Tilapia Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

My family loves fish, and since Aldi stocks fresh tilapia and salmon fairly frequently, this week I decided to do a tilapia taco with an easy cabbage slaw. I searched for a recipe that had both (I was specifically looking for a dairy-free slaw) but didn’t find one, so I just took the fish from one recipe and the slaw from another.

Tilapia Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Cumin Beans

Cabbage Slaw

• 4 cups Green cabbage (sliced thinly)

• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes (chopped)

• 1/3 cup Green onions (sliced thinly)

• 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro (chopped)

• 2 Tbsp Lime juice

• 1 tsp Olive oil

• 1/4 tsp Salt

Seasoned Tilapia

• 1 1/2 lbs. Tilapia filets

• 2 tsp Avocado oil

• 1 Tbsp Chili powder

• 1 1/2 tsp Cumin

• 1/4 tsp Garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp Onion powder

• 1/4 tsp Dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp Salt

• 1/4 tsp Black pepper

• 8 Corn tortillas

Cumin Black Beans

• 1 can Black beans (undrained)

• 1 tsp Cumin

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Coleslaw

1. Mix all the coleslaw ingredients in a bowl, stirring until well combined. Cover, and place in the fridge while you cook the tacos.

Seasoned Tilapia

1. In a small bowl, combine all the tilapia spices, and stir until well combined. Set aside.

2. Coat the fish in avocado oil, then sprinkle the spices over both sides of the tilapia. You'll want to use all the seasoning to give it a nice rich flavor.

3. Place the fish in a greased baking dish, or a dish lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, flipping fish over halfway through.

Cumin Beans

1. While the fish is cooking, put the can of undrained beans in a small pot with the spices and heat it on low until warm.

Taco Assembly

1. When the tilapia is finished cooking, pull it out of the oven and use a fork to flake the fillets into bite-sized chunks.

2. Heat the corn tortillas in the hot oven for 5 minutes, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds, flipping halfway through.

3. Fill the tortillas with the tilapia, some coleslaw, and any of your other favorite taco toppings, and enjoy with a side of cumin beans.

Taco condiments you could add: salsa, avocado chunks, guacamole, cilantro, onions, tomatoes, or anything else you like.

The recipe calls for fresh tilapia, but I’m confident you could use frozen as well.  Just be sure to let it thaw before starting.

Notes from family:

I liked this recipe because it used a good mix of common spices.  I thought the blend was good and could be altered if anyone in your family dislikes a particular seasoning, or you wanted to spice things up with some cayenne or another flavor.  

I thought the tacos needed a side, so I threw together some cumin-spiced black beans.  This is actually something I make fairly frequently because it’s so simple and tasty. 

I also saw some nice romaine leaves at the store so I bought a pack to use as an alternative. I love salsa, so I topped my tacos with some of that and then served them with a little cup of the black beans.

My brother and dad were out of the house for this dinner, so only my mom and I had these. I really liked the seasoning on the fish and was surprised at how easy the whole thing was to assemble. I think the slaw could have used a bit more seasoning, such as some apple cider vinegar or celery seed, but it was still tasty and added a nice crunch. My mom thought it was an easy way to add fish into meals.

Adapted from:

Slaw - https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fish-tacos-with-cabbage-slaw

Tilapia - https://tastefulventure.com/tilapia-fish-tacos-avocado-cilantro-sauce/