Easy Fish Tacos (+bonus Fresh Strawberry Margarita Recipe!)

Another night, another dinner on the deck.

Fish tacos and strawberry margaritas from the berries we picked at the strawberry patch were on the menu recently.

Plus, can I say that my husband is the best. I was working on dinner, and he came out dressed and ready for "vacation"!

He always makes things fun. ❤️🌮🏝

Let’s Make Some Fish Tacos!

The Seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together some cayenne pepper, cumin, and salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture generously over both sides of your tilapia fillets.

I used foil on my sheet pan for easy cleanup. Nobody wants to come back to a messy kitchen after a relaxing dinner, especially a dinner where margaritas were involved, right? 🤣

Then, drizzle your fish with a little olive oil, and top each one with a small pat of butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I turned the broiler on for the last 2-3 minutes to crisp up the edges just a bit more.

The Sauce

In another small bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, lime juice, garlic powder and hot sauce. Store this in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. This stuff is just so good. I probably added a little more lime juice even than the recipe calls for, because I love how the tangy lime flavor complements this fish taco.

Oh, and don’t forget to save some lime wedges for squeezing over the finished tacos. The lime is a big deal in this recipe. Don’t get skimpy. 🍈

The Toppings

I love the freshness of the toppings on these tacos. That’s why this is such a great summer supper. Because the fish is so mild, you don’t want your toppings to be too overpowering, so fresh and simple is the way to go.

I used:

• shredded cabbage (you could shred your own red cabbage, which would be lovely, but I used a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix and it worked fine)
• avocado, cut in large chunks
• grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
• cilantro (do yourself a favor and use one of THESE for cutting it. If you love cilantro as much as we do, you’ll be thankful.)
• red onion (I don’t eat raw onions, so I left this off)
• lime wedges
• Cojita cheese (I didn’t use this on mine, but my hubs did)

To Serve:

I think these are best with corn tortillas, but you can use what you like. Choose the kind that are on the smaller size.

Warm your tortillas gently on both sides in a dry pan, until just barely toasted, but still pliable.

Gently break your cooked fish into large chunks. You don’t want the fish finely shredded, so go easy.

Lay the fish in the warmed tortilla and add your toppings of choice. Drizzle lightly with the homemade sauce. Finish with a generous squeeze of fresh lime all over the top.

You guys, these are so good. And so simple. You really need to try them.

Weird story: I had the best fish tacos I’ve ever had, several years ago at a restaurant on the strip in VEGAS, of all places!

Since then, I’ve tried to find some just as good at many, many places, including every single resort I’ve been to in Mexico over the past many years. No luck. I’ve never found any as good as the infamous Vegas Fish Tacos, but these are close. These will be happening again at my house, for sure. 🌮 🐟

Fresh Strawberry Margaritas

Ok now, really. Is it even worth having tacos if you’re not going to have margs too?

I’m not sure.

But what I can say for certain is that these Fresh Strawberry Margaritas took this meal right over the top.

Please, don’t even think about making margaritas from a mix. Please, I’m begging you. The real deal is a bazillion times better, and so simple to make. There’s just no point in making yourself sad with a mix that looks good on the bottle, but really contains nothing but artificial ingredients and disappointment. You know what I mean.

Fresh Strawberry Frozen Margaritas

• So easy, and so much better than using a pre-made mix! Servings 2 drinks

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1-ounce simple syrup adjust to your taste, and the sweetness of your berries
• 2 ounces lime juice freshly squeezed
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 4 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau)

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Serve in a salt/sugar rimmed margarita glass, with a lime circle for garnish.
• **Simple Syrup: equal parts water and granulated sugar heated and stirred until sugar dissolves. Let cool, and refrigerate covered for up to 2 weeks.

See how easy? And just look at those beauties! We used the fresh strawberries we picked from the berry patch, but any strawberries will work, even ones you buy frozen from the store. Just adjust the amount of simple syrup you add (if any) based on the sweetness of your berries.

Happy Hour at Home

We served our Fish Tacos and Fresh Strawberry Margaritas on the deck for “happy hour”, so we didn’t have any sides to go with them. I plated them on a rectangular plate, and we took them outside to enjoy.

And if you’re as lucky as me, you’ll have someone as fun as this guy to enjoy them with.

Cheers!

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@thehouseonsilverado