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Fish Stick Tacos

Turn frozen fish sticks into these easy, family-friendly Fish Stick Tacos in minutes! Serve them with your go-to toppings for a fun, low-effort meal.

Plated fish stick tacos garnished with fresh toppings and surrounded by small bowls of salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Using fish sticks (or breaded fish fillets) for tacos is one of those obvious-but-genius ideas that just works. It’s quick, kid-approved, and totally satisfying.

I’m not feeding little ones around here anymore, so we load ours up with yummy, wholesome toppings like my Mango Cucumber Salsa and slices of avocado. But you can take these any direction you’d like to feed your crew — keep it simple for picky eaters or pile them high for the grown-ups.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s budget-friendly and a great option for feeding a group.
  • Fish Stick Tacos come together fast — perfect for busy nights.
  • The recipe can be scaled down to serve two or up as much as you need to feed a crowd.
  • You can cook the fish in the air fryer or bake a big batch in the oven, depending on how many you’re serving.
  • They’re easy to customize with your favorite toppings.
Tacos with fish sticks and mango salsa on a white platter.

Ingredients and Variations

Frozen fish fillets, flour tortillas, mango salsa, shredded cheese, and an avocado.
  • Fish: I’ve made these tacos with both fish sticks and breaded fish fillets, and both work great. My top choice is Neptune Pub-Style Breaded Halibut from Costco. If you go with fish sticks, check the package and choose a brand made with whole pieces of fish (not reconstituted). Trident The Ultimate Fish Sticks are made with Alaska pollock fillets and a solid choice.
  • Tortillas: Lightly toasted or warmed small flour tortillas or corn tortillas. I always pick up fajita size — not too big, not too small, and just the right fit for tacos like these.
  • Toppings: Shredded cheese (we like pepper Jack). From there, the world is your oyster! Go with any and all toppings you love. Here are some great choices:
Fish stick tacos in flour tortillas topped with shredded cheese, mango salsa, avocado, and sour cream, served with lime wedges.

How to Make Fish Stick Tacos

Two images of frozen fish fillets in an air fryer basket and the cooked fillets being sliced on a cutting board.
  1. Cook the frozen fish sticks or fish fillets in a single layer in your air fryer or conventional oven, according to the package instructions. If doubling the recipe, you may need to cook the fish in batches if using an air fryer.
  2. If you’re using fish fillets, slice them, lengthwise, into 2 or 3 strips. Fish sticks are good to go as is.
  3. Load up toasted or warmed tortillas with a couple of crispy fish sticks (or fillet strips) and the toppings you love.

Tortilla Warming Tips

  • Skillet (best texture): Place a dry skillet over medium heat and warm each tortilla for about 30 seconds per side, until soft and lightly toasted in spots.
  • Oven: Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and warm in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
  • Microwave: Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts until warm and pliable.

Storage Tips

If you have leftovers, store the cooked fish separately from the tortillas and toppings in airtight containers. For the best texture, reheat the fish in the air fryer or oven. It’s best not to use the microwave, because it has a tendency to soften the breading. The cooked fish will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Fish tacos arranged on a white platter with avocado slices, mango salsa, shredded cheese, and lime wedges.

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Calculated nutrition for Trident Fish Sticks, tortillas, and cheese. No other optional toppings.

Plated fish stick tacos garnished with fresh toppings and surrounded by small bowls of salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Fish Stick Tacos

Turn frozen fish sticks into these easy, family-friendly Fish Stick Tacos in minutes! Serve them with your go-to toppings for a fun, low-effort meal.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Southwest, Tex Mex

Keyword: fish stick tacos

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cook Time:15 minutes

Total Time:25 minutes

Ingredients

Optional Toppings (See Notes Below for More)

Instructions

  • Bake or air fry the fish according to the package directions.

  • Meanwhile, toast the tortillas in a dry skillet or warm them in the oven or microwave (see instructions in notes below).

  • If using fillets, slice them lengthwise into 2 or 3 strips, depending on the size.

  • Load the tortillas up with 2 fish sticks (or 2 or 3 strips of fish fillet) and toppings, as desired.

Notes

To Warm the Tortillas
Skillet (best texture): Place a dry skillet over medium heat and warm each tortilla for about 30 seconds per side, until soft and lightly toasted in spots.
Oven: Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and warm in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
Microwave: Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts until warm and pliable.
Fish Taco Topping Ideas

Nutrition

Serving: 1 taco · Calories: 285 kcal · Carbohydrates: 27 g · Protein: 14 g · Fat: 15 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Cholesterol: 33 mg · Sodium: 493 mg · Potassium: 328 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 118 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 132 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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