Blackened Cod Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw

Blackened cod tacos are baked for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner. Topped with a honey lime slaw and creamy avocado, they’re fresh, delicious, and nutritionally balanced! A family-friendly, balanced meal!

If you’re looking for a lighter blackened cod taco recipe, this recipe is for you! Cod is a flaky white, light, lean fish. Since it’s already a lean and healthy choice, I decided to go with an oven baked cod taco route instead of the pan fry that’s traditional with most blackened recipes.

But never fear – these fish tacos pack ALL the blackened taco flavor, which taste especially delicious paired with a quick and easy, fresh honey lime slaw and some creamy avocado.

These tacos are a little light for a meal on their own, so I’d suggest pairing it with something like a fresh fruit salad, air fryer tortilla chips, air fryer broccoli, cilantro lime quinoa, 3 ingredient black bean soup, or even a refreshing agua fresca to drink!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This cod taco meal is ready to eat in under 30 minutes!
• It’s packed with flavor.
• This recipe is a healthy weeknight dinner, as it’s baked instead of fried and uses lean protein, produce, fiber, and healthy fats.
• It’s flexible for different tastes or dietary preferences (see variations and substitutions down below!)

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• Cod fillets: Frozen cod totally works in this recipe! (That’s what I used!) Thaw the fish and pat dry before seasoning.
• Seasonings: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
• Shredded coleslaw vegetables: Just like frozen fish is a nutritious choice, so are convenient veggies. There’s nothing wrong with convenience foods if they’re more accessible for you, and they absolutely can be very nutrient-dense. Feel free to use bagged shredded coleslaw veggies to keep things busy weeknight-friendly (that’s what I did!).
• Lime
• Honey
• Avocado
• Whole wheat/ high fiber tortillas: you can truly use whatever tortillas you prefer, but we love a higher fiber whole wheat tortilla in this recipe. I usually get these Santa Fe Tortilla Company Whole Grain & Flax Tortillas (with 100 calories and 8 grams each fiber and protein!). We also enjoy the Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas and Siete Almond Flour or Cassava Flour tortillas, too!

How to Make Blackened Cod Tacos Step-by-Step

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Make sure cod is thoroughly defrosted and patted dry.
3. Mix 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and a pinch of salt. Thoroughly coat the fish with the seasoning mixture.
4. Transfer fish to prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes (or until the internal temperature of the fish is 145 degrees – it will require less time if you’re using smaller fillets!)
5. While the fish is cooking, make the slaw by whisking together the juice of one lime, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp cumin, and a pinch of salt. Toss this dressing with 8 oz of shredded coleslaw vegetables and set aside.
6. Slice the avocado and, if desired, warm your tortillas.
7. When the fish is done, use a fork to gently flake the fish.
8. Assemble tacos by taking a tortilla and adding the fish and topping with the slaw and avocado. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• If you’re using frozen fish, make sure it is thoroughly thawed beforehand. If the fish is in an individual sealed plastic pouch, I like to remove the fish from the pouch so it’s not sitting in water as it thaws. I also recommend patting the fish dry with a paper towel before seasoning and baking, too.
• While there is NOTHING wrong with using convenience foods like pre-packaged shredded coleslaw veggies, if you have a cabbage or want to make your own I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer! It’ll cut the prep time down a ton! But be safe with a mandoline – this one I linked to comes with cut-resistant gloves as an extra safety measure to keep those fingers intact!

Storage & Reheating

Leftover fish is safe to consume up to three days after you’ve prepared it. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

To reheat without drying the fish out (or creating lingering fishy smells in the microwave!) try these two tricks:

• Wrap the leftover fish in foil. You want to create a little pouch, folding and pinching the sides together so the moisture will stay in.
• Place the fish foil pouch in the oven at 275 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Alternatively you can also place it in an air fryer for 275 degrees about 5-10 minutes. (The fish will take less time to reheat if it’s broken into smaller pieces, whereas big fillets will take longer.)

Substitutions & Variations

Other Fish: I love cod in this recipe, but if you can’t find cod or if you have another fish in your freezer you need to use, any fish will do! Salmon, tilapia, mahi mahi…anything!

If the fish is in one fillet that is thicker, you may need to add a few minutes of cook time, whereas if there are smaller or thinner individual fillets, you may need to cut the cook time quite a bit!

Gluten Free: this recipe is nearly gluten-free on its own, you just will need to sub a gluten-free tortilla of your choice. Try making smaller street corn tacos with corn tortillas, or using the Siete Almond Flour or Cassava Flour tortillas.

Burrito Bowl Style (no tortilla): Not into tortillas? Serve as a taco or burrito bowl on a bed of rice, or my cilantro lime quinoa!

Taco Salad: All of these ingredients would go great as a salad, as well! Add whatever veggies you enjoy (I’d add some romaine to the base and some pico de gallo!), and maybe crumble some crunchy tortilla strips or tortilla chips on top! Black or pinto beans would be an excellent addition, too!

Are Blackened Cod Tacos Healthy?

Cod is a very lean and nutrient-dense fish, making it an excellent healthy protein choice! And instead of pan frying, this blackened cod is baked. Paired with other nutrient-dense foods like the cabbage slaw, avocado, and whole grain tortillas add fiber, nutrients, and make this blackened cod taco meal a nutritious one!

Know, too, that “healthy” is subjective. The foods that help one maintain their health may or may not work for you – and that’s okay! Honor the body you have. As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I suggest eating a variety of nourishing foods that help you feel good and achieve or maintain your health, balanced with the foods you love. Remember – an election isn’t won with every vote, but the majority. Your health is the same way – the overall dietary pattern is what matters most.

Other Related Easy Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

• Baked Chicken Tacos
• Vegan Bean Burgers
• Easy Gluten-Free Lo Mein
• BBQ Chicken Skewers with Zucchini
• Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

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