These baked gluten free tacos are an easy dinner. They’re dairy free and simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but tasty enough for a crowd! They taste deep fried (without being deep fried) and are drizzled with a spicy tahini dressing.
The best thing about tacos (and there are many) is that they’re appropriate all year long. My vegan tofu tacos are ideal in the winter thanks to the warming spices, and these baked gluten free tacos are light enough for Summer but indulgent enough for a chilly day.
Tacos are also so easy to make gluten free because you just need to swap flour tortillas for corn or grain free tortillas and you’re good to go!
Almost all corn tortillas are gluten free, just be sure to read in the ingredients to make sure they’re safe for Celiac Disease.
They’re battered then baked and very lightly fried to achieve an ultra crispy exterior. They taste deep fried but they’re not deep fried so they’re bound to impress all of your friends!
Drizzled with a spicy tahini dressing that tastes crazily similar to baja sauce, only completely dairy free! Try my salmon tacos next!
How to make gluten free tacos
If you’re using fish that was previously frozen, be sure to defrost it completely before starting this recipe. Slice each piece of fish into about 1 inch wide by 2 inch long pieces.
The size isn’t hugely important, but you want each piece to be roughly the same to ensure an even bake.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together. In a second bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, spices and salt.
Dip each piece of fish into the egg, then immediately into the breadcrumb mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To create a really thick coating, you can repeat this process 2-3 times with the egg and breadcrumb mixture.
Add to the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and easily flakes with a fork.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage (I like to use a mandoline to grate it finely), lime juice, cilantro and salt. Massage with your hands and let sit to soften.
In a second bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, adding enough water so it isn’t too thick. Add just 2-4 tbsp at a time so it doesn’t get too watery.
How much hot sauce you need will depend on the brand you use, so taste and adjust as needed.
Add oil to a pan and once hot, add each piece of fish (leaving enough space between each) and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Do not skip this step because you will otherwise have chunks of raw flour in every bite.
Transfer to a wire rack while you finish each piece so the bottoms stay crispy.
Assemble the tacos with a tortilla, cilantro lime rice or green rice, cod, cabbage, pico de gallo and the spicy tahini dressing.
Serving suggestions
I specifically designed these baked gluten free tacos to be a meal all on their own, but if you want any sides, I suggest using my Mexican/Spanish rice and/or my instant pot black beans.
That’s a pretty traditional restaurant style way to serve fish tacos. A lighter option would be my Mexican Cauliflower Rice on the side or just enjoy these as is!
Best taco toppings
As far as toppings go for the tacos themselves, I included a light cilantro lime cabbage slaw, avocado and pico de gallo.
You can throw in some guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce or even finely chopped pineapple for a summery twist.
Depending on the size of your tortillas and other mix ins, you’ll be able to fit about 2-3 pieces of cod in each taco. The standard serving size is 2-3 tacos per person and this recipe serves 4 people.
Do they keep?
This recipe is best served fresh, but the fish will store in the fridge for 2 days in an air tight container. I suggest storing all ingredients separately and reheating the fish on the stove with a splash of oil.
The best fish for tacos
Cod is generally the best fish to use for tacos, but you can also try snapper, mahi mahi or halibut. Generally, a lean white fish is ideal. Tilapia is ok, but it is very thin and won’t hold up as well in this recipe.
I don’t recommend using frozen fish for these tacos for a couple of reasons. First, it’ll be really hard to cut into strips.
Second, the cooking time will be much longer and as they defrost, they’ll release a lot of liquid and the breading will end up falling off in the oven, which we definitely don’t want! If your fish is frozen, just let it defrost overnight for best results.
Try these next
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Baked Spicy Cod Fish Tacos
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Fish:
- 1 ½ pounds cod about 4 pieces, defrosted if previously frozen
- ⅓ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
To Serve:
- 4 servings cilantro lime rice
- 2 cup shredded purple cabbage
- Juice from 2 limes
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons mayo or plain greek yogurt
Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic about 1 clove
- 1-2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Water to thin about 2-4 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice each piece of cod into about 1 inch wide by 2 inch long pieces.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until the yolk is completely broken up.
- In a second bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, spices and salt.
- Dip each piece of cod into the egg, then immediately into the breadcrumb mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all fish has been used.
- Add to the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and easily flakes with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage (I like to use a mandoline to grate it finely), lime juice, cilantro, mayo and salt. Massage with your hands and let sit to marinate.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, adding enough water so it isn’t too thick. Add just 2-4 tbsp at a time so it doesn’t get too watery too quickly.
- The breadcrumb mixture at this point will kind of just be sitting on top of the cod, so to give a feel of it being a bit more deep fried, add enough oil to a pan to coat the bottom. Once hot, add each piece of cod (leaving enough space between each) and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack while you finish all of the fish.
- Assemble the tacos with a tortilla, cilantro lime rice (or just serve this on the side), cod, cabbage, pico de gallo and the spicy tahini dressing. Enjoy!
Amber Jones says
I’m so excited to find your site! My daughter was just diagnosed with multiple food sensitivities so I’m searching for gluten, dairy, cane sugar and egg free recipes and I’ve already found so many great options here! Any thoughts on making this without the egg? I’ve learned about flax eggs, but not sure if it works when trying to bread fish. Thanks in advance!
Claire Cary says
I would do this with flax eggs, instead, I’d make a batter by combining the flour and spices with about 1/4-1/3 cup of plain milk or water, dipping the fish in that and then adding the breadcrumbs.
Alexandra says
This recipe is divine! I tried it today and ate way too much! I think I may have the tahini dressing on everything from now on!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Alexandra! It’s one of my favorite dressings too, I put it on just about everything!