I love a “bowl” of food. I’ve got nothing against plates… but bowls are just so much cozier and more inviting. Especially in the colder months. Sure, you can eat a fish taco “plate”, but I promise it’s just not the same. Whatever I’m eating… I’ll find a way to put it in a bowl. Anyone else understand? Or is it just me? No?Ok.
This fish taco bowl is extremely easy but pretty time consuming. It’ll take you about an hour to make. That’s only because there are simply just a lot of different items that go into creating this bowl. The rice, beans, mango salsa, fish, crispy tortilla strips and chipotle mayo…. see? Lots of items. But I promise you it’ll be worth it. It’s like a burrito bowl but so much better. The tilapia is a must. Super flaky and mild with a crust of blackened seasoning… sooo good.
I recommend starting the rice and beans first since those will be the most time consuming to cook. Get that over with and then go onto the mango salsa and chipotle mayo. Then lastly, fry your tortilla strips and cook your fish. This is the order in which I find everything gets done the fastest.
BLACKENED FISH TACO BOWLS WITH SPICY MANGO SALSA AND COCONUT LIME RICE
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
For mango salsa: Combine in small bowl. Mix well.
- 1 mango, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 like, juice of
- 1/4 cup cilantro, rough chop
- Dash of kosher salt, to taste
For fish:
- 4 tilapia filets
- Blackening seasoning ( I love Emeril’s blackened seasoning or chef Paul’s blackened redfish magic)
- Olive oil
For rice:
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 13.2 oz. can coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 large lime, juice and zest
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
For beans:
- 15.5 oz. can goya black beans
- 1/4 cup water
- Dash of kosher salt, more or less to taste
- Dash of garlic powder
- Dash of ground coriander
- Dash of ground cumin
For tortilla strips:
- 4 yellow corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup canola oil, or other high heat frying oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
For mayo: whisk all ingredients together
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1/2 small lime, juice of
- Dash of kosher salt
DIRECTIONS:
For rice:
- Combine all ingredients (except cilantro) in a large pan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and cook for 12-15 minutes (no lid) or until liquid is gone. Fluff rice with a fork. Remove from the heat and allow to sit with the lid on for 10 minutes before serving. Remove lid and mix in cilantro.
For beans:
- Combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a bowl. Mix. Turn heat down to simmer and put the lid on. Allow to cook an additional 10 minutes.
For fish:
- Liberally season each piece of tilapia with blackened seasoning.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Add in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, about 3 tbsp. Add in the fish and cook for about 3-4 minutes a side, or until cooked through. (Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in batches if needed.)
For tortilla strips:
- Combine spices in a small bowl.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet to high heat. Add in oil and heat to 350 degrees F. You could also gage it by flicking in a tiny amount of water. If it loudly sizzles, it’s ready. Add in tortillas and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Be careful as they will cook quickly. Remove from the oil and immediately toss with spices. The oil will help the spices stick.
For assembly:
- Use a large shallow bowl. Spoon in rice, black beans, fish, tortilla strips and mango salsa. Serve with lime wedges, chipotle mayo and extra cilantro.