Fish Taco Bowl
on Feb 17, 2026
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If you love fish tacos, you will love this fish taco bowl, complete with lettuce, sautéed fish, chopped veggies, and crunchy tortillas.
These Fish Taco Bowls take everything we love about fish tacos — flaky seasoned fish, crunchy vegetables, bright lime, and creamy avocado — and turn it into a vibrant, satisfying bowl. It’s part taco, part salad, and (amazingly!) completely weeknight-friendly. You still get that essential tortilla crunch in the form of tortilla chips for scooping or sprinkling, which just makes the whole thing even more fun to eat.
My kids have always been happy to eat any fish when it’s in some sort of taco form — and this is a lighter version of a taco salad than most, so you can scoop yourself a pretty big bowl, and feel no regret.
What's In This Post?
Ingredients
This bowl has a lot going on in the best way: color, texture, and layers of flavor. The vegetable slaw is flexible and forgiving, so you can swap in whatever you have on hand or scale it up easily if you’re feeding a crowd.
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For the Vegetable Slaw
- Radishes
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Bell pepper
- Fresh lime juice
For the Fish
- Olive oil
- Fish fillets – Any flaky white fish, such as cod, halibut, or red snapper, will work.
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Finely minced garlic
For the Taco Bowls
- Romaine hearts
- Cider or rice wine vinegar
- Diced avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips – For serving. Cilantro-haters, just skip it!
How to Make Fish Taco Bowls
- Make the slaw: In a medium bowl, toss the radishes, cucumbers, red onion, peppers, and 1 tablespoon each of the lime juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the fish: Mix together the spices and sprinkle over the fish. Sauté the garlic, then add the fish. Sauté until cooked through, turning it as needed, about 5 minutes in all. Place on a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining lime juice.
- Toss the salad: Meanwhile, toss the lettuce with the vinegar and remaining oil, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Build the taco bowls and serve: Divide the lettuce and fish evenly between the bowls. Top with the vegetable mixture, avocado, and cilantro, if desired, and serve with tortilla chips on the side.
Variations
- Swap the vegetables: Thinly sliced fennel, olives, or additional bell peppers work beautifully here. A mix of colorful peppers makes this especially striking for a crowd.
- Radish options: Watermelon radishes are gorgeous if you can find them, but standard red radishes work just as well.
- Make it ahead: Prep the slaw and cook the fish up to a day ahead. Store separately and assemble just before serving.
- No fish? This bowl also works well with shrimp or roasted cauliflower, using the same seasoning.
- Onion options: Try pickled red onions instead of fresh.
FAQs
A fish taco bowl is a deconstructed version of fish tacos, served over greens or grains with seasoned fish, vegetables, and toppings including crunchy tortilla chips.
Flaky white fish like cod, halibut, snapper, or tilapia works best because it cooks quickly and takes very well to the seasonings.
Yes. Prep the components separately and assemble just before serving so everything stays fresh and crisp.
Yes — fish taco bowls are high in protein, full of vegetables, and lighter than traditional fried fish tacos (the tortillas are a bit of an indulgence, but worth every crunchy bite).
What to Serve With Fish Taco Bowls
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Fish Taco Bowl
Ingredients
For the vegetable slaw:
- 8 radishes (thinly sliced)
- ½ cucumber (halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into thin half moons; or 4 baby cucumbers thinly sliced)
- ½ red onion (cut into wedges, then slivered)
- ½ cup thinly sliced red or yellow pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (divided)
- 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (divided)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
For the fish:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 ½ pounds flaky white fish fillets (such as cod, halibut or red snapper; cut into 1-inch wide slices)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
For the taco bowls:
- 8 cups thinly shredded romaine hearts
- 2 tablespoons cider or rice wine vinegar
To Serve
- Diced avocado
- Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the radishes, cucumbers, red onion, peppers, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix together the cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle it over the fish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, swish it around, then add the fish without crowding (sauté it in batches if necessary), and sauté until cooked through, turning it as needed, about 5 minutes in all. The pieces may fall apart a little as you cook them; that’s perfectly fine, you want them to in the end anyway. Place them on a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice.
- Meanwhile, toss the lettuce with the vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Pile the lettuce into 4 individual shallow bowls. Divide the fish evenly between the bowls, piling it onto the lettuce. Spoon the vegetable mixture in equal amounts over the fish, then top with avocado and cilantro, if desired, and serve with tortilla chips on the side.
