When you say fish tacos, I’ll come running. Fried, beer battered, grilled or blackened… I don’t care. I like them all. As long as the fish tastes fresh and there’s plenty of seasoning and toppings… well, that’s all I need. It’s been my favorite meal since I was a teenager. Fish tacos on the menu at a restaurant? Yep, I order them every time. It’s such a go-to order of mine at any seafood joint or taco place.
Some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had were at this place in Tulum, Mexico. My husband and I were there for our honeymoon last year. We frequented La Euphemia (a taco joint on the ocean) pretty much every day for lunch. They had tacos galore and a salsa/toppings bar that was unmatched. Not to mention it’s all outdoors with chill reggae music in the background. Oh and some killer margaritas too. The fish tacos were in a beer batter with fresh slaw and homemade corn tortilla. Simple but delicious. I loved everything about that place. Since a lot of food in Tulum was expensive, this was the place we went when we wanted to eat cheap. I think the tacos were only $1-$3 depending on what you got. They were street style tacos so we always orders a bunch and then shared. We never spent more than $15 at lunch even with a few rounds of drinks. I miss this place and constantly beg Clay to take me back to Tulum for all the yummy food. Maybe for our anniversary next year? (Hint hint, Clay).
Okay, back to my fried mahi mahi tacos. They are pretty simple to make. Heat your oil and then start the battering process. I use a flour, egg and panko combination for the batter that makes for a crispy outer layer. You can serve with whatever toppings you like…but I personally love them with a mango salsa and my creamy roasted tomatillo based salsa verde. Plus a little chipotle mayo too (if you’re into that!) Yum! The mango is super sweet, the spicy mayo adds some creaminess, and the salsa verde adds acidity and spice. Put it all together and it’s a damn good fish taco. The flavors marry perfectly when combined.
Sometimes I’ll serve the tacos with French fries. Sometimes with saffron rice and black beans. Sometimes just queso + guacamole and chips on the side. I’ll link a few recipes below that would work well.
Side items or toppings:
WHITE QUESO, AVOCADO PURÉE, + GUAJILLO CHILI HOT SAUCE
PRODUCTS I LOVE: TARGET WHITE PLATES ARE MY FAV!
FRIED MAHI MAHI TACOS WITH MANGO SALSA + CREAMY SALSA VERDE
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour + 20 minutes
Serves: 10-12 tacos
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pack flour or corn tortillas, heated on gas stove (what I prefer) or wrapped in damp paper towels in microwave.
For mahi-mahi:
- 4 mahi-mahi filets, each filet cut into four equal rectangles
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 8 oz. plain panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Canola oil, enough to fill 3-4 inches deep in big pot (like Le Cruset or cast iron)
For salsa verde:
- 1 lb tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
- 1 jalapeño
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 1/3 bunch cilantro, both stems and leafs
- 4 scallions, white parts removed
- 1/4 cup sour cream
For mango salsa:
- 1 mango, skin removed and diced into very small cubes
- 1/4 red onion, very small dice
- 2 limes, juice of
- 1 jalapeño, very small dice
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro, small chop
For chipotle mayo:
- 1 can chipotles in adobo sauce (use 1 chipotle and 1 tbsp adobo sauce from can, discard the remaining)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise, like Hellmann’s
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1/2 large lime, juice of
- 1 small cloves garlic
- 1 pinch kosher salt, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
For mahi mahi:
- Place canola oil in a large pot. Enough oil so that the fish won’t hit the bottom but not too much to where it will spill over when frying. Use a thermometer to heat it to 350 degrees F.
- Gather 3 large bowls. Place the flour in one bowl. Place the eggs in the second bowl. Place the panko, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne in the third bowl and mix.
- Dredge each piece of mahi mahi in the flour, then egg, then panko. Set breaded fish on a clean plate and repeat till all the fish are done.
- Place a few pieces of fish in the heated oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes a side (flipping half way through with a slotted spoon). They will be crispy and golden brown when done. Keep a close eye on them so they do not burn or overcook.
- Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle all sides of the fish immediately with salt. The salt with stick to the hot oil so it is imperative you do so immediately.
- Repeat till all the fish are cooked and salted.
- If you are not serving immediately, place in the oven at the lowest setting (or 175 degrees F) until ready to eat. Do not leave in the oven for longer than 20 minutes.
For salsa verde:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the tomatillos and jalapeño on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatillos and jalapeño are soft and blistered. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Transfer everything to a blender, including the juices on the pan. Add the cilantro, scallions and sour cream. Blend till smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and season with salt if needed.
For mango salsa:
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
For chipotle mayo:
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and creamy.
For assembly:
- Spread a thin layer of mayo on a tortilla. Place fish on top. Then mango salsa and salsa verde next. Eat while hot.