Grilled Fish Tacos

Popular all over the world, but particularly so in Southern California are the famous Fish Tacos. A light bite of delicious Fish that’s topped with Summertime toppings makes for the perfect treat to enjoy after a day at the beach. In this recipe we’ll show you how to make our amazing Grilled Fish Tacos, a light alternative to deep frying the Fish, but equally as delicious. What’s more, they’re so simple to make you’ll be adding these to your rotation of home cooked meals in no time at all

How to make Grilled Fish Tacos

This dish is so easy to make, and completely adaptable to your preferred flavor profiles. So, feel free to mix and match however you like when preparing this dish. For our recipe, we are topping the Grilled Fish Tacos with some beautiful, sweet ingredients including grilled Pineapple, a Pico de Gallo, and, of course, fresh Limes

To begin making this dish you need to source the Fish, as it is the star of the dish. Now, any meaty white fish will work great in Grilled Fish Tacos, so we recommend using whatever is locally caught in your area, as this always tastes the best

If you are unsure about what type of Fish to get, I would suggest speaking to your local Fishmonger and asking their opinion. For our recipe we used Red Snapper, which is one of our all-time favorite Fishes. It’s got a beautiful flavor and meaty texture that holds up well to the grill

Other great white fish options that are popular all over the world are Cod, Haddock, Sea Bass, Tilapia, Grouper, and Halibut. Find whatever looks fresh and tasty and we guarantee it’s going to turn out great

With the Fish sourced it’s time to prepare a wonderful breading

Although we don’t deep fry the Fish in this recipe, we do still give it a light coating of seasoned Flour. This gives the Fish a beautiful texture, and allows you to apply even more delicious flavors to the Fish as it cooks

We keep it simple in this recipe. All-Purpose flour is all you need with a more-than generous seasoning of Old Bay. Look, it’s Seafood, of course you’re going to season it with Old Bay. There’s simply nothing better! Sure, you could make your own fancy homemade spicy mix with some classic ingredients like Garlic, Onion Powder, Sumac, Coriander etc. but honestly, just use Old Bay, it tastes great!

Slice the Fish into chunks that’ll fit about 2 – 3 pieces maximum into one Taco. This will help reduce the cooking time and ensure you can get a good combination of ingredients in the Taco without completely overloading it

To season the Fish, coat it generously in the seasoned Flour (which I’d suggest you place in a medium sized bowl) and then ensure you tap any excess Flour off the Fish. This prevents clumping in the pan and ensures the prominent flavor in the Grilled Fish Tacos is fish, and not the batter

Pan Fry the Fish until perfectly grilled and cooked through

Keep this very easy, add a bit of Oil to the pan (enough so the Fish won’t stick) and heat it up over a relatively high heat. Once hot, fry the fish for 2 – 3 minutes on one side and then turn. Cook for 1 more minute or until completely cooked through

For the most even cook I recommend taking the Fish out of the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This will allow the Fish to come up to room temperature which will ensure the middle won’t be raw while the outside is cooked

I recommend preparing the toppings before you start cooking the Fish

Ensuring those Grilled Fish Tacos are piping hot and at their best is to cook the Fish last. Have all the toppings ready to go so it’s simply a matter of building the Tacos and eating them when it’s time! Our recipe has three toppings; a classic Pico de Gallo, Grilled Pineapple Rings, and an easy Avocado Crema

Pico de Gallo

This classic Mexican Tomato Salsa dish is as welcome on any kind of Taco as it is a Burrito, Quesadilla, Nachos, or any kind of Mexican food for that matter. It’s a simple combination of finely diced Tomatoes and Onions that are mixed through with fresh Cilantro, Salt, and a generous amount of Lime Juice

It’s light, refreshing, and packed full of flavor. Pico de Gallo offers a vibrant contrast to the richness of the other dishes in the Grilled Fish Tacos which balanced out the dish perfectly. You can prepare the Pico and simply let it sit at the table while you make the rest of the dish

We love a good Pico de Gallo, and it’s featured on many of our recipes at Dinnertime Somewhere. Here’s our dedicated recipe for Pico de Gallo if you want to learn more about this wonderful dish

Grilled Pineapple Rings

We’re also keeping this topping simple. Get some of those yummy Pineapple Rings in a can (preferably in juice, not syrup) and simply grill them for a few minutes until charred on the frying pan. Flip them over and repeat

Allow the Pineapple Rings to cool a little before cutting up into small Taco-sized pieces. They’re best served warm, so I’d suggest cooking these on a separate pan while you’re cooking the Fish, or simply cook them right before the Fish in the same pan

Avocado Crema

Yes, there’s fancy and more ‘authentic’ Avocado Crema recipes than our one, but this one tastes great and takes no time at all. All you need to do is combine some mashed Avocado with Sour Cream and add some Lime Juice and a little Salt

It tastes great and does a great job mimicking Avocado Crema. Will save you a load of time too! Ratio wise, I’d aim for about equal parts Sour Cream to Avocado, and add just enough Lime Juice for flavor while avoiding it turning into liquid

If you like you can also add your favorite Hot Sauce, it’s always welcome on a Taco! To serve you can either build the Tacos yourself, or (preferably) place all of the ingredients onto separate bowls / plates and serve family style so people can make their own delicious Grilled Fish Tacos!

Grilled Fish Tacos Recipe

• 1 cup of Cherry Tomatoes, finely diced
• ½ Red Onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
• Juice of 3 Limes
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 2 tbsp. Sour Cream
• 2 tbsp. Crushed Avocado
• 6 Pineapple Rings
• 1 ½ lbs. White Fish (eg: Snapper, Cod, Tilapia, Sea Bass, Haddock)
• ½ cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• 6 – 8 Taco Tortillas (Corn or Flour)
• Additional Lime Wedges for serving
• Hot Sauce (optional)
  
  

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pico de Gallo by combining Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, Cilantro, the Juice of 2 Limes, and ½ tsp. Salt in a bowl. Taste for seasoning then set aside
2. Make an Avocado Crema by combining Sour Cream, Avocado, the Juice of 1 Lime, and ½ tsp. of Salt in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork until smooth
3. Place the Pineapple Rings on the frying pan that’s been heating over medium high heat. Grill for 1 ½ minutes on each side or until slightly charred. Set aside and cool before slicing into small pieces
4. Cut your Fish into pieces big enough to comfortably fit 2 – 3 pieces on your Taco Tortillas. In a bowl, combine the Flour and Old Bay Seasoning and mix well. Coat each piece of Fish with the Flour, tapping any excess Flour off before setting aside
5. Heat a little Oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat until hot. Carefully place a few pieces of seasoned Fish in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan
6. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes on one side until browned. Flip over and cook for a further 1 minute or until completely cooked. Remove from pan and season with a pinch more Salt
7. Place each Tortilla over the open flame on the grill for 5 seconds on each side to slightly char
8. Serve each ingredient in separate bowls at the table so people can make their own Tacos
   
   

Recipe Notes

• For the best results, remove the Fish from the refrigerator for 30 minutes before beginning to cook
• You can add whatever topping you like to these Tacos, as they will pair well with so many different flavors
  
  

These simple Grilled Fish Tacos are the perfect Summertime treat to enjoy the versatility and flavors of Fresh Seafood. They’re a lighter, healthier version of Fried Fish Tacos, and taste just as good!

For more tasty Mexican recipes just like this one, check out these delicious dishes:

• Mexican Pulled Chicken Tostada
• Easy Chicken Burrito Bowls with Salsa
• Mexican Red Rice
• Cheesy Stuffed Peppers
  
  

Happy Cooking!