Baja Fish Tacos
Baja Fish Tacos with beer batter, pickled red onion, avocado, shredded cabbage, Pico de Gallo, and white sauce. For when you want to feel like you’re in Baja California, Mexico.
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time:
30 min
Total Time:
1.5 hours
Good For:
Dinner
About this Recipe
I have vivid memories of driving around the Pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula with Larry, an ex-pat from San Fransisco, and my good friend Kat in the mid-nineties. We were always in search of Fish Taco stands on our way to the beach to go surfing. We stayed in Kat’s cabin on the coast about an hour south of Ensenada. The fish tacos from the various roadside stands were the best I have ever had. I was inspired to create my own recipe, and I can’t wait to go back one day to Baja and get some more authentic roadside fish tacos.
I used Barramundi (Australian Sea Bass) from Springhills Fish Farm which is a local family-owned sustainable fish farm in Ontario.
Their fish is ethically raised in small farms near Hannover and is all eco-certified. Springhills Fish Farm is recommended by Ocean Wise for sustainability. I love knowing that the fish is humanely raised and that the farms are eco-certified. We always try to eat local and sustainably-raised as much as we possibly can. It’s not only better for us, but also for the planet.
You can order Springhills Fish online using my promo code, CelebrateHeart5, for $5 off your first box until May 31st, 2021. Their customer service is incredible. I knew exactly when my box was being delivered with email updates on delivery time.
I am beyond thrilled with the freshness and the taste of this fish.
Ingredients
Baja Fish Tacos with white sauce
- 3 filets of Barramundi
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 lime zested
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 lager beer (*I used Sapporo)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Olive oil for frying fish
- 2 drops lime essential oil *optional
- package of small corn or flour tortillas
- avocado (*topping)
- pickled red onion (*topping)
- shredded purple cabbage (*topping)
These Baja Fish tacos are garnished with shredded red cabbage, slices of avocado, pickled red onion, fresh Pico de Gallo, and a creamy white sauce, served with fresh lime wedges. Toasted corn tortillas are recommended for authentic Baja Fish tacos, although I used whole wheat tortillas in this recipe.
You can prep the white sauce and pickled red onions ahead of time, but I definitely recommend making the Pico de Gallo just before you start frying the fish.
Any firm white fish will do, so you could substitute halibut, or cod if you don’t have Barramundi. Slice the fish in 1″ strips.
The beer batter is made by simply whisking together all the ingredients. The spices add a nice light flavour.
I love making pickled red onions and I added in some mustard seeds and peppercorns to this batch. They are simple to make and so delicious.
Lastly, I toast the tortillas in a frying pan with a splash of olive oil.
Scroll to the bottom of the post for step-by-step instructions.
Pico De Gallo
- 6 medium organic Roma tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh jalapeño finely diced
- 1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice *to taste
- 1/2 tsp fine Celtic sea salt
- 1/4 – 1/2 medium white onion finely diced
Instructions
- Chop Roma tomatoes and get rid of the seeds and then add to the bowl.
- Finely chop jalapeño and white onion and add to the bowl.
- Add salt, freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Lightly mix all ingredients and set in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Chop cilantro getting rid of any thick stems. Add to bowl just before serving.
Pickled Red Onions
- 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or white sugar)
- 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 5 peppercorns
- 1 large or 2 small red onions
Instructions
- Thinly slice red onions and place them in a sterilized mason jar.
- Heat to a simmer ACV, water, and sugar until sugar dissolves.
- Pour liquid over red onions in a mason jar.
- Add mustard seeds and peppercorns.
- Place the lid on tightly and allow it to cool before placing it in the fridge. You can make these ahead of time and leave them in the fridge until ready to use.
White Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 lime zested
- 1 Pinch of Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Place in a serving bowl and serve.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Thaw fish in the fridge either overnight or the morning that you want to cook it. Alternatively, you can place it in a sink (still in its freezer wrapping) filled with cold water. Place a bowl or plate over top to keep the fish submerged so that all parts of the fish will defrost evenly. Do not thaw in warm or hot water.
Step 2
If you didn’t make the white sauce and the pickled red onions beforehand, make these first before cooking the fish. Make the Pico de Gallo. Remember to add the cilantro to the Pico de Gallo just before serving. Thinly slice purple cabbage and place in a serving bowl.
Step 3
Heat up several tablespoons of olive oil in your frying pan until you have about 1/2 – 1 inch of oil. Coat each fish individually in the beer batter and place it into the frying pan. Cook on medium-high for about 3 minutes per side. Place fish on a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil and continue cooking until done.
Step 4
Fry tortillas for a minute or two on each side in a lightly oiled frypan. Place all toppings out on the table and add the cilantro to your Pico de Gallo. Thinly slice the avocado and slice limes into wedges. Set up self-serve platters and enjoy!
This post was created in partnership with our friends at Springhills Fish. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Celebrate the Art of Life possible.
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Recipe for white sauce?
Hi Marianne, thank you for your comment! I will update to add my white sauce recipe today.:)
I’m not seeing the ingredients or instructions for the white sauce- what am I missing? That’s my second-favourite part of this meal!
Thanks Heather for pointing that out for me. I’ll update that today with my recipe for the white sauce.:)
This looks so good!
I’ve been thinking about making fish tacos but wasn’t sure which fish to use! Now I know.
Thank you Bonnie! Let me know if you try it.
This was absolutely delicious!
Every single element is so good and totally make dish.
Definitely a keeper in this household.
Hi Jamie, I am so happy that you like this recipe! We love it too. Even our 12 year old loves everything in this recipe too. Enjoy! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Jen
Oh my gosh – I have made these twice..so far and they are absolutely amazing!!! Thank you so much for sharing!! 🙂
Thanks for sharing Dawn! These fish tacos are a favourite at our house too!