Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe: This recipe shows you how to cook simple, smoky campfire fish tacos using foil-packet fish and a quick lime-cilantro slaw. You’ll pack flaky white fish with olive oil, chili, cumin, and smoked paprika, then grill packets over hot coals until the fish flakes. While the fish cooks, you’ll mix shredded cabbage with mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chopped cilantro for a bright slaw. Warm corn tortillas over the grate, assemble tacos with fish, slaw, sliced avocado, and lime wedges, and enjoy a handheld, fireside meal that’s quick, portable, and full of fresh camp flavors and pack a few napkins.
Ingredients:
1 lb fish, white fish fillets (cod or tilapia)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp paprika, smoked
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 tortillas, small corn
2 cups cabbage, shredded (green or red)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp lime juice, fresh
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped fresh
1 avocado, sliced
Lime wedges for serving
Heavy-duty aluminum foil (for packets)
Cooking Instructions For the Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe:
Slaw
- Make the slaw: in a bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chopped cilantro, a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss with shredded cabbage; set aside (about 5 minutes of mixing).
Fish
- Season the fish: pat fillets dry, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper over both sides.
- Assemble foil packets: place each fillet on a sheet of foil, fold edges to seal a packet that traps steam; you can add a squeeze of lime inside.
- Cook over the fire: place packets on the grill grate or directly on hot coals for 8–12 minutes, depending on thickness, until fish flakes with a fork.
- Warm tortillas: lay tortillas on the grate for 30–60 seconds per side until pliable and slightly charred.
- Assemble tacos: open packets carefully, flake fish with a fork, place on warmed tortillas, top with slaw, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
- Hand out tacos hot and enjoy by the fire.
Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe
On a recent trip near a lake, I decided to try a Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe, and it quickly became one of my favourite camping meals. Cooking fish over the fire is fast and simple, and putting it into tacos makes it easy to serve at camp without needing a lot of utensils. It’s light, flavourful, and a fun way to change up the usual campfire menu.
Why Campfire Fish Tacos Work for Camping
A Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe is a great choice because fish cooks quickly over a fire and requires very little seasoning to taste good. Tortillas are easy to pack, hold up well in bags, and don’t take up much space in the cooler. Toppings like shredded cabbage, salsa, or lime wedges travel well and can be prepped ahead of time. I’ve found that tacos work especially well at camp since each person can build their own, making it simple to serve a group with minimal work.
Equipment I Used For the Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe
When I made my Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe, I used a cast iron skillet on a campfire grate, though foil packets also work if you want less cleanup. A spatula was handy for turning the fish and breaking it into chunks once cooked. I brought tortillas wrapped in foil, which I warmed near the coals while the fish was cooking. A cooler kept the fish fresh until it was time to cook, and resealable containers held toppings like salsa, cabbage, and cheese.
How I Cooked Them at Camp
For my Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe, I seasoned fillets of white fish with salt, pepper, and a little chili powder before placing them in a hot skillet with a bit of oil. The fish cooked in about 4 to 5 minutes per side until it was flaky and easy to break apart. I warmed tortillas in foil near the fire, then filled them with chunks of fish and toppings like shredded cabbage and salsa. A squeeze of lime over the top finished them off perfectly. The whole process took less than 20 minutes, which made it an ideal lunch after a morning of activity.
Paring and Serving Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe
The first time I cooked this Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe, I served the tacos with tortilla chips and guacamole. On another trip, I paired them with foil-roasted corn, which worked great as a side dish. For variety, I sometimes bring different sauces like sour cream, hot sauce, or creamy chipotle to let everyone customise their tacos. Leftover fish, when wrapped in foil, reheats well over the fire the next day and can also be used in breakfast wraps.
After making a Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe, I realised how easy and versatile fish can be for camping meals. The tacos are quick to prepare, require very little equipment, and make cleanup simple. They also add variety to the usual rotation of burgers and hot dogs at camp. It’s a recipe I’ll keep making on trips, especially when I want something lighter and fresh around the fire.

Campfire Fish Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb fish white fish fillets (cod or tilapia)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin ground
- 1/2 tsp paprika smoked
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 8 tortillas small corn
- 2 cups cabbage shredded (green or red)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp lime juice fresh
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped fresh
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
Slaw
- Make the slaw: in a bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chopped cilantro, a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss with shredded cabbage; set aside (about 5 minutes of mixing).
Fish
- Season the fish: pat fillets dry, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper over both sides.
- Assemble foil packets: place each fillet on a sheet of foil, fold edges to seal a packet that traps steam; you can add a squeeze of lime inside.
- Cook over the fire: place packets on the grill grate or directly on hot coals for 8–12 minutes, depending on thickness, until fish flakes with a fork.
- Warm tortillas: lay tortillas on the grate for 30–60 seconds per side until pliable and slightly charred.
- Assemble tacos: open packets carefully, flake fish with a fork, place on warmed tortillas, top with slaw, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
- Hand out tacos hot and enjoy by the fire.
Notes
Heavy-duty aluminum foil (for packets)
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