Our homemade fish taco sauce is creamy, spicy, tangy, smooth, and oh-so delicious! It’s the perfect condiment for fish tacos and a dipping sauce for fried shrimp and fish nuggets.
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Made with simple ingredients our fish taco sauce takes about five minutes to make. But it’s a good idea to make it ahead of time to give the ingredients time to combine and let the flavors build.
This simple sauce will add another level of deliciousness to your seafood tacos and works with fried, grilled or blackened fish or shrimp.
I love fish tacos and our easy-to-make fish taco sauce is bright and flavorful with a hint of smokiness, thanks to the smoked paprika.
Drizzled over fish tacos, it elevates the flavor, combining with the other ingredients making every bite.
My homemade taco sauce recipe is also worth a try, so good.
Ingredients to Make Fish Taco Sauce
Gather the ingredients needed to make our creamy Fish Taco Sauce recipe. In culinary terms, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
How can I Adjust the Ingredients?
We made the recipe using a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise. If you’re not a fan of mayonnaise, you can substitute Greek yogurt for all sour cream to make this flavorful sauce. You can also use Mexican crema as a substitute.
If you prefer a less smoky flavor, use sweet paprika (Hungarian paprika) instead of the smoked version.
To amp up the flavor you can add garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, or a little bit of cayenne pepper.
Fresh cilantro makes a nice addition, adding another layer of flavor.
We used sriracha to make the sauce but you can also use sweet chili sauce to make the recipe.
How to Make the Best Fish Taco Sauce
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, and fresh lime juice to a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add the smoked paprika, black pepper, cumin, and sea salt to the mixture.
- Whisk to combine.
Pour the sauce into a mason jar or airtight container and refrigerate for 2 hours before using to allow the flavors to build. For best results, make the creamy sauce the day before to make the best fish tacos you ever tasted.
After one taste of our fish taco sauce your family will think you ordered from your local Mexican restaurant! Isn’t it time to take your taco night to the next level for the fresh flavors of our homemade fish taco sauce?
Store the sauce refrigerated in a jar or airtight container for up to 5 days. The sauce does not freeze well.
Recipe FAQs
The sauce is mild to moderately spicy, but the level of spiciness can easily be adjusted. If you prefer a milder sauce, add less sriracha. For more heat, you can add chili powder, hot sauce, or a little cayenne to the mixture.
Yes, you can, but I strongly recommend using fresh lime juice. Lime juice provides a distinct flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients in this sauce. Lemon juice will add a slightly different, tangier citrus note.
Yes, you can. We used regular mayo, but light mayo, olive oil mayo, or vegan mayonnaise can be used to make the recipe.
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Fish Taco Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, and lime juice to a small bowl. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.
- Add the paprika, black pepper, cumin, and sea salt to the mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour the fish taco sauce into a mason jar or airtight container and refrigerate for 2 hours before using to allow the flavors to build. Overnight is best.
Henry T says
Made this for your cod fish taco recipe and it was delicious! Creamy with just a hint of heat went perfect with the tacos. Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m glad you liked it, its one of my favorite sauces!