Slow Cooker Fish Tacos with Sweet Potatoes
Perfectly cooked fish - every time - from the slow cooker. Spicy, savory flavors from red onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and sweet potatoes for the easiest fish tacos ever.
I’ll be honest. I was bad at cooking fish.
It was usually overcooked, because I was never quite sure when it was done.
…until I started cooking it in the slow cooker. It’s amazing:
- No dry, overcooked fish
- No bland, flavorless fish.
- Fish is done in only 15-20 minutes, not hours and hours, like standard slow cooker recipes.
At the low, steady heat in a slow cooker, there is a much bigger window to catch fish at the perfect doneness – before it goes from undercooked to overcooked.
In this recipe, the 15 minute cooking time is plenty of time for fish to absorb the spicy, savory flavors of the chilies, tomatoes, onions and sweet potatoes.
And here’s one giant bonus which my mom will love: cooking fish in the slow cooker doesn’t make your kitchen smell fishy. My mom never cooks fish for this one reason. *This hack is for you Mom!*
I discovered this fish-cooking Healthy Kitchen Hack a few years ago when I made this recipe for Thai Slow Cooker Tilapia.
Here are the basic steps to cooking fish in the slow cooker:
- Place vegetables, spices, liquids and/or whole grains (rice, quinoa) in slow cooker and cook 6-8 hours on LOW or 4-6 hours on HIGH.
- About 15-20 minutes before serving, nestle fish in vegetables and liquids. White fish and thinner fillets take about 15 minutes, oil-rich fish like salmon and/or thicker fillets take about 20 minutes.
- Serve super flavorful fish with a whole meal in one pot!
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Slow Cooker Fish Tacos with Sweet Potatoes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Perfectly cooked fish - every time - from the slow cooker. Spicy, savory flavors from red onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and sweet potatoes for the best fish tacos!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (about 12 ounces)
- 1 large bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium red onion, sliced in rings
- 1 can (12 ounce) can tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 cup lower-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound cod fillets (or any other fish!)
- For serving: Corn tortillas, shredded coleslaw mix, fresh cilantro, plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
Chop sweet potato into ¾-inch cubes (do not peel sweet potato.)
Spray 5-6 quart slow-cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place sweet potato, peppers, onions in slow cooker. Pour tomatoes and broth over vegetables. Sprinkle with cumin and salt; mix to combine. Cook 4-6 hours on HIGH, or 6-8 hours on LOW.
About 15-20 minutes before serving, remove the lid of slow cooker and nestle fish in vegetables and liquids. White fish and thinner fillets take about 15, oil-rich fish like salmon and/or thicker fillets take about 20 minutes.
Serve with corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, plain Greek yogurt
Have you ever cooked fish in the slow cooker? What's your favorite way to cook fish?










We love slow cooker meals because all the prep is done in advance, so it's quick to serve. Fish tacos are my favorite, and I would have never thought to try the slow cooker! Thanks!
Oh I hope you can try them Alison! Set-it-and-forget-it are my favorites too!
I have actually never cooked fish in the slow cooker but now I must try! These look incredible.. So much color!
They are a fun meal Kara! They make me think of being on vacation at the beach too...which is a good thing!
Well, I would've never thought to put fish in the slow cooker! Love this! Such an approachable way to cook fish! Way to go Serena!
Oh golly thanks my chef friend. That means a lot coming from cooking expert you!
I love how fresh and flavorful these tacos look
Thanks Allie! They have tons of flavor for just a few ingredients.
Fish in a slow cooker is such a great idea and using it for tacos is even better!
Hope it makes you feel like you're on a beach somewhere Mona!
I've never tried fish tacos before, but I tried it once at my friend's place and I loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipe, I'm definitely going to try it!
Thanks so much for stopping by Diego. Let me know if you make these. We'd love to hear back from you!
Definitely loving the sound of these fish tacos! They look so good! *-*
Thanks Farrah. They are great to make for a meal with friends or for one. Heat up leftovers gently so fish doesn't overcook.
Yum! Love all the colorful veggies too!
Thanks Karman! Any veggie could be thrown into the pot.(:
The recipe sounds yummy. Do you put frozen or thawed fish into the slow cooker?
The recipe here is for thawed/fresh fish. But that's a great idea to use frozen. I often cook fish straight from frozen, without thawing. To use frozen fish in this recipe, I would imagine you should add the fish the last hour in the slow cooker and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Please try it and let me know, Thao!
What a combination of fish & sweet potatoes....it looks soo yummy & more colorful dish...i wants to make it....Thanks for sharing......!