Adobo Fish Tacos (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

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Brightly colored and full of various delicious flavors and textures, these fish tacos are just the thing for a warm spring or summer night. Incredibly easy to make and get onto the table within minutes! Paleo, Whole30, and AIP compliant

I was in my mid-20s when I first heard of fish tacos. They just weren't a thing where I grew up in New Jersey. Yet they were a thing in Colorado, which is where I heard about them.

Weird, considering NJ was next to an ocean, and Colorado not so much… but I digress.

I distinctly remember thinking “ew, gross! That's a terrible idea!” Tacos were hard shells filled with spiced ground beef and smothered in cheese. Not fishy!

But somehow my husband convinced me one day to try them and I learned that my small, uneducated opinion on fish tacos was dead wrong. They were delicious!

Ever since then we try to make them regularly. They're so easy to do too – we usually use cod since it's an easy-to-get, inexpensive, and forgiving fish, plus it doesn't taste “fishy” like some fish do to me. It absorbs the flavors that you use well, like lime and in this dish, the nightshade-free adobo seasoning.

If you haven't yet tried fish tacos – or if you thought a flavorful version was out because you're doing the AIP Diet, I urge you to try these. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Ingredients in these tacos (and substitutions)

For the Adobo Fish:

• Fish of Choice (Cod, Halibut, Tilapia, or Salmon) – As I mentioned above, cod is a great choice as it's inexpensive, easy to find, and doesn't taste very fishy. But you can use any of these that you choose!
• Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Oregano, Sea Salt, Turmeric – these nightshade-free, seed-free spices are what comprise the “Adobo” flavoring of this fish. It also gives the fish a vibrant yellow color!
• Cooking Oil (Avocado, Coconut, Olive) – you can choose which one you want, it's just to help adhere the spices to the fish

For the Lime Crema:

• Coconut Milk – this is the liquid for the sauce to give it a creamy texture. If you can't tolerate coconut milk you can use Tigernut Milk as a nut-free alternative for AIP or any dairy-free milk of choice if you're not on AIP
• Lime – this is to give the sauce a burst of acid and flavor. My husband said until I started using limes a lot in my cooking that AIP stuff was a bit bland. But adding limes really brightened it up!
• Cilantro – this is blended in with the milk and lime to give the sauce some flavor. If you can't stand cilantro though, you can use another herb, a leafy green, or just omit it entirely
• Sea Salt – just a pinch to balance everything out

For the Tacos:

• Taco Shells of choice –  See the section below for options
• Shredded Red Cabbage – this is a great crunchy texture for these fish tacos. I recommend buying pre-shredded red cabbage if you can find it to save some time. It's optional though – so if you don't like cabbage or can't find it, omit it.
• Shredded Carrots – this is another crunchy texture that adds a bit of sweetness to the tacos. Again, buy pre-shredded if you can find it to save time.
• Avocados – Slice or dice them and add to the tacos if you wish to add some healthy fats!
• Cilantro – Chop some up as a flavorful condiment – but if you hate cilantro, omit it
• Limes – if you want, just quarter some limes and serve with the tacos so everyone can adjust the pop of flavor to their liking

Taco Shell Options

Good options for taco shells are:

• These cassava flour tortillas by Downshiftology (that's what I used in the photos) or other compliant tortillas (These are Paleo and AIP)
• butter lettuce or other wide leaf lettuce like iceberg (These are Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
• collard greens (These are Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
• thinly sliced (and peeled) jicama (These are Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
• thinly sliced (and peeled) butternut squash (These are Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
• Siete tortillas are great too (These are only Paleo – NOT AIP or Whole30, though they are good for AIP reintroductions)

How to make these tasty fish tacos

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Toss the fish with the rest of the ingredients, making sure to cover the fish with the spices.
• Place the fish into a glass baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when poked with a fork. You could also grill the fish for 4-5 minutes a side over medium-high heat if you'd rather.
• While the fish is cooking, make the lime crema by mixing the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until creamy.
• Prep any of the additional ingredients for the tacos that you desire.
• When the fish is done, flake it into pieces with a fork.

• Assemble the tacos – place the fish on the bottom of each taco, then add any desired toppings. Drizzle with the lime crema and serve.

Can you make this ahead of time?

Because this is seafood I don't recommend cooking the fish ahead of time. However, you CAN mix the fish with the spices and oil and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw and cook according to the directions. This makes it super easy to cook at mealtime.

The shredded cabbage and carrots can both be prepped up to 7 days ahead of time, or you can buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots to make it even faster at meal time.

The Lime Crema can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

And if you choose to make tortillas, those can also be made several days ahead of time and stored in the fridge, or my favorite thing to do is make a whole bunch at once time and then freeze. Place a small piece of parchment paper between every 1-2 tortillas to make it easy to remove from the freezer and get just what you need.

Can you make these coconut-free?

You sure can! The only coconut in this dish is in the Lime Crema, which uses coconut milk to make it liquid-y. You can easily replace this with tigernut milk if you're on AIP, or any dairy-free milk of choice if you're on Paleo or Whole30.

Want other Paleo and AIP dinner recipes? Try one of these!

Sheet Pan Coconut Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

Sheet Pan Lime Shrimp Fajitas (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

Bacon Ranch Chicken Sheet Pan Meal (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)

More Helpful AIP Resources in the Freebie Library

If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.

Adobo Fish Tacos Recipe

If you make these tacos, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!