Crispy air fried tilapia served on a charred flour tortilla and topped with a refreshing and spicy cucumber-jalapeno relish.
Fish tacos are a great weeknight meal. They are generally quick, satisfying and my personal favorite reason for anything. You can add anything in the fridge to them. For this recipe I figured I’d shortcut an already short recipe by letting the air fryer do all the work, so I can focus on the toppings. So the thought behind this recipe is some spicy flaky tilapia cooled down by fresh vegetables. Tilapia can actually take on heat really well before it becomes overwhelmed by it. So tilapia is generally my go-to for a spicy fish taco. If I’m in the mood for street tacos I go with cod or snapper on corn. If I want a fried fish taco I stick with tilapia or catfish. Really you can use any fish just let them stick to their strengths some fish taste better handled a certain way. Some taste better over corn rather than flour. Some can handle the heavy seasoning while some just need salt and pepper. Experiment and play around with this style of taco it’s super easy. Check out my tip and tricks below for the best fish tacos with a cucumber jalapeno relish. Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!
TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST TILAPIA FISH TACOS AND CUCUMBER JALAPENO RELISH:
watch your fish: i will state that this recipe works perfectly fine in a sauté pan on the stove. if you go the air fryer route make sure to keep an eye on the fish since that’s covered and probably off to the side. it can over cook. once it’s done in the air fryer open the lid, leaving it covered can cause it to continue cook at a pretty high temperature.
cook your tortillas: regardless if you use flour tortillas, corn tortillas, glute- free or sprout grain tortillas. make sure they have some direct contact with a heated pan and not a microwave. heating the tortilla makes the tortilla more pliable and brings out way more flavor. its an action that can often be overlooked.
peeled cucumber optional: for this recipe i didnt peel my cucumber and thats becuase i enjoy the extra chew of it. it also helps the cucumber keep its shape if its sitting for a while after the salt is added to the relish. but this recipe works just fine with it peeled.
don’t overwhelm with herbs: the relish really tempted me to add in fresh basil or mint. then i thought about the fish and all the loud ingredients that i didn’t want to overshadow. so don’t forget to edit your recipes and if you have leftover feel free to add them in and maybe have it ready for something for another dish.
SIMILAR INGREDIENTS TO:
- COD FISH TACOS W/ WASABI AVOCADO SAUCE
- SHRIMP STUFFED AVOCADOS
- FRIED SHRIMP TACOS W/ SRIRACHA TARTARE SAUCE
ENJOY THIS RECIPE WITH:
INGREDIENTS
- 5-6 Tilapia fillets
- Cayenne Pepper
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- 1c Shredded Cabbage
- 1 Large Carrot, grated
- 2 Avocados, mashed
CUCUMBER- JALAPENO RELISH
- 1 Cucumber, small diced
- 2-3 Jalapeno, seeded and small diced
- 1/2c Red Onion, small diced
- 2Tb Cilantro
- 1Tb Lemon Juice
- 1tsp Black Pepper
- 1tsp Salt
DIRECTIONS:
- SEASON FISH: Season fish generously with seasonings listed above.
- AIR FRY: Air fry at 350F for 10 minutes. Work in batches.
- MAKE RELISH: To make relish combine all ingredients then season generously with salt and pepper.
- BUILD: Heat tortilla so that it is lightly charred. Smear avocado on at the bottom. Lay on pieces of fish (I do about 1 piece per two tacos) Top lightly with cabbage and carrots and fish with cucumber and jalapeno relish.