On vacation one year, we ate at a great seafood restaurant that had fish tacos on the menu. I’d never had fish tacos and they sounded great. But I wanted to avoid the tortilla so I asked if they could convert it into a salad. They did and the resulting fish taco salad was delicious!
Converting Fish Tacos into Fish Taco Salad
Once we got home, I decided to re-create that salad and it is now a lunch favorite. It really isn’t difficult to convert a fish taco into a fish taco salad. You just serve all the ingredients that were inside the taco shell on a bed of leafy greens instead.
I like to season my fish with chili powder and cumin and plenty of citrus to give it that Mexican flavor that you’d expect from fish tacos. As with anything containing seafood, make sure to source from wild-caught and sustainable sources whenever possible. (I get mine from Vital Choice when I can). You can use pretty much any white fish you like, or even salmon or shrimp.
I cook the fish for this salad in a pan on the stove, but you can also cook a large batch on a baking sheet in the oven. If you don’t want baked fish in this recipe, you could also use my homemade fish sticks and wrap in lettuce leaves for real “tacos”.
Fish Taco Salad Variations
There are endless variations to this recipe and you can customize it to fit your taste. I like to use fermented sauerkraut because I like the tangy flavor and the probiotics, but fresh cabbage is also tasty.
I usually top ours with diced avocado and tomato, but you could sub either of those for homemade guacamole or fermented salsa. And for less fuss I’ll plop a dollop of sour cream on top with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime and orange juice, but you could make a more authentic fish taco sauce with sour cream, mayo, lime juice, and cumin.
And I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll bet this mango salsa would be a great addition.
More Fresh Salad Recipes
If you’re in a salad mood, try some of these other salad favorites:
- BLT salad with avocado
- Chicken fiesta salad
- Asian color burst salad
- Spinach artichoke chicken salad
- Spring salad with berries and goat cheese
Fish Taco Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP coconut oil (or butter)
- 1 lb fish (such as cod or halibut)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 limes
- 1 orange
- 1 TBSP honey (or maple syrup)
- 8 cups salad greens
Optional toppings:
- 1 cup homemade sauerkraut (or fermented beets)
- ½ medium onion (finely sliced)
- 2 TBSP cilantro (finely chopped)
- 2 tomatoes (diced)
- 1 avocado (sliced, or guacamole)
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 TBSP hot sauce
Instructions
- Melt the butter or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Sprinkle both sides of the fish with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add the fish to the heated skillet and cook until flaky and white through the middle.
- When the fish is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and zest the lime and orange over the fish and also squeeze the juice of one lime over it.
- Drizzle with the honey or maple syrup and let rest.
- To serve, top a bed of lettuce with desired amount of optional toppings and fish.
- Squeeze the juice of the orange and remaining lime over the salads and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Have you ever had a fish taco salad? How would you customize this recipe?
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