asian Inspired Fried Chicken Tacos
- Hawaiian Pulled Pork Tacos
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
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Fried Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa
Equipment
- Large frying pan
- Metal spoon
- Spider strainer or slotted spoon
Ingredients
Mango Salsa
- 1 medium red mango diced
- 2 small roma tomatoes diced
- 1 medium jalapeno diced
- ¼ small yellow onion diced
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 pinch salt
Fried Fish
- 2 filets cod fish patted dry and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large egg beaten well
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp chipotle powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 to 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Other Taco Ingredients
- 8 4-inch yellow corn tortillas warmed
- Queso fresco crumbled
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
Mango Salsa
- First, combine the diced mango, tomato, jalapeno, and onion in a medium bowl.
- Next, stir in lime juice and salt. Adjust salt to taste, then set aside or refrigerate until serving.
Fried Fish
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, salt, and black pepper until well-combined. Set aside.
- Next, fill a large frying pan with about a quarter-inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high. In the meantime, position a cooling rack over a sheet of paper towels next to the stove, so you have somewhere to drain the fish after cooking.
- Set up your assembly line to coat the fish with the sliced cod, beaten egg, and seasoned flour. Coat the fish in the egg wash, then transfer to the seasoned flour, letting excess egg drip off the fish before adding it to the flour. Then, coat the fish completely in flour, making sure to separate any pieces that stick together so that each piece is entirely coated.
- Once the oil is very hot, carefully add the coated fish to the pan. Fry until golden-brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the fish over once or twice during cooking using a metal spoon (this allows you to be gentle with the fish, so as not to break the coating as it crisps).
- Make sure the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Once it's cooked, use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the fried fish to the cooling rack where excess oil can drain.
Fried Fish Tacos
- Assemble the fried fish tacos: fill corn tortillas with crispy fried fish, then top with mango salsa and crumbled queso fresco. Optionally serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the tacos.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.
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