These easy fish tacos with a creamy cilantro lime slaw take advantage of frozen fish sticks for a shortcut dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes!
When you’re craving crispy fried fish tacos, but you don’t have the time to deep-fry your seafood, these easy fish tacos — made with frozen fish sticks — are the perfect solution! Set out the fresh, creamy, cool, and crisp cilantro lime slaw along with all of your other favorite toppings. This is a simple meal that keeps everyone happy!
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- Store-bought frozen fish sticks are the key to easy fish tacos! You can bake them in minutes (even in the air fryer if you have one), and achieve that crispy, golden brown exterior with minimal effort and very few dishes. They’re also the perfect size for corn or flour tortillas.
- We’ll jazz up the fish sticks and give the meal a homemade taste with a crunchy, tangy slaw that’s a perfect contrast to the rich, warm, fried fish. Since this particular slaw includes both mayonnaise and lime juice, you get the best of both worlds: a cool, creamy base that’s brightened up with acidic citrus.
- For the base of the cabbage slaw, you can use shredded red cabbage, green cabbage, or even a package of pre-shredded coleslaw mix with the cabbage and shredded carrot — whatever you prefer.
- Small corn tortillas or flour tortillas will both work well. Warm the tortillas in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stovetop for the best flavor and texture. You might even like to char your corn tortillas in a dry pan or over an open flame (be careful)!
How to Make Fish Tacos with Fish Sticks
- Bake the fish sticks according to your package directions.
- Meanwhile, stir together the cabbage slaw.
- Assemble the tacos by placing fish sticks in a warm tortilla. You can cut the fish sticks in half (or in smaller pieces) if that makes them easier to eat, but it’s not necessary. Top with slaw and any other favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Toppings and Serving Suggestions
We like to set out a taco bar and let each person assemble his own plate of tacos. Delicious fish taco toppings include salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes, sliced avocados or this easy guacamole recipe, sour cream, quick pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, sliced olives, fresh lime juice or lemon juice, sliced jalapeños, black beans or pinto beans, corn, and sliced radishes.
On the side, you might like chips and salsa, pico de gallo, or guac; a simple green salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette; rice; or a 7-layer bean dip.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Easy Fish Tacos with Slaw
Ingredients
- 16 frozen fish sticks (about 1 lb.)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or sub with honey)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (red or green cabbage is fine, or use a prepared coleslaw mix for a shortcut)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or sub with parsley)
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
- 8 small corn tortillas or flour tortillas, warmed
- Optional, for serving: salsa, guacamole or sliced avocado, lime wedges, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, sliced radishes, hot sauce
Instructions
Bake the Fish Sticks
- Bake the fish sticks according to the package directions.
Prepare the Slaw
- While the fish is in the oven, prepare the slaw. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Add the cabbage, green onions, cilantro (or parsley), and jalapeño pepper (if using). Toss to coat the vegetables in the dressing. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if necessary. Add a little bit of extra mayo if you'd like it even more creamy. Let the slaw sit until ready to serve.
Assemble the Fish Tacos
- Place two fish sticks on each tortilla; top with some of the slaw. Add extra toppings if desired; serve any remaining slaw on the side.
Notes
- Warm the corn tortillas of flour tortillas before serving. You can do this by wrapping them in foil and putting them in the oven for a few minutes, by wrapping them in damp paper towels and microwaving them, or by charring them over a gas burner on the stovetop.
- Flip the fish sticks halfway through the baking time so that they get crispy on both sides.
Nutrition
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in the fridge for a quick lunch or dinner the next day! The slaw will last in an airtight container for 3-4 days, but the cabbage will definitely get softer the longer it rests. Leftover fish sticks will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. To reheat the fish sticks, microwave until warmed through, or bake in a 350°F oven until crisp and warm again, flipping halfway through. I do not recommend freezing the slaw or the baked fish sticks.
Recipe Variations
- Season the fish sticks with spices like cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder for even more taco flavor.
- Instead of using frozen fish sticks, you can grill salmon, use blackened salmon, skillet shrimp, or other grilled or pan-fried white fish fillets such as cod, tilapia, or halibut.
- Skip the homemade slaw and use a store-bought coleslaw instead. You can even add some lime juice and/or lime zest to a prepared slaw for that bright, citrus touch.
- In lieu of the jalapeno pepper, make the slaw spicy with cayenne pepper, sriracha, or another hot sauce.
- Instead of the slaw, make a fish taco sauce to finish off the dish. A typical fish taco sauce (or “lime crema”) includes a lot of the same ingredients that I use in the slaw dressing here, such as sour cream, Greek yogurt, mayo, lime juice, garlic powder, and cayenne or hot sauce.
- Scale the recipe up or down to accommodate the number of folks at your table. For instance, double all of the ingredients to feed 8 people, or cut everything in half to serve 2. The frozen fish sticks make these adjustments particularly easy!
More Easy Taco Recipes to Try
Taco Seasoning for Ground Beef
20 minutes mins
Crockpot Mexican Chicken (Crockpot Chicken Tacos)
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Taco Pie
52 minutes mins
Originally published in June, 2022, this post was updated in June, 2025.
I was looking for a quick kid friendly dinner and I was a little skeptical due to the frozen fish sticks, but I really enjoyed this! Very fast and tasty. Thanks!
Thank you, Sarah! I’m so glad that it was a hit! 🙂
I love fish taco’s and had a tough time convincing my husband to give them a try. This recipe was so delicious and simple too! I had the large size tortillas available so I added more ingredients to fill them up. My husband loved them and of course, so did I. I love adjusting the taste of the sauce to suit your preferences and adding a variety of ‘add ons’ was fun; just like regular taco night!
This recipe came together so quickly and was definitely a home run. Thank you, Blair!
So glad that you enjoyed them, and that your husband approved, Rita! Thank you!
We really enjoyed the slaw dressing! In fact, we may go heavier on it next time.
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Tim! Thank you for trying it out.
This was a hit, thank you! I made them with frozen beer battered fillets that I cooked in the toaster oven. I used spinach, as that’s what I had, and added a little water to thin the dressing. Delicious !
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Christy!