Baja Style Fish Tacos Recipes

BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Make a marinade by whisking together the tequila, lime juice, water, 2 tablespoons salt, turbinado sugar, and 1 tablespoon chili powder in a large bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the marinade. Add the cod to the remaining marinade; cover and set aside.
• Stir together the reserved 1/4 cup marinade, black beans, and jalapeno; set aside.
• Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 tablespoon chili powder, cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and green onions in a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix and green onion and mix until coated; set aside.
• Mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon chili powder, baking soda, and 2 teaspoons salt in a shallow dish. Remove pieces of cod from the marinade, shake off the marinade, and coat in the flour mixture.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Gently lie the coated fish in the skillet without crowding the pieces. Cook in the hot oil, turning once, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
• While frying the cod, heat the black bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the reserved marinade in a separate small saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Assemble tacos by placing fish in the center of tortilla; top with coleslaw, black beans, and any other desired toppings. Drizzle some of the heated marinade over the fillings and fold the tortilla to close.

FISH TACOS WITH BAJA CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Baja Sauce:Combine all ingredients. Set aside. (I put mine in the fridge while I prepared the rest - gives it a chance to marry all the wonderful flavors). We also made some early for photos and then again at dinner and wow... the sauce was SO much more flavorful at dinner time (2 hours later)
• For Fish Tacos:Prepare 1-2 fish tenders per person (per taco) as directed on the back of the package. (this took 20 minutes for us) When finished, slice the fish up anyway you'd like to put it in the taco.
• Lay a soft tortilla on a plate. Place shredded lettuce on the tortilla. Then layer the capers, avocado and tomatoes.
• Top with the cooked fish tenders. And then drizzle the Baja sauce over all of it.
• Eat & Enjoy!

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Mix tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, 1 tablespoon juice from jalapeno peppers, and garlic salt in a bowl; squeeze 1/2 lime over salsa fresca. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing fish.
• Toss coleslaw mix with ranch dressing in a bowl; set aside for flavors to blend.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir batter mix and beer together in a bowl. Wrap corn tortillas in wet paper towels and set aside.
• Dip cod in the batter mix; fry coated cod in batches in the hot oil until cod is cooked through and coating is brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove cod with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Microwave corn tortillas on high until warmed, about 1 minute.
• Stack two tortillas on a plate; top with fish, a sprinkle of Mexican cheese, coleslaw mixture, salsa fresca, and a squeeze from lime wedge. Drizzle with chile-garlic sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• 1. For the slaw: Mix the thinly sliced cabbage with the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside. If you can do this an hour or more ahead of time the flavors get to marinate together.
• 2. For the crema: Mix together mayo, crema Mexicana or sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• 3. Refrigerate. This can be may a day or so ahead of time.
• 4. For the fish: Heat oil to medium while you finish the rest of your prep. And heat oven to 250 degrees to keep the fish warm while your frying. Line a dish with paper towels to drain fish on.
• 5. In a shallow dish beat together egg and milk.
• 6. In a separate shallow dish, mix together cornmeal and seasonings.
• 7. Dredge fish in egg/milk mixture.
• 8. Then dip in cornmeal to coat. The oil is ready when it sizzles if a few drops of water are added.
• 9. Fry fish in batches approximately 2 minutes per side. Depending on the heat of your oil and the thickness of fish the could be a little less or more. You'll know when the cornmeal is golden brown. Place fried fish on paper towel-lined baking sheet.
• 10. Heat tortillas directly over a fire or if you have an electric stove a medium-hot skillet will do.
• 11. To keep these warm you can use a dish towel-lined dish or a tortilla warmer.
• 12. To serve, line crema along the bottom of a tortilla.
• 13. Then stack with a few pieces of fish.
• 14. Add slaw and salsa verde.
• 15. Sprinkle with cheese and enjoy!!!

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• If you're making the Curtido, start by slicing up the cabbage (approx. 1/3 head), 1/4 onion, and 1/4 jalapeno. Add them to a mixing bowl along with the remaining ingredients: 1/2 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional), 1 teaspoon of salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Combine well and add everything to a Mason jar. Give it a shake and let it rest in the fridge until you need it.
• For the Chipotle Crema, add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor and combine well: 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 chipotles in adobo, 2 peeled garlic cloves, pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime. You might need to add a splash of water to get it to combine. If you want more heat you can add more chipotles or some of the adobo sauce. Keep in mind that you can substitute some of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt.
• Pat dry and season the fish on both sides with salt. Cut into strips that are approximately 1" x 3".
• To make the beer batter, add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon chile powder (optional). Combine well and then add 1 cup of beer. Whisk together until you have batter that is the consistency of thick paint, adding more beer if necessary (I added an additional 1/4 cup of beer to this batch.)
• Preheat 3-4 cups of oil in a saucepan until it reaches 350-360F (I used canola oil). One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the batter and drop them gently into the oil. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes or until the exterior is turning a darker brown. I used a narrow pan and only cooked 3-4 pieces at a time so that the oil temp remained as close to 360F as possible.
• Carefully remove the fish sticks from the oil and drain them in some paper towels, continuing until all the fish sticks are cooked. If making a big batch, place the fish sticks on a wire rack after draining , this will help prevent them from getting soggy. You can optionally keep them in a 250-300F oven until you need them.
• Warm up the corn tortillas. For smaller batches I prefer to slightly crisp up the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat. For larger batches you can warm them up in the oven for a few minutes (400F), or nuke them in the microwave for 60 seconds. Each tortilla gets fried fish, Chipotle Crema, pickled cabbage, and a final squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
• Load up each tortilla with fried fish, Chipotle Crema, pickled cabbage, and a final squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

GRILLED BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Whisk cider vinegar, vegetable oil, and salt together in a small bowl. Combine cabbage, scallions, and cilantro in a separate bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over top and toss to coat; set cabbage slaw aside.
• Combine chili powder, salt, coriander, cumin, and pepper in a bowl. Pat fish dry and rub with vegetable oil. Rub fish evenly with spice mixture. Place fish on a wire rack and refrigerate until grill is ready.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat with the lid down for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the grill is heating, combine mayonnaise, 1/2 of the lime juice, chipotle peppers, and garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Scrape the hot grill grate until clean. Dip a paper towel in vegetable oil and quickly rub it over the grate. Lay fish on the grill, perpendicular to the bars of the grate.
• Cook until fish is opaque and flakes apart when gently prodded, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Tear fish apart into a bowl and pour remaining lime juice over top.
• Place several tortillas in a single layer on the grill and cook until warm, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer to a tortilla warmer and repeat to warm remaining tortillas.
• Smear warm tortillas with mayonnaise mixture, then add fish, cabbage slaw, and queso fresco.

FISH TACOS - BAJA STYLE

Steps:

• Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, garlic, cayenne, mustard,oregano, 1 teaspoons salt, and pepper until well blended. Stir in the beer until there are no lumps. (Batter may be made several hours ahead and refrigerated).
• Trim the fish of all blood lines, skin, and bones. Cut into pieces the size and shape of your index finger. Sprinkle with a few drops of lime juice and a little salt. (If not using immediately, wrap and refrigerate). Pour the oil into a deep, wide pan to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. I use a thermometer, or you can drop a bit of batter into the oil and it should rise up quickly surrounded by little bubbles.
• Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Check the thickness of the batter by dipping in one piece of the fish. The batter should be the consistency of medium-thick pancake batter, coating the fish easily but dripping very little. Add a little beer if the batter seems too thick.
• Add the fish to the batter. Using tongs or chopsticks, swish each piece to make sure it is thoroughly coated, then lift out of the batter, let it drip once, and lay the fish gently into the hot oil. Cook a few pieces at a time until they float and the batter is set but still very light in color. If a piece sticks to the bottom, leave it alone and it will release itself.
• Remove the fish to a rack to drain; reserve the frying oil. (The fish can be prepared ahead to this point, cooled on a rack, and refrigerated uncovered. Cool the oil and reserve).
• When you are ready to serve, reheat the oil to 350-360°F and refry the fish a few pieces at a time until crisp and golden brown.
• To serve, hold a tortilla in your hand and add a spoonful of guacamole. Top with fish and squeeze lime over the whole thing. Then add the secret sauce, salsa, shredded cabbage, cilantro and onion as desired.

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Toss the cabbage, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, oil and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce and garlic in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Gradually add the beer, whisking until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
• In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of ½-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F, or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when dipped into the oil.
• Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, dip the fish strips in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Let the excess batter drip off, then fry the fish in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Smear each tortilla with a generous amount of the chipotle sauce, then top with the cabbage slaw. Lay one piece of fish inside each tortilla and serve with lime wedges.
• Note: 3 chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons sauce will give you a spicy sauce. Use less for a milder sauce. You can freeze any leftover chipotle peppers from the can.
• Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 3 tablespoons of oil are absorbed into the fish when fried.
• Note: Nutritional Information does not include the chipotle sauce.

BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Marinate: Slice fish into 1-inch-thick pieces (about 2 ounces each). Place in a wide, shallow bowl and season with salt on all sides. Pour lime juice over the pieces and let rest while preparing the batter, 5-10 minutes.
• Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and beer until smooth. Whisk in baking powder, then add sambal, mustard, oregano, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Dredge, batter, and deep-fry: Place flour on a plate. Add oil to a pot and set over medium heat. Secure a thermometer to the pot's side and heat oil to 375 F. Remove fish from marinade, one piece at a time, and dredge in flour on both sides. Then dip in the batter, coat well, and carefully place into the hot oil. Repeat with one or two more pieces, working in batches to avoid crowding the pot. Fry until the fish is evenly cooked and golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer fish to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Assembly: Warm tortillas on a comal or skillet over low heat. While tortillas are heating, mix together mayonnaise and crème fraîche in a small bowl. Place a warm tortilla on a plate, and spread a dollop of mayo-crème sauce down the middle. Place a piece of fish on top of the sauce, followed by another spoonful of sauce. Add cabbage, an avocado slice or two, then finish with a spoonful of pickled red onions. Repeat assembly with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

CLASSIC BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Make the Batter:.
• Combine beer, flour, salt, garlic powder, dry mustard, oregano and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds.
• Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered for 1 hour.
• Make the Sauce:.
• Stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, chipotle and salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
• Fry the Fish:.
• Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat 2 inches oil in a 4 quart deep heavy saucepan until it registers 350°F on thermometer.
• Put flour in pie plate or shallow dish. Dredge 10 fish strips in flour, shake off excess, then coat in batter, letting excess drip off, and carefully drop in hot oil.
• Fry, stirring, until PALE golden, 2 or 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain.
• Repeat with the remaining fish (returning oil to 350 °F between batches).
• Set pan of oil aside.
• Heat the Tortillas and Refry The Fish:.
• Wrap tortillas in stacks of 6 in foil and heat in oven until hot, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove tortillas from foil and re-wrap in a kitchen towel to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, reheat oil until it registers 375 degrees. Refry fish strips in batches of 10, stirring, until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain again.
• To Serve:.
• Stack two corn tortillas together, top with fish, cabbage, sauce and cilantro.
• Serve with lime and salsa on the side.

ANDIE'S BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Cut each tilapia fillet into 2 strips each.
• Mix olive oil, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic paste together for marinade. Add fish strips, coat well, and set aside to soak.
• Mix tomatoes, avocado, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, garlic salt, and black pepper together in a bowl for pico de gallo.
• Mix mayonnaise and sour cream for sauce together and spoon into a zip-top bag; set aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry fish strips in the hot oil until they are opaque and flaky, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest.
• Cut off a small corner from the zip-top bag and drizzle some sauce into each tortilla. Place fish onto sauce, spoon on pico de gallo, sprinkle with cabbage, and finish by piping more sauce over the top. Fold and serve.

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Heat about 3 inches vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, toss the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, honey and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season the slaw with salt.
• Warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat or wrap in a damp cloth and microwave 25 seconds. Wrap in a towel to keep warm.
• Mix the flour, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then fry in batches until golden and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.
• Halve, pit and slice the avocado. Fill the tortillas with the fish, avocado, slaw and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• For the Beer Batter:
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.
• For Cream Sauce:
• Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).
• For the Fish:
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the oil.
• On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapenos, if desired.
• *Cook's Note: Crack open a cold Mexican cerveza like a Negra Modelo or a 2 Equis (XX) Amber to make this tasty beer batter, which will change the way you think about fried fish! You can use it for vegetables, too.
• **Cook's Note: Mexican Crema is Mexico's version of creme fraiche and is found at many supermarkets and can easily be substituted with sour cream.