Baja fish tacos are a great weeknight meal, a little more effort than some dinners but oh so worth it! Baja fish tacos can double as a beautiful, delicious entree for guests too. Don't let the number of ingredients scare you off, it's really more mixing ingredients together rather than chopping and cooking, meaning it's easier that it looks! Or if you don't have time to cook then head on over to your local Taqueria del Sol!
- 1 pound Tilapia or other firm, white fish
- 1/4 inch canola or peanut oil
- 1 pinch kosher salt per fish filet
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup mayonaisse
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 jalapeno diced fresh or 3 Tablespoons jarred
- 2 Tablespoons red onion diced
- 4 cups bagged shredded cabbage buy the colorful kind if possible
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup store-bought guacamole, optional or make homemade, see our recipe
- 2 extra limes, quartered for serving with tacos
- 8 six inch flour or corn tortillas
-
Use a heavy bottomed skillet, cast iron is perfect. Pour 1/4" oil in the pan and heat over medium heat.
-
Sprinkle fish with kosher salt and slice into 1" X 4" pieces.
-
In a small bowl add 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice, , 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and mix.
Dice red onion. Keep 2 Tablespoons for the tartar sauce and use 1/4 cup for the slaw.
Salt and pepper 4 cups shredded bagged cabbage or coleslaw mix, stir in the olive oil mix and add cilantro. Set aside.
Slaw can be made up to a day ahead.
-
Mix 1 cup mayonnaise with 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice and diced jalapenos and set aside.
Go ahead and slice all of the limes. You'll need one or two for the juice in the slaw and the tartar sauce. The other slices can be served with the finished fish tacos.
-
MIx the panko bread crumbs, flour, cornstarch and kosher salt in a shallow bowl. I like to use pie pans.
-
Mix milk, egg and Dijon mustard in a pie pan or shallow bowl
-
Line the egg wash pan, then the breading pan next to the frying pan. Test the oil for 360-370 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer see notes.
-
Dip the fish slices in the egg wash using tongs and drop into the breading pan. Use fresh tongs to cover the fish with breading, shake to get rid of excess breading and place in hot oil.
Fry until light golden brown, about 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. When the breading looks right remove to a towel lined plate. Cut open your first piece of fish to make sure that it's cooked through.
Make Ahead Items: The slaw and tartar sauce can be made up to a day ahead of time. The breading can be made several days ahead. If you have these things prepared beforehand you can have this dinner on the table in 20 minutes!
Under 30 Minutes: If you follow the directions in order and multi-task it's possible to make this meal in under 30 minutes from start to end.
Or use Store-Bought Condiments: Buy store-bought guacamole, tartar sauce and slaw from the deli. You'll have dinner on the table in 20 minutes. Most groceries only offer a cream based slaw as opposed to vinegar. That's fine, it just changes the taste from a tangy vinegar to a cooler mayo based slaw.
Tips: Don't overcrowd the pan when frying the fish or the oil temperature will drop suddenly, the fish will take longer to cook and end up oily and mushy
If you make homemade guacamole, it can be made up to a day ahead of time. Make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole. This prevents oxygen from turning the guac brown. You may still get a brown color, just scrape off the very top layer and you'll see great tasting bright green guacamole underneath.
Don't have a thermometer? Drop a 1” cube of bread in the oil, it should take one minute to lightly brown. That will give you an oil temperature around 360 to 375 degrees. Adjust heat accordingly.
Don't have time to cook? Head on over to your local Taqueria Del Sol for takeout. Or if you don't have a Taqueria del Sol near you try your best local Mexican joint. It's great to support our valued restaurants, especially in these times!
Check the post for more tips!