There’s no frying, just flavor, going on in these delicious and just-spicy-enough mahi mahi street tacos, making them delicious and fun for your family’s Taco Tuesday!
It feels totally appropriate for this California girl to kick off the first recipe of a new year with a taco recipe – and that after having lived for 7 years in Hawaii, we’re throwing some hearty mahi in there!
I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate more fish in our diets. Most guidelines say you should incorporate at least two servings of non-fried fatty fish – salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and tuna – a week in order to get those omega-3 fatty acids, which are extremely important for your heart and your arteries. Twenty-two percent lower risk of coronary disease overall? I’m in.
There are so many great comfort food recipes that contain non-fried fish – chowders, stews, sheet pan bakes, and, of course, tacos!
Mahi mahi is a great fish option to add into your diet. Along with omega-3 fatty acids, it’s low calorie, high protein, and full of healthy minerals and B-vitamins. And it tastes great grilled or pan seared, which are my favorite ways to cook it. In the summer, we’re definitely going to be revisiting my recipe for Grilled Lemon Butter Mahi Mahi.
I love serving it up on these smaller size tortillas. They remind me of the batches of small tacos we used to pick up at the food truck rallies in Kaka’ako, back when we lived in Hawaii, and bring back some awesome foodie memories.
In the gray winter months, who couldn’t use a little beachside memory to warm things up?
These tacos are layered with grilled and flavorful mahi mahi, avocado slaw, homemade pico, and drizzled with homemade crema. Mmmmmm-mm!

Mahi Mahi Street Tacos
Equipment
- Blender
- 10" Cast Iron or Grill-Safe Skillet
Ingredients
For the slaw:
- 1 avocado
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp mayonnaise optional
- 12 oz slaw mix
For the pico de gallo:
- 6 plum tomatoes chopped
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the crema:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the mahi mahi:
- 1 lb mahi mahi filets skinned and cut into 1" pieces
- 4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 12 small street taco tortillas
- parsley for garnish
- Optional: Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- To make the slaw, use your blender or food processor and pulse together the mayonnaise, avocado, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper until well blended. Toss with the slaw mix until fully coated and refrigerate at least 30 minutes prior to use (this lets the flavors blend).
- To make the crema, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside, or put in a bottle for drizzling later. Again, you want to do this well in advance of using so that the flavors combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, lime juice, olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper into a marinade. Add the chunks of mahi mahi and stir gently to coat. Let marinate about 15 minutes.
- Heat your grill or your stovetop to high heat. Place the fish in a grill-safe pan or cast iron skillet if you're using the grill. Cook the fish about 4 minutes, turn, and cook an additional four minutes until the fish is opaque and just cooked through. Mahi mahi should be 135-140 when you pull it off the grill.
- Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and heat on the grill rack or in the oven at about 350 for 3-5 minutes.
- Layer the slaw, fish, and pico in the taco and drizzle with the crema. Serve with parsley for garnish, and cilantro if you're a cilantro fan.
Nutrition
Happy Wednesday!
how much mayo for the slaw? you don’t have that ingredient listed…
Thanks for the catch! I drop in about a half tablespoon just to make it a little creamier, but it’s totally optional. I’ll update the recipe!
Great looking fish taco’s. Thanks for the recipe.