This healthy fish taco bowl recipe with seasoned white fish, fresh Mango Salsa, Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, and Chipotle Lime Mayo Sauce is a whole30 and paleo weeknight dinner you will make all summer long (and all year long, too!).
I am always enjoying trying new and fun ways to incorporate fish into our diet so I put these healthy fish taco bowls on our dinner rotation - and guess what, nobody was mad about it!
I am pretty sure I will be eating this fish taco bowl all summer long starting now. So will you, should you give it a try. I mean, all the things we love about fish tacos minus the starch from the tortillas? Yes, yes, 1000%. YES! Nothing fishy about it! Sorry, I had to!
Now, should you already have skimmed the recipe, please don’t be intimidated by the longish ingredient list. It seems like a lot of work but I guarantee it will not take you any longer than making regular fish tacos. Plus you can take a shortcut by using pre-riced cauliflower rice.
So what do we have in these taco bowls:
- white fish fillet seasoned with plenty of taco seasoning
- fresh mango salsa
- cilantro lime cauliflower rice
- chipotle lime mayo
- red cabbage
- avocado - or, if you want to go all out, guacamole
- lime & jalapeños
In this recipe, we bake the fish - I know, aren't fish tacos grilled? Yes, often they are grilled or fried, but I am not a fan of fried food and grilling is difficult with fish because it’s so tender. So oven roasting became the quick-and-easy alternative and I think you won't disagree with me that it leads to the most excellent results!
How to make this Fish Taco Bowl recipe:
Chop and prep all your favorite taco toppings, so that they are ready when you start cooking. (I would recommend waiting last minute for the avocado though, to make sure it doesn’t brown).
How to make Chipotle Lime Sauce for Taco Bowls:
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Add a little bit of water, just enough to make the sauce easily drizzable (I added ½ teaspoon). Set aside.
How to make mango salsa:
Combine all the ingredients, so mango, cilantro, red onion, and japaneños in a medium bowl and set aside.
How to bake white fish fillets in the oven:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
Prepare the fish. Place fish in a baking dish and massage with oil on both sides. Sprinkle half of the taco seasoning and salt and rub it on one side. Flip the fillets, sprinkle the other half of seasoning, and rub the other side.
Bake for 15 minutes or until fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork. Flake it into bits.
While the fish is baking, prepare the cauliflower rice. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add cauliflower rice and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes until cauliflower is tender and the water has evaporated. Season with salt. Turn off the heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Adjust seasoning if needed.
How to assemble a Fish Taco Bowl:
In two large bowls or plates, arrange cauliflower rice, then top with flaked fish, mango salsa, and your chosen toppings. Drizzle with sauce and enjoy! I usually only drizzle the fish, cauliflower rice, and cabbage with the sauce but go as crazy as you want.
Can I make these fish taco bowls ahead of time?
I think the flavor of the baked white fish is best straight from the oven. However, if you’re serving this over regular rice, that can definitely be made ahead of time. Cauliflower rice is best cooked fresh. Mango salsa and the mayo can also be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
All toppings and garnishes can be chopped ahead of time as well, with the exception of avocado, that’s best to chop right before serving.
Cooking Tips:
- I used barramundi for this taco bowl recipe but you could use Alaskan cod, mahi-mahi, or halibut. These varieties have a mild flavor that pairs well with the smoky taco spices. Tilapia would also work. Go for wild-caught, sustainable options if possible.
- Fish can go “off” or bad pretty quickly, so maybe buy your filets no more than 1 day ahead of time.
- White fish has next to no fat and is prone to overcooking, and the line between not quite done yet and dry and overdone is pretty fine. Do not surpass an internal temperature of 145 F degrees.
- Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3-4 days.
Healthy Fish Taco Bowls with Chipotle Lime Mayo
These healthy whole30 and paleo fish taco bowls with mango salsa and chipotle lime mayo make an absolutely wonderful Mexican inspired summer dinner. Loaded with avocado, homemade mango salsa, red cabbage slaw, cilantro lime cauliflower rice, and spicy chipotle lime mayo I promise this will become your favorite paleo and low carb fish recipe. This Whole30 fish taco bowls recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free.
Ingredients
Mango Salsa:
- 1 cup mango peeled and cubed (about 1 large mango)
- 2 tbsp red onion minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- ½ tbsp jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- pinch of salt
Chipotle Lime Mayo Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper - optional
Fish
- 2 filets barramundi - or your favorite white fish
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil - or olive oil
- 2 ½ teaspoons taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil - or olive oil
- 6 cups frozen cauliflower rice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
Toppings
- ½ jalapeno sliced
- 1 ½ cups red cabbage chopped
- ½ avocado sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- + any of your favorite taco toppings!
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
-
Chop and prep all your favorite taco toppings, so that they are ready when you start cooking. (I would recommend waiting last minute for the avocado though, to make sure it doesn’t brown).
-
Make the mango salsa. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
-
Make the chipotle lime mayo sauce. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Add a little bit of water, just enough to make the sauce easily drizzable (I added ½ teaspoon). Set aside.
-
Prepare the fish. Place fish in a baking dish and massage with oil on both sides. Sprinkle half of the taco seasoning and salt and rub it on one side. Flip the fillets, sprinkle the other half of seasoning and rub the other side. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork. Flake it into bits.
-
While the fish is baking, prepare the cauliflower rice. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add cauliflower rice and cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes until cauliflower is tender and the water has evaporated. Season with salt. Turn off the heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Adjust seasoning if needed.
-
In two large bowls or plates, arrange cauliflower rice, then top with flaked fish, mango salsa and your chosen toppings. Drizzle with sauce and enjoy! (I usually only drizzle the fish, cauliflower rice and cabbage with the sauce).
Recipe Notes
- I used barramundi for this taco bowl recipe but you could use Alaskan cod, mahi-mahi, or halibut. These varieties have a mild flavor that pairs well with the smoky taco spices. Tilapia would also work. Go for wild-caught, sustainable options if possible.
- Fish can go “off” or bad pretty quickly, so maybe buy your filets no more than 1 day ahead of time.
- White fish has next to no fat and is prone to overcooking, and the line between not quite done yet and dry and overdone is pretty fine. Do not surpass an internal temperature of 145 F degrees.
- Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3-4 days.
If you tried this paleo fish taco bowl recipe don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
Jen
I love how this is a healthier twist to my fish taco dinner. I'll definitely be putting the chipotle lime mayo on just about everything! It's so good!!
Marie
Oh yeah, that chipotle mayo is seriously delish!! Thanks Jen 🙂
Angela
This is the perfect summer meal. Sweet and spicy! So delicious.
Marie
Thanks Angela!
Pam Greer
I just bought some mangoes at the store and we love fish tacos, I can't believe I never thought to make them into a bowl! Perfect!
Marie
Mango + fish is a match made in heaven in my opinion! Taco bowls are such a fun change to regular tacos, love them!
Kathryn Donangelo
I used rock cod for this recipe and it came out delicious!!
Marie
Super happy to hear Kathryn, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Nart at Cooking with Nart
This looks so delicious. My dad loves fish so I'm gonna make this recipe for him!
Marie
Thanks Nart! Hope your Dad loves it 🙂
Amanda
I used greek yogurt instead of mayo for the Chipotle Lime sauce, and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Marie
It's a great sub Amanda! Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 🙂