Grilled Baja Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Servings: 8 tacos
Calories: 213kcal
Grilled Baja fish tacos have a marinade made with a simple Mexican seasoning blend, then drizzle them with a creamy chipotle aioli sauce and add your favorite toppings. Make them on an outdoor grill, or indoors on a grill pan on the stovetop!
Print Recipe
Equipment
- grill (outdoor, or cast iron grill pan)
- fish spatula (optional)
- microplane grater (optional)
Ingredients
Grilled Fish Tacos
- 1 pound firm-fleshed white fish (mahi-mahi, halibut, swordfish, haddock, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 corn or flour tortillas
Creamy Chipotle Baja Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 chipotles in adobo (canned)
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional toppings
- shredded cabbage
- pico de gallo
- fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
- cotija cheese
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic or mince it finely with a chef's knife. Combine the chili powder, cumin, coriander, kosher salt, grated garlic, and oil in a mixing bowl and whisk until it forms a loose paste.
- Add the fish to the bowl and use your hands to rub the marinade into the filets. Marinate the fish at room temperature for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
- While the fish is marinating, make the baja sauce. Chop the chipotle peppers finely. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce from the can, and kosher salt to a bowl and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, cook the tortillas in the dry skillet 1 or 2 at a time for 1-2 minutes per side until they have shrunken slightly and are starting to get little golden brown spots on them. Wrap them in a kitchen towel to keep warm.
- Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium high. (Make sure the grates or grill pan are very clean.)
- Place the fish on the grill grates and cook until it starts to release from the grill, usually about 2-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Then flip over and cook for another 2-5 minutes until cooked through. See note.
- Serve topped with baja sauce and your favorite grilled fish taco toppings!
Notes
- Adjust the spice in the marinade or sauce: If you like it spicy, add a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the marinade, and add another 1 or 2 chipotle peppers to the sauce.
- You only need 1 tortilla per taco: These are grilled fish tacos, not fried, so you don't need that extra layer of tortilla to soak up the oil. Just don't overstuff them and you'll be good.
- Be sure your grill grates are clean: This is the number one rule of grilling anything, especially fish! The fish will want to stick to whatever is already on there. If the grates are clean, it will sear evenly and release easily.
- Don't move the fish around: Once you put the fish on the grill, leave it! Wait until it releases on its own to flip, and only flip it once. Moving it around a lot causes the spices to stick and that will cause your fish to stick.
- Make ahead: The baja sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 1139mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
