Tex-Mex Fish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw
Tex-Mex fish tacos with chipotle slaw in a warm tortilla. The fish is crisp and flakey, the slaw is crunchy with chopped cabbage, carrot, onion, jalepeno peppers and cilantro. The slaw is mixed with a spicy chipotle dressing that enhances all the flavors
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Slaw
- 1 head Chinese Napa cabbage shredded
- 1 to 2 large carrots shredded
- ½ red onion chopped
- ½ red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
- ½ jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
For the Slaw Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 fresh lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch ground white pepper
- 1 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce mashed
For the Tilapia:
- 4 Tilapia fillets 4 to 5 ounces each
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
To Assemble:
- 4 flour tortillas
- Cilantro sprigs
- 1 to 2 fresh limes sliced in quarters
Instructions
- Add the shredded cabbage, carrots, onion, peppers and cilantro to a medium-size mixing bowl.
- In a separate dish, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, salt, pepper and chipotle.
- Mix a few tablespoons of the dressing with the cabbage mixture, adding additional dressing a tablespoon at a time just to moisten the ingredients, being careful to not make it sloppy wet. Reserve the remaining dressing in a dish. Set the slaw aside while cooking the fish.
To cook the Tilapia:
- Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a skillet or griddle, set over medium heat, add the oil and when it is hot but not smoking, add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. It may be necessary to cook the fish in two batches for easy flipping. As the fish is cooked, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any oil.
To assemble the tacos:
- Warm the tortillas in the skillet or microwave, place one tortilla on each of four plates, a teaspoon of the reserved chipotle sauce to the bottom half of the tortilla. Place a fish fillet on the sauced portion of the tortilla and add 1/2 cup of the slaw over the top of the fish, spreading it out. Garnish the taco with sprigs of cilantro and add fresh lime wedges to the plate. Pass the dish of reserved dressing to be added as needed.
Notes
Cooking Note: Add the fish to a hot skillet and leave it alone, don’t nudge or flip too early. Once a golden crust forms, the fillets will naturally release from the pan.
Seasoning Tip: We used taco seasoning for quick flavor. You can use store-bought or try our homemade taco seasoning for an easy pantry option.
Prep tip: Pat the tilapia dry before seasoning. This helps it sear better and keeps it from steaming in the pan.
Tortilla tip: Corn or flour tortillas both work here. Warm them up before serving so they’re soft and pliable.
Slaw shortcut: No time to shred cabbage? A bag of pre-shredded slaw mix totally works. Just toss it with the chipotle dressing and you’re set.
Make-ahead tip: You can mix the slaw dressing up to 3 days in advance. Combine it with the cabbage just before serving so it stays crisp.
Fish substitute: No tilapia? Cod, halibut, or any mild white fish will work. Just adjust the cook time based on thickness.
Spice level: One chipotle pepper adds mild heat. Want it spicier? Add a second pepper or a spoonful of adobo sauce to the slaw dressing.
Nutrition value includes 1/2 cup of the slaw dressing
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Sodium: 408mg | Fiber: 5g
