Baja Fish Tacos with Fresh Slaw and Creamy Sauce Recipe
Delicious Baja Fish Tacos featuring crispy fried or grilled white fish fillets served with a zesty slaw and creamy cilantro-lime sauce. Perfectly balanced with fresh cabbage, jalapenos, and a tangy sauce, these tacos offer a vibrant taste of Baja California cuisine.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
For the Slaw
- ½ cup red cabbage, finely sliced
- ½ cup green cabbage, finely sliced
- ½ cup tomato, diced
- ½ cup white onion, diced
- 2 small jalapenos, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup ketchup or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Fish
- 1 pound white fish (cod, snapper, or halibut recommended)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Wet Batter
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 14 ounces beer (or unflavored sparkling water)
Other
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Tortillas for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Slaw: In a large mixing bowl, combine the finely sliced red and green cabbage, diced tomato, diced white onion, diced jalapenos, and chopped cilantro. Add the sour cream, lime juice, salt, sugar, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss well to combine and set aside to marinate flavors.
- Make the Sauce: In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped cilantro, ketchup or sriracha, lime juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prepare the Fish: Rinse the white fish fillets and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly coat the fish pieces in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and set aside.
- Prepare the Wet Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg and then add it to the flour mixture. Gradually pour in the beer (or sparkling water), whisking gently until you achieve a smooth, thick batter.
- Fry the Fish: Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to about 350°F (175°C). Dip each floured fish fillet into the wet batter, allowing any excess to drip off. Carefully lower the fish into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3–5 minutes per side depending on thickness. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- Warm the Tortillas: Warm tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until pliable and soft.
- Assemble the Tacos: Place a piece of fried fish onto each tortilla. Top with a generous amount of slaw and a drizzle of the prepared sauce. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro and serve with fresh lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.
Notes
- You can substitute the beer in the batter with sparkling water for a lighter, non-alcoholic option.
- For grilling instead of frying, marinate the fish seasoned with spices and grill until cooked through, then assemble with the same slaw and sauce.
- Adjust the jalapenos in the slaw to control the heat level to your preference.
- Serve immediately for best texture of the fried fish and fresh crispness of the slaw.
- Cod, snapper, or halibut are recommended fish for optimal flavor and texture, but any firm white fish will work.
Keywords: Baja Fish Tacos, Fish Tacos, Fried Fish, Mexican Tacos, Baja California, Crispy Fish, Fish Slaw, Cilantro Lime Sauce