Baja-Style Fish Tacos with an Asian Slaw and Sweet Chili Sauce

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 with the fusion styles that have made Taco Night into an event.

A great example being my Baja Fish Tacos. With a marriage of Asian and Mexican cuisines, these tacos deliver deliciousness in a way we never expected.

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make 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 do I 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.

Chef Dennis Tip:

Did you know that Chefs around the country rely on Karo® Syrup for its quality and consistent performance? And Argo Corn Starch is what Chefs reach for when it comes to thickening gravies or Asian sauces.

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 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, Argo Corn Starch, 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.

One thing I love about using Argo Corn Starch in my flour mixture is that I don’t have to have a heavy batter on the fish to give it a nice crispy texture. That way you get to taste the fish and not the batter.

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!

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• Grilled Shrimp Street Tacos
• Blackened Chicken Taco Bar
• Buffalo Chicken Tacos
• Etoufee Street Tacos