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Fish Tacos Recipe

Fish Tacos Recipe

Fish marinated in classic Mexican flavors and seared until golden make the perfect filling for tacos. The lightly pickled red cabbage provides an ideal contrast in texture to the tender fish. This wonderful recipe for white fish fillets ensures you won't miss the deep-fried version!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Fish Tacos Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating & pickling:: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

FISH MARINADE

  • 1.2 lb / 600g firm white fish fillets Note 1
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp canned jalapeno finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup cilantro/coriander finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp chipotle powder Note 2
  • Salt and pepper

QUICK PICKLED CABBAGE

  • 4 cups red cabbage finely shredded
  • 3 green onion stems sliced diagonally
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, cider vinegar

PINK TACO SAUCE

  • 3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
  • 2-3 tbsp sriracha to taste (Note 3)

TO COOK & SERVE

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 small tortillas corn or flour, warmed
  • Lime wedges
  • Cilantro/coriander leaves

Instructions

  • Marinade fish: Mix all the Fish Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag, ensuring the fish is well-coated. Allow it to marinate for at least 20 minutes but not more than an hour.
  • Pickled Cabbage: In a bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions, vinegar, and salt. Toss well and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Afterward, drain any excess liquid and scrunch the cabbage with your hands to soften it further. Set aside.
  • Pink Sauce: Simply mix the sour cream and sriracha until well blended. Adjust the amount of sriracha to your preferred level of heat.
  • Cook fish: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Place the marinated fish in the skillet and cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side, until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the fish to a plate and flake into large pieces.
  • Assemble Tacos: To assemble the tacos, start by placing some pickled cabbage on each tortilla. Add a generous portion of the flaked fish, then top with a dollop of the pink sauce. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Fold the tortillas and enjoy!

Notes

  • Fish: My favorites for tacos are snapper and barramundi due to their "meaty" texture. Other excellent choices include tilapia, basa, cod, John Dory, Silver Dory, ling, bream, haddock, pollack, and monkfish. It's best to avoid lean fish like swordfish, tuna, and kingfish (unless it's fatty kingfish) and very delicate fish like Dover sole and flounder.
  • Chipotle Powder: This spice can be tricky to find in Australia as it's not yet sold in all major supermarkets. However, it can be found in fruit & veg stores (e.g., Harris Farms), delis, and gourmet/specialty stores (e.g., Thomas Dux). It is reasonably priced and available online from Firework Foods (Australia only). If unavailable, a good substitute is a mix of ½ tbsp each smoked paprika and cumin, plus ½ tsp cayenne pepper.
  • Sriracha: This popular Asian chili sauce is readily available (usually found alongside other chili sauces or in the Asian section). It’s a great "cheat" ingredient for quickly adding flavor, as it's made with more than just chili. To reduce the spiciness of the sauce, you can substitute some or all of the Sriracha with ketchup.