Smoked Fish Tacos

Smoked Fish Tacos are the perfect way to make an awesome recipe for the family. The flavorful fish creates a delicious taste that is sure to have everyone loving taco night. Don't forget the taco toppings and lime wedges! When it comes to fish recipes, you're going to love this!

More than likely, you've had salmon tacos before - but we're big fans of using red snapper as our white fish of choice. Paired with the corn tortillas (or flour tortillas), the smoked fish flavor really stands out. (to be fair, you can use this recipe with all types of fish, we just think that the best kind of fish for this recipe is red snapper)

Using simple main ingredients, the smoky flavor really shines and stands out, which tastes so good! I also love using fresh salsa and a coleslaw mix on top of my tacos because the crunch and heat combination is crazy good. The good thing about making tacos is that you can create them in so many different ways!

Be sure to check out our Smoked Swordfish for even more fun flavors and taste! Or make these beer battered fish tacos next!

Ingredients

Red Snapper Fillet - Find out how I make Smoked Red Snapper here. You can also make these subbing in our Grilled Steelhead Recipe.

Olive oil - You could use avocado oil as well.

Salt - To taste.

Black pepper - To taste.

Smoked paprika - Regular paprika or other seasonings would be delicious, too.

Onion - I like to use red onion or sliced sweet onion.

Tomato - Diced.

Cilantro - Fresh cilantro is the perfect topping.

Lime - To squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

Corn tortillas  - Perfect for the recipe - and also gluten-free.

How to Make Smoked Fish Tacos

Step One: Mix all the seasoning together in a small bowl.

Step Two: Take the fish out of the packing and rinse it under cold weather. Pat dry with clean paper towels.

Step Three: Brush olive oil on the top of the fish and then add dry seasoning all over.

Step Four: Put the red snapper onto the preheated smoker and smoke at 225 degrees for 45 minutes. Once the internal temperature is 130 degrees, remove it from the smoker.

Step Five: To assemble the tacos, chop the smoked fish into bite-sized pieces.

Step Six: Cook the tortillas quickly over medium-high heat in a pan for 1 minute per side.

Step Seven: Add the cooked fish to each taco along with your favorite toppings. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice or lemon juice.

Variations

Types of fish - You can make smoked catfish tacos, smoked tilapia tacos, smoked salmon tacos, or any other type of fish you enjoy with this recipe. You do not have to use red snapper. You can even use grilled mahi mahi.

Make them spicy - You can kick up the heat by adding chili powder or cayenne pepper to your seasoning. However, if you don't want to season all the tacos, you can also just add that directly to your own portion to enjoy.

Make homemade pico de Gallo - Don't forget the salsas and other fun flavors! The funny thing about tacos is that you can't go wrong with so many flavors.

​Add cabbage - I love using coleslaw mix (because it's already prepped and ready to use) or even purple cabbage or red cabbage to add a fun look and crunch to the tacos.

Lime crema - We often make a very simple lime sauce by mixing equal parts sour cream and mayo and then seasoning it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and lime juice.

Add more toppings - The toppings above are just a suggestion. You can also add sour cream, red onion, or anything else that you want to enjoy with your hot smoked salmon taco. The great thing about making seafood tacos is that they go with a ton of different flavors. If you like sweet salsa this Peach Salsa Recipe is amazing!

Common Questions

What is the best way to chop up green cabbage quickly for tacos?

You can use a sharp knife and cutting board and do it by hand, but that will lengthen the prep time of this recipe. The other simple method is to add the cabbage in chunks to a food processor and dice it up quickly that way.

What is a street taco?

This recipe is actually a street taco recipe! It's basically where you fill warm tortillas with your favorite meat and/or toppings - and enjoy!

At what temperature is fish cooked and ready to eat?

For this recipe, the internal temperature of the red snapper needs to be at least 130 degrees. Use a meat thermometer to test it, and then remove the fish from the grill grates once it reaches that point.

Make sure that you do pay attention to the smoking cook time and the internal temperature because if you overcook the fish, it will be dry and lose a lot of moisture.

 

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