Blackened Fish Tacos made with a blend of Cajun spices makes these tacos that are absolutely loaded with flavour. A very special guest post from one of my all time favourite blogs, the uber-talented Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom.
One of my greatest sources of inspiration are food blogs. I am continually amazed by the creativity, wealth of knowledge and talent that is “out there” in the food blogging community.
And one of my personal favorites is Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom. Ever since the very first day that I stumbled across her blog by chance, I was hooked. Having tried quite a few of her recipes (scroll down to see my favorites!) and reading every recipe she publishes, I can tell you with absolutely certainty that Kathleen’s palette is very similar to mine. We both like strong flavours and enjoy diversity, discovering and sharing gems from around the world that are easy enough for anyone to make.
So it is with the utmost of gratitude and honour that I pass you over to Kathleen who is here today to share with us one of her amazing creations. I can assure you that I’ll be making this as soon as I get back to Sydney! – Nagi x
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Hi there! I’m Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom. I’m so honored to be doing a guest post for one of my very favorite bloggers, Nagi as she’s traveling halfway around the world to Mexico and then onto California. There’s no doubt she’s eating some pretty incredible food while on her journey and I can’t wait to see what inspires her and how she’ll transform it into a RecipeTin Eats original!
Today I’d like to share with you, Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado-Lime Slaw. Anytime I’m at a restaurant and see the option to have something blackened, I jump on it! A blend of spices popular in Cajun cuisine, it adds serious flavor to anything it touches, and chances are you already have the spices needed in your pantry. I love making a big batch to have on hand for a quick and easy weeknight meal – tilapia, mahi mahi, shrimp, even chicken breasts all get a burst of flavor with this spice blend. What’s even better – you’re adding an incredible amount of flavor without adding a lot of fat. Of course the fat I’m referring to is from the olive oil used to cook the fillets and that’s healthy fat, so another win for the dish!
When it comes to the coleslaw there seems to be two camps – vinegar based and mayonnaise based. Personally, I’m team mayo when it comes to fish tacos. Rather than piling on veggies dripping with mayonnaise after I just went on about how you can get so much flavor without adding fat to the fish fillets, I thought it best to find an alternative. Enter avocado-lime dressing. A yogurt based sauce; it adds a cool, creamy texture with a zippy flavor – a perfect compliment to the bold spices of the blackened fish.
Now because I just couldn’t help myself, I did end up adding a touch of mayo as a finishing sauce by making a quick Sriracha aioli. It’s actually pretty loose; as I’ve thinned it out a bit with lime juice – so you get a little drizzle of some of that flavor from the fat without big globs of it. Again, adding another layer of flavor to the dish.
I hope you enjoy these tacos as much as I do! It really is amazing what well portioned spices and a balance of flavors can create. – Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom
And more tacos
-
Quick Chicken Tacos – 2 in 1 recipe, shredded taco seasoned chicken AND taco sauce
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Beef Tacos – the old school way
-
Fish Tacos – marinated and grilled, healthy and delicious!
-
Pork Carnitas Tacos – the iconic Mexican pulled pork tacos
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Shredded Beef Tacos – tender slow cooked shredded beef in a deep flavoured Mexican sauce
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Blackened Fish Tacos
Ingredients
Avocado-Lime Slaw
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup cilantro/coriander leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 limes zested and juiced
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 tbsp mint , roughly chopped
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 cup red cabbage , finely shredded*
- 1 cup green cabbage , finely shredded*
- 2 carrots , grated*
Quick Sriracha Aioli
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Blackened Fish
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tilapia fillets
To Serve
- 8 (6 inch) tortillas
- 2 jalapeños , sliced
- 1 small bunch cilantro
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the yogurt, avocado, cilantro, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, jalapeños, mint, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Place the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add 1/2 a cup of the avocado-lime dressing from the food processor and stir to combine. Add more dressing if you would like a creamier slaw. If not, you can use the extra dressing to top the tacos later. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the Sriracha Aioli. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- If you would like to toast the tortillas (highly recommended if you are using corn tortillas)* heat a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, warm each tortilla 1 to 2 minutes per side – you want to heat the tortillas just enough to slightly char and add a bit of crispness, but not so much that when you fold it, it cracks. Wrap the tortillas in a clean tea towel to keep warm and set aside.
- On a large plate, combine all of the spices to make the blackened seasoning. Dredge both sides of each fish fillet in the spice mixture. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. At the first wisp of smoke from the pan, add the fillets, working in batches if needed. Cook for 2 -3 minutes on each side. (Do not move the fish fillets around while they're cooking. Leave them be until they're ready to flip). Transfer the cooked fillets to a cutting board and slice each fillet in-half, vertically - making 8 pieces.
- To serve, top each tortilla with the fish, avocado-lime slaw, jalapeños, cilantro, and drizzle with the Sriracha aioli. Serve with extra wedges of lime and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
PS Proof that Dozer LOVED the homemade biscuits!
Lyn says
Can’t wait to try this…the slaw sounds delicious. Nagi, when you are in California, do you plan to come to the Desert (Palm Springs area). Let me know…that’s where I live…Thanks for keeping up with recipes and enjoy your travels..:)
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Lyn! Unfortunately not this time, but I will be back next year! 🙂 N x
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
Kathleen this is an awesome guest post! I love how you added the avocado-lime sauce to the cabbage slaw itself as a healthy yet creamy dressing, and the blackened fish marinade looks lovely 🙂 fish tacos are the best!!
Hope you are enjoying Mexico Nagi! <3
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I love that dressing!! It’s actually really similar to sauce that is pretty much also provided at every restaurant here in Mexico!
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi and Kathleen! I became somewhat obsessed with Cajun/Creole food many years ago and I still am! We are having Cajun BBQ shrimp tonight! These will be on the menu here soon!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Have you got room for one more? 😉 If I’m ever in your area, you know I’m going to invite myself around! N x
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi! My door is always open girlfriend! Just give me a little lead time so I can scoop up the dog hair! 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Same here 🙂 I’m very efficient at buzzing through my house to sweep up the dog hair, I only need 10 minutes notice from you! <3
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
Nagi, I can’t tell you how honored I was to create this guest post and I am truly floored by your incredibly kinds words. You have been such an incredible source of motivation and inspiration and I’m continuously amazed by the things you create. Best of all, you’re every bit as kind and lovely as you are talented. You seriously ROCK! I hope you’re loving Mexico! And oh my gosh, why haven’t I seen those pictures of Dozer – too cute! xoxo!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I made those biscuits yonks ago! Must’ve been around Christmas?? Thank you so much again for this incredible post Kathleen. I really am so touched at the effort you went to and I can’t WAIT to make this when I get home! N x
Krista Bjorn says
These do look and sound absolutely scrumptious! And beautifully photographed too. 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Krista! It’s gorgeous isn’t it? Kathleen is a gem!