Fish Tacos with Chipotle Mayonnaise

I am a sucker for Mexican food.  We have Mexican food, of some sort, at least once a week.  Tacos seem to be my “go to” when we enjoy Mexican food at our house.  They are easy, full of meat, cheese and veggies and can be made in about 20 minutes.  While I do love traditional style tacos that include marinated steak that is grill perfectly and is so tender, I do enjoy seafood style tacos too.  We’ve enjoyed our fareshare of fish and seafood tacos.  There are just so many options out there; not only of types of fish and seafood but seasonings, marinades, sauces and cheeses.  The options are endless.

I love fish; it’s delicious and cooks up so quickly, making it a perfect option for those busy weeknights.  This tilapia cooks in about 5-6 minutes.  That’s it.  5-6 minutes until you’re ready to put your meal on the table.  The rest is a matter of layering and building the tacos. 

While I love a lightly fried piece of fish and the crispy texture it brings to any dish, this fish is prepared a little differently.  This fish is lightly seasoned and sauteed in a little butter.  This allows the fish to remain light while taking on a little of the butter flavor.  The fish is then lightly broken up and placed on a fresh, soft flour tortilla then topped with fresh crunchy red cabbage, juicy ripe tomatoes, buttery avocado and then topped off with that spicy chipotle mayonnaise.

These tacos hit all the notes.  There’s crunchy, crispy, buttery and a little spice.  When biting into these tacos you instantly get the heat from the chipotle mayonnaise but it’s immediately cut by the cool tomatoes, light buttery fish and the fresh cabbage.  These were a cinch to make and I believe these went from stove top to table in about 15 minutes; that includes the chopping and mixing of the sauce.  Now you can’t beat that for a delicious and well-balanced meal.  These tacos are amazing, they are filling but incredibly light so you’re not left feeling weighed down.  Eat them by themselves or serve with cilantro-lime rice and garlic-jalapeno black beans.     

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients:

For the tacos-
1 Pound tilapia fillets, cut in half lengthwise
1/2-3/4 Tsp Kosher salt
1Tsp Freshly ground pepper
1 Tsp chili powder
Juice of 2 limes
4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the chipotle may-
1 Cup mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp + 1/4 Tsp chipotle paste
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Cloves garlic, finely minced

To assemble-
8 Flour tortillas
1 cup shredded red cabbage
2 Avocados-halved, seeded, peeled and diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 1/2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Chipotle mayonnaise-recipe follows

Directions:

For the mayonnaise-
Combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, chipotle paste, lime juice and garlic in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Taste, adjust seasonings if needed.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble tacos.

For the tacos-
Combine salt, pepper and chili powder in a small bowl and stir to combine.  Season fish with the salt chili mixture.  Place seasoned fish in a shallow bowl or baking dish and squeeze lime juice over the fish.  Evenly distribute the minced garlic over the fish fillets.  Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes. 

When ready to cook the fish, place butter in a large skillet and place over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted, add the tilapia fillets and cook, flipping once.  Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove cooked tilapia from the pan and place on a plate.  Using a fork, gently break the fish into pieces.

To assemble-
Place fish in the center of the tortillas.  Top with cabbage, avocados, tomatoes, cilantro then drizzle with chipotle mayonnaise.  Enjoy!

Recipe source: adapted from Damn Delicious