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These Whole30 fish taco bowls with mango salsa and chipotle aioli make an absolutely wonderful Whole30 dinner. Loaded with guacamole, mango salsa, red cabbage slaw, coconut-lime cauliflower rice, and spicy chipotle aioli, I promise this will become your favorite paleo fish recipe or Whole30 fish recipe. Pinky promise! This Whole30 fish taco bowls recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and sugar-free. Nothin’ fishy about it (SORRY!).
Don’t let the ingredients list intimidate you! It looks complicated, but I promise this recipe is SO simple. It’s mostly just mixing things together. You’ve got this! And it’s TOTALLY worth it in the end.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- I started making this fish taco bowl YEARS ago on our very first Whole30, and first posted the recipe here in early 2017. Well, I am here to tell you that, even 6+ years later, I still love it every bit as much as I did on day one. NO. WAIT. That’s not true. Today I love it even more, because after 6+ years of this recipe, I’m still not tired of it. In fact, I still get excited when it’s on our dinner menu. How many meals can you say you’re still excited to eat regularly after 6+ years?
- Let’s talk ingredients and flavors. You’ve got pan-seared, chili-rubbed tilapia. You’ve got coconut-lime cauliflower rice. There’s red cabbage slaw, fresh mango salsa, and creamy guacamole. And on top? Tying all of that incredibleness together? A spicy (but not too much) chipotle aioli. Oh, mama.
- On top of being Whole30-compliant and paleo-friendly, this unbelievable fish taco bowl is also gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and sugar free. You heard me. You just found a dinner recipe full of wholesome, satisfying ingredients that almost everyone can enjoy.
Key Ingredients
Mango – Mango! Not enough recipes use mango, if you ask me. They give this dish an amazing tropical feel, especially when you pair them with the blackened fish. You’ll be transported instantly to a warm, sunny day with your feet in the sand and a margarita in your hand. I mean, without tequila, of course. Because Whole30.
Fish – Tilapia, cod, and mahi-mahi will all work in this recipe, so use whatever you have or like or can find. They’re all good low-calorie, high-protein sources of vitamins and nutrients.
Coconut Milk – Don’t worry. This fish taco bowl is NOT overwhelmingly coconut-flavored. You’ll get a slight hint, which just goes incredibly well with the tropical mango. It makes the aioli and the cauliflower rice rich and creamy, so don’t skip it!
Chef’s Tips
- Massaging the cabbage with lime juice and salt is a really important step, so don’t skip it! It’ll affect the taste and texture of the slaw.
- Fish doesn’t take long to cook at all, so be careful not to overdo it! Since all the other components of the bowl just need to be combined, you can cook the fish last, that way you’re ready to eat as soon as it’s done!
Other Whole30 Recipes You’ll Love
- Whole30 Beef Stroganoff
- Whole30 Breakfast Meal Prep
- Egg Roll in a Bowl Meal Prep (Whole30, Paleo, Keto)
- 65 Delicious Whole30 Recipes for the New Year
- Tuscan Shrimp (Whole30, Paleo)
- Brussels Sprouts Salad (Whole30, Paleo)
Whole30 Fish Taco Bowl with Mango Salsa and Chipotle Aioli (Paleo, Low Carb)
Ingredients
For the Blackened Fish
- 2 tilapia fillets or cod, or mahi-mahi; about 1 pound
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
For the Guacamole
- 2 avocados peeled, seeded, and diced
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
- 1 pinch salt plus more to taste
For the Chipotle Aioli
- ¼ cup Whole30-compliant mayonnaise store-bought or make your own
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
- 1 squeeze lime juice plus more to taste; approximately 1 tablespoon
For the Mango Salsa
- 1 mango peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- ½ tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
- 1 pinch salt plus more to taste
For the Red Cabbage Slaw
- ¼ head red cabbage approximately 2 cups, sliced thin or shaved
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
For the Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice
- 1 head cauliflower stems removed, loosely chopped; approximately 3 cups
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
- 1 pinch salt plus more to taste
Instructions
For the Blackened Fish
- Combine all spices in a small bowl and rub generously over top and bottom of fish fillets.
- Heat coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add fish. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily. Do not overcook.
For the Guacamole
- Combine all ingredients and mash until desired consistency. Add more salt or lime juice to taste.
For the Chipotle Aioli
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lime juice to taste.
For the Mango Salsa
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well to distribute ingredients thoroughly.
For the Red Cabbage Slaw
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. With your hands, massage lime juice and salt into cabbage to tenderize, until purple juices are released.
For the Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Fit your food processor with the shredding blade or regular blade and feed chopped cauliflower in. Process until cauliflower resembles rice or couscous. Alternately, use pre-riced cauliflower.
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook until liquid is mostly evaporated and cauliflower is tender, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and assemble taco bowls.
Assemble Your Whole30 Fish Taco Bowls
- Spoon coconut-lime cauliflower rice into individual serving bowl. Spoon red cabbage slaw next to cauliflower rice. Top with fish fillet, guacamole, then mango salsa. Finally, top with chipotle aioli. Serve immediately.
- This recipe uses 1 small red onion and 1 bunch of cilantro total, divided between the mango salsa and the guac.
- You’ll need just under one full 14-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk, divided between the cauliflower rice and the chipotle aioli.
- Make it Keto: Skip the mango salsa. I know, I know. It breaks my heart to say that, but mangoes just aren’t keto-friendly. Skipping the salsa will make this Whole30 Fish Taco Bowl roughly 588 calories, 21g total carbs, and 11g net carbs.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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The recipe for Chipotle Aioli calls for 1/4 mayonnaise. I am assuming it’s 1/4 of a cup?
Yes, 1/4 cup 🙂
So delicious and easy! Husband said this should be a weekly meal. Make this. Tonight.
This was fabulous! I used Whole 30 compliant avocado oil mayo. In the directions for the Fish Taco Bowl it says 1/4 Whole 30 mayo. I assumed you meant 1/4 “cup” so that’s what I used. I also didn’t have Whole 30 compliant chipotle pepper in adobo sauce so I used 2 teaspoons of Ancho Chile pepper instead. I also put 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper in the mango salsa. I think next time I’ll put it in the aioli. I am a fish taco snob and this was the absolute best!
I loved this meal, absolutely delicious. I swapped the tilapia for wild swordfish ( grilled) only because I could not find quality tilapia. Awesome, will make again. ?Thanks
This recipe was excellent! I just started the Whole30 on Monday (today is Thursday) and am already so tired of chicken, so this change was so welcome! Thank you!
This looks great! I was wondering if you knew how many calories per serving this meal is!?
If made as directed, it’s about 689 calories.
Made this meal last night with the addition of rice and beans (because I’m not doing Whole30). We loved it so much that my husband wants to make it in a large quantity next time so he can take it to work for lunch every day!
One modification I made that I highly recommend is the addition of a bit of cayenne pepper to the mango salsa. 🙂
That’s a great suggestion! And it sounds delish with rice and beans. So glad you both liked it!!
Made this last night and it was fantastic! I used pineapple and strawberries for the salsa since that’s what I had. Making it again tonight upon request. 🙂
Uh YUM! That sounds so good! So glad you like it 😉
This is by far THE best ttilapia recipe!! Family favorite 🙂
I’m soooo glad you love it!
My new favorite recipe!! Delicious. I used arborio rice since I am gluten free but not paleo. So good.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it, Paige. And arborio rice for the cauliflower rice is a great substitution! Thank you so much for coming back to share 🙂
Hi Cheryl, I cannot find whole 30 compliant adoboe?? do you have a suggestion or brand or substitute?
Yes! You can just swap out the adobo for chipotle chili powder. Start with about 2 teaspoons and add more to taste 🙂