Baja grilled fish + cool cilantro crema + spicy sweet mango salsa = FISH TACO BOWLS. This meal is healthy and fun to eat, and not messy like eating hand-held fish tacos!
Fast food Tex-Mex places like Chipotle or Moe’s offer burrito bowls as a lower carb option by layering all the good stuff inside a bowl instead of a tortilla shell, so my daughter came up with the idea to do the same with Fish Tacos! The tilapia in this recipe can be grilled or baked in just 15 minutes and using a few convenience ingredients will save a little of the prep time for making Fish Taco Bowls with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Crema.
For this fish taco bowl, I combined some of my favorite recipes— Baja fish rub from Weber’s Way to Grill (there are tons of good rubs and marinades in this cookbook), Mango Salsa by Love & Olive Oil, and Cilantro Lime Crema by Cooking Light.
During summer, we to grill and eat dinner on our patio, so although you can bake the fish, I think grilling is easier when the weather is nice. For the grilled version, make sure to use a grill pan so that the fish doesn’t fall through the grates. If you choose to bake the fish, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray and then bake for about 12 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Either way, this fish is super easy and super simple to cook!
To save on prep time, look for fresh mango that’s been peeled and cut into chunks or spears in the supermarket produce section and then just dice into smaller pieces to use in the salsa. A package of shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix takes the work out of making the coleslaw for the base of these bowls as well.
This fresh, flavorful, and healthy dish has become one of our favorite weeknight meals. Enjoy!
Fish Taco Bowl with Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Crema
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds tilapia filets
Baja Fish Rub
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mango Salsa
- 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, and/or orange), diced
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and diced
- 2 just-ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
- 1 handful cilantro, washed, dried, de-stemmed, and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
Cilantro Lime Crema
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Cabbage Slaw
- 4 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Shred cabbage and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for crema and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Chop all salsa ingredients and combine with lime juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Rinse tilapia filets and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle rub mixture over both sides of fish and lightly rub.
- Grill or bake fish at 400 degrees (about 12-15 minutes) until it flakes easily with fork. For grilling, heat grill to medium high heat. Cook fish on a lightly oiled grill pan for 6-7 minutes on each side. To bake in oven, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil lightly coated with cooking spray.
Assemble
- Layer cabbage slaw and fish into serving bowls.
- Top with desired amount of mango salsa and lime crema. Serve with tortilla chips on the side, if desired.
Notes
- Mango Salsa and Cilantro Lime Crema from Love and Olive Oil
- Baja Fish Rub from Weber's Way to Grill cookbook
[email protected] says
Wow Sheila!! This looks and sounds so YUMMY! I love fish tacos, definitely going to be giving this meal a try 🙂 Thanks!! Pinning!
sheilathigpen says
Thanks, Serene! Please let me know what you think once you do give it a try — thanks for sharing, too 🙂