ByDavid
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These Crispy Baja Fish Tacos are not only quick and easy, but packed with delicious flavor, too! They’re the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of warmer days!
Disclosure: This Crispy Baja Fish Tacos post was sponsored by Gorton’s, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own.Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
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Taste buds are an amazing thing. Taste buds change every 7 years, and I’ve definitely found myself gravitating towards stronger flavors like blue cheese and olives…and blue cheese-stuffed olives! Even though they are constantly changing, our taste buds have the ability to transport us instantly across time and space. When we take a bite of food, our brains rely on all 5 senses to build a taste profile for that food. And then our brains link that taste profile to a certain memory or setting…kinda cool, huh?
So what does this science about our brains have to do with these Crispy Baja Fish Tacos? Well, the flavors in these tacos immediately transport me to somewhere warm. The combination of lime and cilantro just evokes memories of sunshine and bright, flavorful food. (And the timing is appropriate as we are finally breaking into some warm Spring weather here in the Northeast!)
Laura has always loved fish tacos. Even way back when we first met in Atlanta, we’d often stop by a little taco shack (it was literally a shack in the middle of a parking lot) for delicious fish tacos. These Crispy Baja Fish Tacos use a combination of flavors that instantly whisks you away to somewhere warm and relaxing…like say the Baja peninsula of Mexico! We actually enjoyed these tacos for dinner while sitting outside on our back deck. It was the first evening when it was warm enough to eat outside, so the setting and taste combined to create a perfect meal to welcome in the warm weather. See ya next December, Old Man Winter!
Baja fish tacos are a classic street food in the Baja region of Mexico, and they’re typically made with beer-battered fish. Now as tasty as beer-battered fish is, we’re being carefulwith our calories lately as we have a vacation coming up soon (and vacation is no time to count calories!). Even though we’re watching calories lately, I’m still not willing to give up on tasty, flavorful meals. No way, no how! So this past weekend, I picked up some Gorton’s Smart & Crunchy Fish Fillets in the freezer section of our grocery store. These fish fillets are packed with flavor, and the crunchy texture comes from a coating of bread crumbs rather than beer batter. A serving of 2 fillets checks in at just 190 calories. That’s a win in my book!
Gorton’s classic Crunchy Fish Sticks are one of Robbie’s favorite meals. I kid you not. Like winner of the all-time favorite meal medal. Whenever Robbie’s babysitter comes over, we make him fish sticks for dinner because we know he’ll eat ’em without any trouble. But now I think I’m going to transition the little guy over to these Smart & Crunchy Fish Fillets from Gorton’s Smart Solutions line. That way we’ll always have these fish fillets in the freezer for when Laura and I are craving Crispy Baja Fish Tacos!
A fun side story here is that Laura and I actually walked right by Gorton’s main offices in Gloucester, Massachusetts. We drove over to the Massachusetts coast a couple of years ago to go whale watching, and Gorton’s offices are located just a block or two from where we hopped on the boat. Gloucester is the oldest seaport in America (thus making it the birthplace of the US fishing industry), and Gorton’s has called Gloucester home since 1849. What a small world!
As I mentioned above, these Smart & Crunchy Fish Fillets are baked not fried. They’re also made from 100% wild-caught Alaskan pollock…and the taste is noticeable! Of course, add in flavors like lime and cilantro, and you’ve got one heck of a tasty summer meal! Oh, and I should mention that the Baja sauce also adds a ton of flavor to these tacos. The sauce is just a simple combo of mayo, sour cream, lime juice and minced chipotle peppers, but it really brings the flavor when used as a topping for these tacos! And the fact that I can make these tacos on a weeknight? Bonus points!
If you’re looking for a delicious meal to celebrate the arrival of warmer days, then these Crispy Baja Fish Tacos deserve a spot on your dinner menu! They’re easy to make and packed with delicious flavors. Enjoy!
Crispy Baja Fish Tacos
TheseCrispy Baja Fish Tacosare not only quick and easy, but packed with delicious flavor, too! They’re the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of warmer days!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 686kcal
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup mayo
- ½ cup crema or sour cream
- 1 Tbsp chipotle pepper finely diced (see note)
- 2 tsp lime juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the Cabbage Slaw
- ½ small head red cabbage very thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- ½ Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
For the Sauce
Using a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth; set sauce aside.
For the Cabbage Slaw
Using a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss until well combined; set slaw aside.
For the Tacos
Bake the fish fillets according to package instructions.
Lightly char the corn tortillas by placing them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, flipping occasionally.
Lay tortillas flat and top with cabbage slaw and sliced avocado. Lay one fish fillet on top of cabbage and then drizzle sauce over fish. Top with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Notes
Canned chipotle in adobo sauce is the easiest way to get the chipotle for this recipe. Save the leftover chipotles (with adobo sauce) in a ziptop bag in your freezer for the next time you make this sauce!
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