Free recipe
Baja Fish Tacos
Built around white fish fillets and corn tortillas -- the method starts by patting the fish strips dry.
Warm tortillas piled with charred filling, bright onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Here it's built on white fish fillets, corn tortillas and flour -- a medium, Mexican recipe that starts by patting the fish strips dry, and is ready in roughly 20 minutes.
Ready in 20 minutes -- genuinely doable on a weeknight.
A few technique steps to focus on, but nothing that needs special equipment.
Built around white fish fillets, so the flavor comes from real ingredients, not a spice packet.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) white fish fillets (cod or tilapia), cut into strips
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cold sparkling water or beer
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Oil for frying
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 tbsp lime juice
- Salt, lime wedges, hot sauce
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
Calculated from this recipe's own ingredient list; treat as an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Method
Pat the fish strips dry and season with salt.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then whisk in the cold sparkling water into a smooth batter a bit thinner than pancake batter. Keep it cold.
Pour about 1 inch of oil into a deep pan and heat to 350F/175C (a drop of batter should sizzle and float).
Dip each fish strip in the batter, let the excess drip off, and lower it carefully into the oil. Fry in small batches 3-4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Mix the mayonnaise and lime juice into a quick crema.
Warm the tortillas until soft.
Build each taco with cabbage, a piece of crispy fish, and a drizzle of lime crema.
Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.
The step worth not rushing: Dip each fish strip in the batter, let the excess drip off, and lower it carefully into the oil. Fry in small batches 3-4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
