Baja Fish Tacos
- ⏱ 1 hour 15 minutes
- Hard
- Serves 4
- 👥 2-cook recipe
Crispy fried fish tacos served with creamy coleslaw, mayonnaise dressing, serrano salsa, and fresh toppings.
Adapted from Serious Eats.
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This recipe, inside the app
Two phones, one plan. Tap a step on either phone and watch it tick on the other — that's the live sync, right here in your browser:
Baja Fish Tacos
0/0
COOK 1COOK 2
1Shred the cabbage
Shred the purple cabbage
2Grate the carrot
3Plate and serve
+ 24 more steps in the app
Baja Fish Tacos
0/0
COOK 2COOK 1
1Shred the cabbage
2Grate the carrot
Peel and grate the carrot
3Plate and serve
+ 24 more steps in the app
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise for the dressing
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise for the coleslaw
- 2 tbsp Mexican crema
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper for the coleslaw
- kosher salt for the coleslaw, to taste
- 1 1/2 cup purple cabbage (shredded)
- 1 carrot (medium, peeled and grated)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2 quarts vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lb firm white fish (cut crosswise into roughly 2-inch-wide fingers)
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt for the fish
- 1 cup store-bought pancake mix
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper for the batter
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cup plain seltzer
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 5-8 serrano chiles (stemmed)
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 garlic clove (peeled)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt for the salsa
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas
- Pico de Gallo, to taste
- avocado, to taste (cubed, cubed)
- lime wedges, to taste
The full plan
Split between two cooks — each step says who's on it.
1. Shred the cabbage COOK 2
- Shred the purple cabbage
2. Grate the carrot COOK 1
- Peel and grate the carrot
3. Cut the fish COOK 1
- Cut the firm white fish crosswise into roughly 2-inch-wide fingers
4. Heat the frying oil COOK 2
- Add the vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven or wok, it should measure at least 2-inches deep
- Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F (190°C), Line a wire rack with paper towels and set in a rimmed baking sheet, set aside
5. Mise en place COOK 2
- Prep 5-8 serrano chiles: stemmed
- Prep 1 garlic clove: peel
- Prep avocado: cube, cube
6. Make the dressing COOK 1
- In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise for the dressing and ketchup to combine
- Set aside until ready to serve
7. Make the coleslaw COOK 1
- In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise for the coleslaw, Mexican crema, and black pepper for the coleslaw to combine
- Add the purple cabbage, carrot, and raisins, and toss to combine
- Season to taste with salt
- Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the cabbage.
8. Fry the serranos COOK 2
- Once the oil reaches 375°F, carefully add the serrano chiles, onion, and garlic clove and fry until the onion and garlic begin to soften and the chiles' skin is crackly and browned, removing with a spider skimmer or slotted spoon as they finish cooking, This will take about 2 minutes for the garlic and onion, and 4 to 6 minutes for the chiles, Monitor and maintain oil temperature at 375°F
- In a food processor, blend the serrano chiles, garlic clove, and small onion, While blending, slowly add 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the salsa, until the mixture forms a creamy emulsion
- Season with additional salt to taste
- Set aside until ready to serve
9. Marinate the fish COOK 1
- In a large non-reactive bowl, toss the firm white fish fingers with kosher salt for the fish and white vinegar and let sit at room temperature until the surface of the translucent fish begins to whiten, 5 to 10 minutes, immediately drain the fish and place into the now-empty large bowl
🤝 Cook 2 hands the large non-reactive bowl to Cook 1.
10. Make the batter COOK 1
- In a medium bowl, combine the store-bought pancake mix, all-purpose flour, dried onion flakes, garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper for the batter, and Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Add the egg, plain seltzer, and yellow mustard and whisk until batter is smooth
11. Coat the fish COOK 1
- Pour the batter over the fish fingers and gently toss to coat the fish fingers evenly
12. Fry the fish COOK 1
- Once the oil returns to 375°F, working with 6 to 8 pieces fish per batch, remove fish from batter, making sure each piece is well coated, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl, and using tongs or your hands, add one at a time to the hot oil, briefly dragging fish along the surface of the oil to prevent sticking
- Adjust burner, as needed, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375°F
- Fry fish, stirring as little as possible to not dislodge the delicate batter, if needed, gently flip and separate fish fingers for even frying, until golden brown and bubbling begins to subside, 3 to 7 minutes, If they are frying unevenly, you can spoon hot oil over the frying fish, Using a spider skimmer or large slotted spoon, carefully remove fish from oil and transfer to the prepared wire rack
- Return oil to 375°F and repeat frying the fish in batches of 6 to 8 fish fingers at a time
🤝 Cook 2 hands over the delicate batter.
13. Plate and serve BOTH
- To assemble 1 taco, spread a warmed tortilla with prepared mayonnaise dressing or chipotle mayo, add fried fish, and serve with an array of topping options: the prepared coleslaw, prepared serrano salsa, Pico de Gallo, lime wedges, and avocado
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