Fried Fish Tacos

Serving Size

About 10-12 tacos

Supplies

  • High-rimmed frying pan
  • Tongs
  • Chef’s knife

Ingredients

  • Fried Fish
    • 1 cup flour
    • 1 cup beer
    • spices: paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
    • canola oil
    • 1.5 lbs tilapia (substitute: cod, catfish)
  • Tortillas
    • flour tortillas
    • Oaxaca cheese (substitute: monterey jack)
  • Spicy Crema
    • greek yogurt
    • juice of half lime
    • paprika
    • Cholula
  • Avocado Corn Salsa
    • 1 ear fresh white corn
    • 1 avocado
    • optional: diced jalapeño
  • Store-bought tomato salsa

Instructions

Prepare Fried Fish

  1. Begin with heating oil on medium-high heat in a high-rimmed pan. Add enough so that the fish will be half-way submerged in the oil. Note: You know the oil is hot enough when it starts to “glimmer” in the pan and release a slight smoke.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of beer, preferably a lager. Then add spices to taste. Mix together until smooth.
  3. Slice the tilapia in half, length-wise down it’s spine. Then, cut each half into 1-inch thick pieces.
  4. Add the tilapia into batter and mix so each piece of fish gets evenly coated.
  5. Once the oil is hot, add 4-6 pieces of fish into the pan at a time. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as this will lower the temperature of the oil. Fry the fish for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side, or until a golden brown color has been reached. Carefully monitor the fish while frying, as some parts of the pan will be hotter than others and some pieces will fry faster.
  6. Transfer fried fish to a plate with a paper towel on it to remove excess oil and allow it to rest.

Prepare Tortillas

  1. Preheat oven to 375º
  2. Line sheet pan with tortillas. Add shredded Oaxaca cheese to the tortillas.
  3. Bake in oven until cheese is melted.

Make the Spicy Crema

  1. Add greek yogurt (~1/3 cup), smoked paprika, juice of one half lime, and Cholula to a bowl and mix together. All ingredients are to taste. For spicier crema, add more Cholula or smoked paprika. For a tangier crema, add more lime juice.

Make the Avocado Corn Salsa

  1. Shuck the ear of corn. Using a chef’s knife, remove the corn kernels by slicing downward (length-wise) on the cob. Transfer corn to a bowl.
  2. Slice the avocado in half and remove the seed. Dice the contents of the avocado while still in the skin. Using a spoon, scoop out the diced avocado into the bowl with the corn.
  3. Mix the avocado and corn together. It’s okay if some of the cubes become more mashed. This creates a better texture for the salsa and helps it stay in the taco while eating.
  4. Optional: Finely dice some fresh jalapeño and add it to the salsa for added heat.

Build the Tacos

  1. Add the crema, avocado corn salsa, and some store-bought tomato salsa to the cheesy tortilla.
  2. Top with 2-4 pieces of fried fish.
  3. Garnish with fresh lime juice.
  4. Enjoy with a beer or our Saigon Margarita (link)

Notes / Acknowledgements

We owe this dish to our dear friend Colton, who gave us his recipe for the fried fish batter. Seriously, it couldn’t be simpler. These are the toppings we like to add, but feel free to make it your own!