HACKED RECIPE
Basic Fish Tacos Recipe
By j3tcore
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Hacked from
Basic Fish Tacos
Here’s alternative to a healthy and super simple grilled fish taco, with a tangy sauce and a dry rub that accents the fish perfectly. Once the fish is marinated in the dry rub, these tacos can be thrown together in minutes. The simplicity of this method allows the wonderful grilled flavor of the fish to come through. The only problem is people always want more!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound firm white fish, such as tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi mahi
- 1 T oil or oil spray for grill grates (if grilling).
- 1/2 small head of green cabbage
- 12-16 soft (6-inch) white corn tortillas (2 per taco)
- 2 limes, cut in wedges for squeezing and serving
- a few sprigs of cilantro, leaves ripped or coarsely chopped for garnish (optional)
- Sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)
- SAUCE: 1/4 cup ranch dressing + 1 T (to taste) Sambal Olek chili paste (I use Huy Fong). Adjust to taste; should be extra spicy as flavor will mellow in taco. Some people ask for extra sauce so you may want to double this.
- DRY RUB: (for fish/chicken & veggies): to taste: equal parts dried onions and dried parsley, then add sea salt and (white) pepper, grind up in mortar/pestle, (make ahead of time and save in spice jar).
INSTRUCTIONS
- Lightly sprinkle DRY RUB on fish. Rub in lightly and set, covered, for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
- Slice cabbage into imperfect ragged strips, approx. 1/4 inch wide. Don’t squirt with lime.
- Ideally, warm the tortillas with long tongs over an open flame on your (gas) stovetop, flipping to warm both sides. A little charring on edges is fine. Otherwise, heat in medium hot pan until warmed on both sides. Put tortillas in a tortilla warmer or roll a few in foil. Unroll when ready to serve.
- GRILL or BROIL fish. (Grilling is best; but broiling if done quickly under high flame can do the job but watch overcooking!) For grilling: Brush the grates of a grill pan or outdoor grill with oil (or use canola oil spray) and heat over medium-high heat until hot.
- Place on the grill. cook without moving until the underside of the fish has grill marks and is white and opaque on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until white and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes more depending on the fish—Tilapia cooks faster than Mahi-Mahi. Transfer the fish to a plate. Keep warm by covering with lid.
- For 1 taco, working fast, lay 2 totillas on a plate (stacked), spread with ranch/sambul sauce, place long piece of fish (1/3 to 1/2 of a fillet separated with a fork) in the middle, lay cabbage on top and squeeze with lime wedge. Serve 2 on a plate with fresh lime wedge. You can sprinkle top with a couple leaves of cilantro or a piece of avocado if you’d like.
- NOTE: too many ingredients like cheese and guacamole can destroy the magic of an authentic fish taco, overwhelming the fish itself. In this case, less is more!
- NOTE: It’s easier if you make 2 tacos at a time on the plate they will be served on. Just lay the 4 tortillas down so the middles are back-to-back, holding each other up, then fill and serve asap. Or you can go native and wrap them individually in foil as if you were in Baja. :)
- NOTE: You can also save grilled fish refrigerated for one day, if you must. Just reheat in foil in the oven for a few minutes for a private encore the next day.
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
