Bangin’ Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Mango Pico and Chipotle Aioli
These air fryer fish tacos are fast, fresh, and absolutely loaded with flavor. Tender fish cooks in minutes in the air fryer, then gets tucked into warm tortillas with crunchy cabbage, smoky chipotle sauce, and a bright mango avocado pico de gallo that makes the whole thing pop.
The fish stays juicy and flaky and cooks in about 6 minutes, making this an easy weeknight dinner that tastes like an authentic taco truck. Sign me riiiight up.
Guess my favorite food…
I’ll tell you. It’s fish tacos.
These are the kind of tacos that make you feel like you’re eating at a beachside taco stand… except you’re in yoga pants in your kitchen on a Tuesday night.
Listen, I love the whole battered and fried fish taco vibe, yum. But what we’re going for here is healthy, fast, and flavorful. Enter our hero: the good ole air fryer. High heat for a short time is the true key to perfect fish, and the air fryer absolutely nails it. The seasoned fish is tossed in a bit of our chipotle aioli/sauce, which helps lock in moisture and creates a slightly crispy, golden-brown finish.
I did test this recipe with panko breading, but honestly, it’s better without it. The fish is aggressively and perfectly seasoned and crisped up with very little fat/extra breading or batter. It’s a great vessel for carrying our other flavor bombs – juicy mango pico de gallo, a lusciously creamy chipotle aioli and of course, a big crunch of crushed tortilla chips over the whole shebang.
I was a tiny bit nervous about my girls eating this meal – but they loved it! Both of my girls (ages 4 and 6) had a warm flour tortilla with cabbage, fish, cheddar cheese (I know, kinda weird, but kids like cheese 🤷🏻♀️), and smashed avocado. They preferred the mango salsa on the side. Whatever works!
Trust me y’all, these healthy air fryer tacos are a real winner. And yes, you can make them in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer – instructions are in the recipe card!
What You’ll Need to Make These Delicious Tacos:
- The fish game here is pretty fast and loose. In my video, I’m using cod, and in these pictures, I’m using halibut. Almost any type of fish works. White fish like mahi mahi or halibut, salmon or even shrimp. You may need to adjust the cooking time based on the type and thickness of the fish you’re using.
- Find Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international foods aisle of any grocery store.
- If you can get your hands on Ataulfo mangos (also called honey or champagne mangos), USE THOSE. They are so much sweeter, juicier, and have a better texture than ‘regular’ mangos. Fresh pineapple would also be a vibe.
- You can use flour tortillas or corn tortillas, whichever you prefer.
How To Make Air Fryer Fish Tacos
Make the Chipotle aioli: Whisk together the mayo, adobo sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl. Scoop a couple of heaping spoonfuls of the sauce into a large shallow bowl and whisk it with olive oil. This will become the quick marinade for the fish. Set the rest of the sauce aside for drizzling on the tacos.
Season the fish: If needed, cut the fish into about 4″x1½” fillets, no need to be perfect. Pat the fish very dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt, pepper, taco seasoning, and smoked paprika.
Place the fish strips in the shallow bowl with the sauce and olive oil mixture, and toss gently until each piece is lightly coated.
Air fry: Arrange the pieces of fish in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 425°F for about 5 to 6 minutes, just until the fish turns opaque, flakes easily with a fork and is lightly golden brown on top.
Make the mango pico: In a bowl, toss together the diced mango, diced avocado, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, olive oil, and a big pinch of salt.
Assemble the tacos: Toss the shredded cabbage with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Warm the tortillas. Layer in the taco fillings: cabbage, cooked fish (flaking it up a bit), mango pico, a drizzle of chipotle crema, a squeeze of lime, queso fresco, and a big crunch of tortilla chips on top.
Congratulations, you are absolutely winning at taco night.
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or Youtube – I love connecting with you all there!
Another banger for the whole family, puh-leeeease make these and tag me!
Print
Bangin’ Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Mango Pico and Chipotle Aioli
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (two tacos each) 1x
- Category: Dinner, Tacos
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Make these easy air fryer fish tacos in just minutes. Flaky fish, smoky chipotle sauce, and fresh mango avocado pico tucked into warm tortillas for the perfect quick taco night.
Ingredients
chipotle aioli
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/2 lime, juice of (about 1 tablespoon)
fish
- 1lb mahi mahi, halibut, cod or salmon, sliced into 4-inch by 1 1/2-inch strips
- 1/4-ish teaspoon each salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning* (see note)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
mango pico
- 1 ataulfo mango, diced
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
- 1 small jalapeño, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- big pinch of salt
assembly
- napa or green cabbage, finely shredded
- 5–6-inch flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- tortilla chips
- lime wedges
- cilantro
- queso freso or feta
Instructions
- Sauce: Whisk together ⅓ cup mayo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Take about 2 heaping tablespoons of this sauce and place it in a large, shallow bowl with ½ tablespoon olive oil, then whisk to combine. Reserve the remaining Chipotle sauce to drizzle on the tacos.
- Fish: Use paper towels to pat the fish as dry as possible. Season all over with ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Place the fish fillets in the shallow bowl with the sauce/olive oil mixture and toss to coat each piece of fish in the marinade.
- Cook: Place the fillets in the air fryer basket, leaving a bit of space between each. Air fry the fish at 425°F for 5-6 minutes, JUST until it flakes with a fork. (see note)
- Mango pico: Toss together 1 diced ataulfo mango, 1 diced avocado, 2 tablespoons minced red onion, 1 minced jalapeño, ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, a glug of olive oil, and big pinch of salt, to taste.
- Assembly: Toss the cabbage with the juice of ½ lime and pinch of salt. Warm the tortillas. Assemble the tacos with cabbage, fish (flake it up a bit as you put it in the taco), mango pico, drizzle of chipotle aioli, squeeze of lime, queso fresco and big crunch of tortilla chips on top of everything. MUAH! Buen provecho!
Notes
Taco seasoning: if you don’t have taco seasoning, replace it with 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and increase the smoked paprika to 1½ teaspoons and the salt to ¾-1 teaspoon.
Oven instructions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange the marinated fish pieces on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 8-10 minutes, just until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. If you like a little more color/crispiness on the fish, switch the oven to broil for the final 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.
Storage: Store the components (fish, mango pico, aioli, slaw) in separate airtight containers for up to three days. Reheat the fish for a few minutes in the air fryer and assemble per usual.
Cook time will vary slightly based on the type and thickness of your fish pieces, a good rule of thumb is 4 minutes per inch of thickness (if you’re making it in the air fryer, a little longer if you’re using a conventional oven). My fillets were 1.5 inches and done in exactly 6 minutes. Err on the side of underdone, as it will continue to cook a bit with carryover cooking, and you don’t want dry fish!
I like to warm the tortillas over the gas flame of my stovetop (if you have a gas stove!) for about 30 seconds per side – this way they get a little char and ‘grilled feeling’. Another method is to wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30-60 seconds.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 471
- Sugar: 7.8 g
- Sodium: 1121.5 mg
- Fat: 19.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 27.8 g
- Cholesterol: 58.5 mg
