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Refreshing veggies, zesty lime flavor, addictive spicy heat, and a subtle ocean-like flavor make these Vegan Fish Tacos perfect for your Taco Tuesday rotation.

I recently came across this fish taco recipe online and thought the flavor combination sounded incredibly delicious. It had the perfect balance of spice, zest, and subtle sweetness that I love. Plus, all the wonderful colors and textures from the veggies had me sold.
Just because vegans don't eat their ocean friends anymore, doesn't mean we can't enjoy the flavors and textures that we used to. So, that's why I veganized this recipe and created these Vegan Fish Tacos.
If you're new to veganism and craving seafood, this type of mock recipe will make the transition easier. You may want to try these Vegan Crab Cakes too. They are the top searched recipe on my site and they get lots of great feedback.
Cilantro-Lime Corn Slaw
I love adding lots of color and texture to recipes and a fresh slaw is a great way to do that. This Cilantro Lime Corn Slaw is refreshing, colorful, spicy and downright mouthwatering.
To make this fabulous slaw, You'll need vegan mayo, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, fresh jalapeño, purple cabbage, frozen corn, fresh cilantro, garlic, and salt.
Thaw the frozen corn out by placing in a colander and running under cool water for 1-2 minutes. Drain well and set aside. You can also use freshly cooked corn if preferred.
Wash and shred (or chop) the purple cabbage and then prep the jalapeño. The pepper adds a good amount of heat, so if you're sensitive, you may want to use less or omit it altogether. To prep the jalapeño, cut off the stem, cut the pepper lengthwise in half, scoop out the seeds and discard. Now mince the flesh.
In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, lime juice, agave nectar, granulated garlic & sea salt. Now combine the cabbage, corn, jalapeño, and cilantro.
Voila! You've just made the tastiest slaw in town!
How to make vegan fish tacos
You'll need two cans hearts of palm to get started. I buy the whole pieces (not salad cut) so I can have larger flaky pieces in the mix. Drain and rinse them well.
Hearts of palm are quite magical! When shredded, they have a similar texture to fish. They have a very mild flavor too, so it won't overpower the seasonings that are added. *Some brands have a tangier flavor, so taste before adding more citrus.
Add the hearts of palm to a food processor and give 2-3 long pulses, until lightly shredded. Don’t over process or it will turn to mush. The mixture should have a flaky fish-like consistency (*see photo above).
Bake
I prefer to bake the hearts of palm to create slightly browned and crispy edges. Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Lightly grease or line a large baking tray or dish with parchment paper.
To a large bowl, add the melted vegan butter, fresh lime juice, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, and salt. Whisk to combine well.
Add shredded hearts of palm to the bowl and gently combine. Now add a ½ tablespoon of the kelp granules and combine. Taste before adding ½ tablespoon more, so you can determine how much ocean flavor you'd like.
Place on your prepared baking tray/dish in one layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy on some edges.
How to assemble vegan fish tacos
- Place a tortilla in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Cook for 30 seconds on each side. Remove and cover with a slightly damp dish towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Assemble tacos by adding a few tablespoons of the hearts of palm mixture. Top with slaw and cubed avocado. Serve with vegan sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, or lime wedges on the side if desired.
So, are you ready for a whole new Taco Tuesday experience? Let's do this!
More vegan seafood recipes to enjoy
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think by leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and sharing your feedback in the comment section below. It would make my day!
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Recipe
Vegan Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Corn Slaw
Ingredients
- 2 14 oz cans hearts of palm , drained & rinsed
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter , melted
- 1 tablespoon lime juice , freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
- ½ - 1 tablespoon kelp granules (*see note for sub)
Cilantro-Lime Corn Slaw
- ¼ cup vegan mayo
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice , freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar (sub maple syrup)
- 1 fresh jalapeño , deseeded & minced
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
- 2 cups purple cabbage , shredded or chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels , thawed
- ¼ cup cilantro , chopped
To Serve
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 avocado , peeled and cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Lightly grease or line a large baking tray/dish with parchment paper.
- Add the hearts of palm to a food processor and give 2-3 long pulses, until shredded. Don't over process. The mixture should have a fish-like consistency. (*see photo above). If your processor is small, blend in two batches.
- To a med-large bowl, add vegan butter, lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic & sea salt. Whisk to combine well.
- Add shredded hearts of palm to the bowl and gently combine. Now add ½ tablespoon of the kelp granules and combine. Taste before adding ½ tablespoon more, so you can determine how much ocean flavor you'd like.
- Place on your prepared baking tray/dish in one layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on some edges.
Cilantro-Lime Corn Slaw
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, lime juice, agave nectar, granulated garlic & sea salt. Now add the cabbage, corn, jalapeño, and cilantro. Combine well.
Taco Assembly
- Place a tortilla in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat (don't add oil). Cook for 30 seconds on each side. Remove and cover with a slightly damp dish towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Assemble tacos, by adding a few tablespoons of hearts of palm mixture. Top with slaw and cubed avocado. Serve immediately. * Serve with vegan sour cream, salsa, hot sauce or lime wedges on the side if desired.
Brenda Tenorio
Everyone loves these! One of my families favorites
Melissa Huggins
Hi Brenda, I'm so happy it's a hit. Thank you for sharing feedback. 🙂
Tess Kane
Great recipe! My husband who rarely comments, twice complimented this. I serve vegan more and more often and my husband rarely realizes it, but usually likes it. When I make this for my vegan son and DIL, he'll figure it out! 🙂
Melissa Huggins
That is amazing, Tess. I am glad the husband approves. Hope you get to try my other recipes too. 🙂
Cathy
Melissa, this was absolutely delicious. Made it tonight. The “fish” cooked up beautifully. I used a packaged cole slaw just to take a short cut, but made the dressing for the slaw and added the corn. Wonderful! My husband and I both loved it. Added some homemade guac. Used a little veg broth instead of veg butter in fish marinade. It still tasted great and browned up. Thanks again for a great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
You are welcome, Cathy! I am glad you made the recipe your own and loved it. Thanks for the positive feedback. 🙂
Donna Goyette
These fish tacos are AMAZING! My entire family of 6 loves
them. Thank you so much! Sometimes we use a shell,
and sometimes just in a bowl! Delicious either way.
Great leftovers too!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Donna! We're so happy to hear that you and your family love the recipe! Thank you so much for stopping by to leave a review 🙂
Lisa DeGroot
This is fantastic! Love it! Finally I have my “fish” tacos back since becoming plant based a few years ago!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Lisa! We're so glad you liked the recipe and can no enjoy "fish" tacos again! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Donna Goyette
I almost never review anything, but these are amazing! My whole family loves them...and they are great even if you skip the shell. Great even cold the next day! Thank you so much! Brilliant!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Donna! Thanks so much for your review and for giving the recipe a try! We are happy to hear that you all loved it 🙂
lori
Fish tacos were amazing! Thanks you.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Lori! We are very happy to hear that you loved the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
Amber
Quick and easy meal for a hot summer night. Delicious.
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
Lisa Brown
I am transtioning to a more plant-based diet. I came across your vegan crab cakes recipe. I then started going through all your recipes. Since it was Taco Tuesday I decided to give your hearts of palm fish recipe a try. And can I just say wow. This recipe is amazing. I made your chipotle sauce and sour cream. Great addition to this great recipe. The crazy thing is I don't even like lime but even the slaw was so good. Looking forward to try your other recipes.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lisa, I'm so glad you liked the tacos. Thank you for making them along with the chipotle sauce and sour cream. More recipes to follow! 🙂
Angela
I did make these for a party we went to and the texture and flavour were terrific! Thank you!!
I can’t wait to share these with more friends of ours.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Angela, thank you for giving this recipe a try! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Aly
Hi Melissa, I am making this for a work lunch pot luck tomorrow, which means I will need to reheat the "fish." How would you suggest I go about doing so? Would the microwave ruin the flavor? Do you think a slow cooker reheat would work better?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Aly, I've only reheated on the stovetop, so I'm not sure about the microwave. Maybe the slow cooker would be better? I wish I had a better answer. Thank you for making this for your potluck. Have fun! 🙂
Cindy D Raley
Hi! This looks super tasty! I am excited to try it and as long as I can find a mango at the store I will make it this week 🙂
I am experimenting with several different vegan "fish" taco recipes and this will be my second one to try.
I'll tag you on my IG after I make it!
Have a great day 🙂
Cindy~
Melissa Huggins
Hi Cindy, thank you so much! Yes, I'd love to see your photos on IG. Have a great day too! 🙂