Believed to originate in Baja California, Mexico, circa 1950, fish tacos combine Indigenous, Asian, and European culinary traditions into one perfect bite. This extremely versatile version from Lourdes Castro is one of our favorite ways to make them on a weeknight. While Castro opts for corn tortillas, you can swap in flour tortillas if you prefer. Can’t find crema mexicana in your local market? Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to sour cream (preferably a Mexican variety) and mix until it’s the right taco-drizzling consistency. (If you keep Greek yogurt on hand, you can swap it in, though you might want to thin it with a little water so things don’t get too tangy.)
Any flaky white fish will work for the filling, including cod, mahi-mahi, halibut, haddock, or tilapia. The smoky, herbal marinade, with cumin, oregano, and ancho chile powder, is fast to whip together and brings big, bold flavor, whatever you use. (Note that chili powder with an “i” tends to be a mix of spices, but chile with an “e” is used to refer to a single chile that’s been ground to a powder; if you have a chili powder you love, feel free to swap it in for the spice blend below.) Want to turn up the heat? Add a pinch of cayenne, hot smoked paprika, or diced canned chipotles.
This fish taco recipe is easily doubled, which makes it great for entertaining a crowd. They’re delicious as is, but you can also serve them topped with guacamole or pico de gallo, or round out the meal with crunchy red cabbage slaw or corn salad.
This recipe was adapted for style from ‘Simply Mexican’ by Lourdes Castro. Buy the full book on Amazon. Looking for crispy fried fish tacos? Try this recipe for Tacos de Salpicón de Pescado—and check out more of our best taco recipes.
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, and 1½ cups red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.Pour ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil into a shallow medium bowl or dish; add 1½ tsp. ancho chile powder, 1½ tsp. dried oregano, ½ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, and 1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped and mix well. Add 1 lb. flaky white fish fillets (such as mahi-mahi or cod), cut into 4 pieces; turn fish to coat well on both sides. Marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 2
Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade and place in the hot pan (no need to add more oil or pat fish dry). Season fish with kosher salt. Cook the fish for 4 minutes undisturbed, then turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and flake the fish into the pan with a fork, making sure to mix in all the marinade that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Set aside.
Step 3
Place 4 of 8 fresh corn tortillas on a plate between 2 slightly dampened sheets of paper towel. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Place warm tortillas in a towel-lined basket or plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Step 4
Spoon a heaping spoonful of cooked fish into the center of a tortilla. Top with pickled onions, crema, fresh salsa, hot sauce, and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Do Ahead: Pickled onions can be made 3 weeks in advance; refrigerate in an air tight container. Fish can be marinated 1 day ahead; refrigerate in an airtight container.
Editor’s note: This recipe for fish tacos first appeared on Epicurious in May 2009. Head this way for more of our favorite Mexican recipes →
Recipe notes
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