The combination of the fresh fish along with other fresh ingredients makes for a delicious meal. (Photo: Jim Edlund)
October 03, 2025
By Jim Edlund
Print Recipe
This is the perfect recipe for that bag of fish fillets in the freezer or gives you a good reason to spend a day on the water catching anything that bites. Seriously, when it comes to making fish tacos, there’s no wrong or right species.
You might have a few small bass, panfish, walleye, pike, perch, catfish…whatever. Fried in a cornmeal-based breading and served atop tortillas with fresh salsa, avocado, red cabbage, cheese, sour cream, beans, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, and plenty or hot sauce and you’d swear you’re getting something served in tin foil from a commercial taco truck – or a stand south of the border.
Here's everything you'll need to create your fish taco buffet. (Photo: Jim Edlund) Depending on how many people you are serving will determine exactly how much of each ingredient you’ll need.
Ingredients:
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1-2 pounds of fish fillets cut into strips or nuggets 1-2 pkgs Andy’s Red Fish Breading Two eggs and half can of beer for egg/breading wash Canola oil (for frying) Flour or corn tortillas 1 can pinto beans/1 can black beans 2-3 ripe avocados Fresh salsa or pico de gallo Shredded cheese, southwest blend Red cabbage, sliced Sour cream Hot sauce Fresh cilantro, chopped Lime wedges Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees to hold fried fish when they come out of the fryer, electric frying pan, or cast iron skillet Heat pinto and black beans on stovetop Cut fish fillets into strips or nuggets (depending on species and size) Rinse and dry fish, then dip pieces in a wash of two eggs and beer Drop into a large Zip-Lok bag with Andy’s Red Fish Breading until thoroughly covered Fry in batches at 380 degrees until golden brown Transfer fish pieces on cookie sheet to oven to stay warm Slice avocados into quarters and set aside Slice red cabbage and set aside Chop cilantro Empty shredded cheese bag in bowl on dining table Make sure there are plenty of tortillas on the table Move fish from the oven to the dining table As mentioned in the title, this recipe is for buffet-style eating. Once all the toppings are on the table, and the fish is still warm, call everyone to dig in and build their own fish tacos.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Some will like certain ingredients, others not so much. That’s okay. The only reason you don’t see rice and lettuce in this recipe is that my friends like fish tacos with red cabbage alone and no rice filler, just more fish. Feel free to tweak however you like with lettuce, yellow rice, sauteed peppers and onions, etc.
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The other nice thing about this recipe is clean up is pretty easy – in fact, the best way to make fish tacos is on paper plates if you have them. That definitely minimizes the mess!
Mix up the ingredients if you wish, but a fish taco buffet is one of the best ways to enjoy some fresh fish fillets. (Photo: Jim Edlund) So there you have it. Once you make up your taco, don’t forget a couple good slices of avocado, cilantro, and squeeze plenty of lime juice on them. Yep, it’s a good way to fill stomachs, typically with enough to go around for seconds, even thirds. The only challenge you face with this recipe is folding the taco in two and eating with your hands without a bib. It’s all part of the fun.
