I hope you’re ready for the summer’s most splendid fish tacos. This is one recipe that has quickly become our go-to fish dinner. It’s healthy, fresh– with tender, buttery fish, crunchy slaw and not one, but two sauces to compliment all the flavors. The recipe is adapted from the famed Mexico City seafood restaurant Contramar‘s signature dish Red snapper Grilled with Red and Green Sauce. Whole red snapper is butterflied and covered on one side with a garlicky cilantro-jalepeno sauce and the other side with a red sauce before cooking. We took the idea and simplified it by baking the fish pieces, brushing some on the fish and the remaining table side. It’s not quiet the same smoky roast fish, but the sauces and cabbage slaw more than makes up for it. BONUS: you don’t have to deal with scrubbing the grill or cleaning a messy kitchen after frying.
Ingredients Highlight
- White fish: Use any mild white fish you like, noting that cook times varies based on the thickness and kind of the fish pieces. Any firm such as cod, halibut, mahi mahi, snapper will do. I typically use cod or mahi mahi because it’s widely available fresh, relatively inexpensive, and holds up well. Halibut is premium and unquestionably delicious, I save it for special occasions. Flaky fish like tilapia won’t hold together as well and its our least favorite fish.
- Slaw: Fresh crunchy veggies like cabbage, radishes, red onion are perfect match for the fish.
- Avocado: what’s tacos without avocado, sliced or guacamole if you have time guacamole will be wonderful.
- Red Sauce: classic chipotle sauce is best for the red sauce part.o o make the sauce creamy you can either use full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream or mayo, I prefer a combo of Greek yogurt and a little mayo. I use avocado oil-based mayo.
- Green Sauce: For the green sauce I like cilantro, a little parsley + jalapeño , garlic, Greek yogurt and a little avocado oil. Its delicious creamy savory sauce.
Steps
1: THE FISH
Pat the fish dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt. Place fish in a small baking dish (8×8″ or 9×9″). Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 300°. Place 1 1½-lb. piece white fish in a 13×9″ baking dish. Season all over. you could either use some of the green sauce to brush all over the fish or brush the pieces with a little oil.
Bake fish until it flakes away with light pressure from the tines of a fork in the thickest part, 20–25 minutes, depending on the thickness of fillet and what type of fish you’re using. Start checking on the early end of things so it doesn’t overcook!
2: PREPARE SLAW
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, spring onion, cilantro, jalapeño, radishes, lime juice, cumin, and salt; mix to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3: PREPARE THE SAUCES
Red: In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt (or mayo/sour cream, lime juice, garlic, and chipotle sauce in in adobo; whisk or blend to combine.
Green: blend herbs, oil, garlic, Greek yogurt/ sour cream, salt lime juice, blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4: ASSEMBLE THE FISH TACOS
Place a small amount of slaw in each tortilla, followed by the fish, and a finish with drizzles of the sauces.
Family Style Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs firm white fish cod, halibut, mahi mahi are good choices
- olive oil to brush or green sauce recipe follows one of the two
- 12-16 medium soft tacos- small street style
Slaw
- ½ medium green cabbage, shredded
- 3-4 small radishes
- 3-4 spring onions, chopped
- 1-2 small avocados, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar for balance
- ¾ sea salt or as needed
Red Sauce
- 1-4 pieces chipotle plus 2 tbsp adobo sauce use as little or as much as you like
- ½ tsp mild smoked paprika optional
- 1-2 tbsp mayo
- ½ tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ cup Greek yogurt full fat preferably or sour cream
- 2 tbsp lime juice or more to balance the flavor
- ¼-½ tsp sea salt or as needed
Green Sauce
- 1 whole bunch cilantro, tender stem and leaves coarsely chopped
- ½ cup chopped parsley optional
- ¼ cup any neutral oil such as avocado, grapeseed or whatever you normally use
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
- 1-2 jalapeño or serrano, deseeded use as little or as much as you can handle
- ¼ cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 small cloves garlic
Instructions
Fish
- Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Place the fish pieces in a 13×9″ baking dish. Season all over with olive oil +sea salt or portion of the green sauce (see recipe below).
- Bake fish until it flakes with light pressure from the tines of a fork in the thickest part, anywhere from 18–25 minutes, depending on the thickness of fillet and type of fish you’re using. Start checking on the early end of things so it doesn’t overcook!
Green Sauce
- Trim and discard the seeds and pith of the jalapeño if needed. Coarsely chop the cilantro. Save a little cilantro for garnish.Transfer jalapeños and chopped cilantro to a blender or food processor. Pulse 3-4 times and add and garlic cloves. Blend on high speed until a coarse purée forms. Scoop out and transfer 2 tablespoon sauce to a small bowl, add the 2 tbsp oil and mix well (set aside to apply on the fish). Add the Greek yogurt, lime juice, salt to the remaining cilantro mix and blend to a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust any seasoning if needed. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and set aside. Brush the cilantro puree evenly over fish, spreading with the back of a spoon.
Red Sauce
- Blend or mix all the ingredients for the red sauce. Taste and adjust any seasoning, set aside.
Slaw
- Core 1/2 the head of cabbage. Thinly slice crosswise into shreds and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the sliced radishes and green onions. Add the vinegar, salt and sugar. Toss with your hands to combine.
- Open the avocado and slice into thin slices. Season avocado with salt.
Assemble and serve
- Warm the tortillas one at a time, until lightly blackened around the edges in some spots, about 30 seconds per side. Keep tortillas stacked in a clean kitchen towel until ready to serve.
- Using two forks, gently flake apart fish into large irregular pieces and transfer to a plate. Serve fish along with all the accoutrements; two sauces and slaw. Serve family style where each diner builds their own taco. Enjoy!!
- 1 1 1/2-lb piece white fish
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 large bunch of cilantro, divided
- 1/4 white onion
- 4 limes, divided
- ½ head of green cabbage
- 1 avocado
- 2 tbs avocado oil
- 16 small corn tortillas or 12 medium flour tortillas
- 3 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more
- Hot sauce (for serving)
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