We are completely smitten with grilled seafood tacos this summer, and these are so yummy that they even inspired my sister, who didn’t think she liked fish tacos, to declare that she needed the recipe to make them herself.
First of all, it’s fun for everyone assemble their own tacos. What’s better than a semi-customizable dinner? Second, the components are pretty easy to make, and again, you can customize to your heart’s content. I happen to love radish matchsticks on mine, but there’s nothing to stop you from adding whatever else you like. And finally, I mean, they’re grilled fish tacos…YUM!
With lots of company over the weekend, I figured it would be an ideal time to try the fish tacos for the whole after-beach crew. I started with a recipe in Bon Appetit for Grilled Mahi-Mahi Tacos, but the local striped bass has been so insanely delish that I used it instead of the mahi-mahi or swordfish recommended in the recipe. Top it with some garden-fresh pico de gallo, creamy sliced avocadoes, crunchy shredded cabbage and cooling crema, and the fish, which is grilled with a tasty spice rub, was out of this world.
So as we savor these fleeting summer days, throw some seafood on the grill, put out whichever fixins you happen to like, grab some store-bought tortillas to keep things simple, and pour a tall frosty beer. I guarantee your dinner companions will be licking their fingers…and smiling.
Grilled Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Crema
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Hot pepper sauce
- 4 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 4 teaspoons each garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, and kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 pounds striped bass filets
- Vegetable oil (for brushing)
- 16 flour tortillas, warmed
- 1/2 green cabbage, sliced thinly
- 2 cups pico de gallo
- 6 radishes cut into matchsticks
- 3 avocadoes, peeled, pitted and sliced thinly
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions
- Whisk cream and sour cream in a small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Put it in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate until serving.
- Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Combine all dried spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle over fish. Brush grill grate with oil. Grill fish until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Using a fork, coarsely shred fish.
- Fill tortillas with fish, cabbage, pico de gallo, avocadoes and radish sticks. Drizzle with crema. Squeeze fresh lime wedges over tacos.
Serves 8
Fabulous recipe for fish tacos. My family adores anything with
“Taco” in the name and these received the highest accolades from them all. Wonderful variety of flavors and textures: the smooth crema (to which I added a pinch of pepper flakes one time, another time used cayenne), the pico de gallo, then the crunch of the cabbage…it was perfect and I’ve been making them this way ever since. They adapt to whatever fish might be on sale at our fish monger. Thank You!