When it’s time for taco night at our house my Baja-Style Fish Tacos are one of the tacos you’ll often find on my home menu. They’re great for entertaining, game day, or just for treating yourself to deliciousness.
It wasn’t so long ago that tacos meant the same old ground beef seasoned with cumin on a preformed crispy shell that you bought in boxes at the supermarket.
Now I’m not saying that I didn’t eat those delicious reminders of home and my childhood. But tacos have evolved into a culinary masterpiece, driven by the fusion styles that have turned Taco Night into an event.
A delicious example is my Baja Fish Tacos. With a marriage of Asian and Mexican cuisines, these tacos deliver deliciousness in a way we never expected.
Ingredients to Make Baja-Style Fish Tacos
Creating fish tacos isn’t difficult and can have as many or as few ingredients as you desire. It’s all about personalizing dishes you create with foods you enjoy eating.
For my Baja Fish Tacos, I made an Asian Style Slaw and Sweet Chili Sauce to go along with my crispy mahi-mahi bites and corn tortillas.
How to make an Asian Slaw
Making an Asian inspired slaw is a nice addition to your fish tacos. It adds crunch and tanginess to the taco.
For my slaw, I used green cabbage, carrots and cilantro for the crunch but you can add other veggies to make your own variation.
- red cabbage
- bok choy
- shredded broccoli
- shredded brussels sprouts
- red bell peppers
You can have fun interchanging ingredients or using what you have on hand. You can also buy premade slaw mixes at the grocery store.
If you want to vary the dressing you use some of these ingredients:
- sesame oil
- rice wine vinegar
- brown rice syrup
- soy sauce
Or use your favorite Asian style salad dressing.
How do I make Sweet Chili Sauce?
Making your own sweet chili sauce is really easy. And the nice thing about making your own is you can control the heat and your sauce won’t contain anything you can’t pronounce!
The two ingredients that give sweet chili sauce its heat are Sambal Oelek and crushed red pepper flakes. If you’re not a fan of heat you can cut down the amount of these ingredients or simply eliminate the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Place all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Once the sugar is dissolved stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring continually until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Let the sauce cool completely and refrigerate until needed. The sauce can be kept for up to one week in a sealed container.
It might take a bit of experimentation but once you find the right amount of heat, you’ll have your very own signature sweet chili sauce.
I’m not a fan of heat is there anything else I can add to my Sweet Chili Sauce?
Absolutely. Think of the recipe as a starting point and add or delete items to your tastes.
Some of the items you can add to your sweet chili sauce to calm the heat are:
- pineapple
- mango
- peaches
Finely chop the fresh fruit so it blends into the sauce. Use any of the fruits or combinations, depending upon your preference.
Chef Dennis Tip:
**A quick cheat would be to add pineapple preserves to the sauce. Keep some on hand to add to the sauce if you make it too hot.
How do I cook the fish for Baja Style Fish Tacos?
With the sweet chili sauce and slaw finished, it’s time to move on to the main ingredient, the crispy mahi-mahi.
Mix the flour, cornstarch, and blackening seasoning together in a bowl. Dredge the pieces of Mahi in the flour mixture and pan fry in a large skillet over high heat with about ½ inch of vegetable oil in the pan.
Remove the fried pieces of Mahi from the pan and drain the pieces of fish on a wire rack or paper towels. Heat your tortillas in a skillet or on the grill.
Serve the pan-fried Mahi with the slaw, sweet chili sauce, and warmed tortillas. You can even let your guests build their own tacos, making the night into a fun event!
Wouldn’t you love to sit down to a few of these delicious Baja Fish Tacos? I loved the crunch of the slaw with the tender flaky Mahi. Add in a drizzle of sweet chili sauce and you’ve got a flavor combination that you and your guests are going to love!
If you love seafood tacos, my Fish Tacos are sure to please.
More Taco Recipes You’ll Love!
Baja-Style Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Slaw
- 2 cups cabbage fine shred
- 2 tablespoons carrot grated
- 1 teaspoon cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoon lime juice (approx. juice from one lime)
- 3 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Sweet Chili Sauce
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup rice wine
- ⅓ cup Karo
- 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek use more or less according to taste (you can substitute Sriracha or garlic chili sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes use more or less according to taste
- 1½ teaspoons garlic finely minced
- 1½ teaspoons ginger finely minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Argo Corn Starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
- red food coloring optional
Fish Tacos
- 16 ounces mahi-mahi (Mahi cut into one-inch pieces and patted dry with paper towels)
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons Argo Corn Starch
- 1 tablespoon Cajun (blackened) seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
- 8 corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
Instructions
Slaw
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the cabbage, carrots, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Combine slaw ingredients well and set aside until ready to serve. **add additional lime juice or honey to taste. **make this ahead of time if possible to allow the slaw to soften.
Sweet Chili Sauce
- Place all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Once the sugar is dissolved stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring continually until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Let the sauce cool completely and refrigerate until needed. Sauce can be kept for up to one week in a sealed container.
Fish Tacos
- In a medium bowl, add flour, Argo corn starch and cajun seasonings. Mix well and set aside until needed.
- Add oil to a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the pieces of mahi-mahi in the flour mixture and fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy and brown. Don't overcrowd the skillet with fish, give them room to cook.**Be careful not to overcook the fish. It will cook faster than you think.
- Drain the Mahi on a screen or paper towels briefly.**fried Mahi can be held in a 200-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until needed
Assembly
- Warm tortillas on a griddle or grill
- Add slaw to tortilla followed by fried fish and sweet chili sauce
Earthen Wares Crystals says
Yum!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you!
Ana Lucina Caracas says
Esta receta está muy buena, la recomiendo ampliamente. Saludos chef y gracias por compartir
Naomi Hills says
It’s such a great recipe. I love fish tacos. It just nourishes my soul. This recipe has given me the confidence to make it for my family! Love your blog Chef!!!
Natalie says
What a delicious dinner option. SO easy to make too. I love the flavor combo in the sauce and crispiness form the cabbage slaw. I must give this a try.
Jo says
I absolutely love this taco. That fish, the slaw so delicious together. The best part for me is the chili sauce. What a meal to enjoy with family!
Daniela says
Amazing Chef Dennis I adore fish tacos and cant wait to make yours! They look and sound SO GOOD!
Moop Brown says
I’m a big fish tacos fan and these look super tangy and flavorful!
Jessica says
The slaw, the sweet chili sauce, the fish. Multiple flavor components in each bite. Just need a cold beer and it’s perfect for a Friday dinner with friends.
Sam says
Wow these tacos look amazing and so flavourful. Love the ingredients you have put together, so delicious! Excited to try it.
Tracy says
Fish tacos are my favorite and this sweet chili sauce is now my favorite sauce! What an amazing taco recipe that has so much depth of flavor but not difficult to make! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jacqueline Debono says
I’ve never actually made fish tacos but this recipe sounds really delicious. Love your Asian slaw and homemade sweet chili sauce! On my to make list!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Hmm yum! I super love tacos! This recipe of yours looks incredibly delicious, Chef. And I am looking forwrd on tasting that Asian Slaw and Sweet Chili Sauce.