Ok... maybe a slightly dumb question, but the thread on different ways to cook fish got me thinking (and VERY hungry)!

When it comes to making Fish Tacos, how do you do it? There are probably several ways to cook and season the fish before putting it in a taco shell. What seasonings do you use?

Someone also mentioned red beans with rice as a side dish. We've never tried that one. Any other good side dishes that go especially well with Fish Tacos?

We used a laker for our fish tacos. We cut the fish in strips about 3/4 of an inch wide. Battered it with Shore lunch, but I would recommend using something spicier. Fry in oil, and dump em in a tortilla, add cheese, and salsa, serve. The Vigo red beans and rice makes an awesome side.

We used a laker for our fish tacos. We cut the fish in strips about 3/4 of an inch wide. Battered it with Shore lunch, but I would recommend using something spicier. Fry in oil, and dump em in a tortilla, add cheese, and salsa, serve. The Vigo red beans and rice makes an awesome side.

Side dish? I just put all the ingredients together on a tortilla (that's the beauty of the tortilla). Roll 'er up and away you go. Trust me...it tastes way better than it looks :)

If it tastes better than it looks, it must be pretty good. I think it looks delicious. Is that ketchup on the top or something else?

Taco sauce (like those little packets you get at Taco Johns). Salsa would be even better!

What do you use as a substitute for the fish?

Then it wouldn't be a fish taco

We typically use bass, walleye, or pike for our fish tacos.
In a slightly oiled pan cook the filets, season with taco seasoning, and break up the meat.
Combine the fish with cooked rice and refried beans (both are “instant”) on a tortilla.
Top with some cheese and hot sauce if you have some available.
Roll up and enjoy.

"What do you use as a substitute for the fish?"

...the bait?

We always seem to catch a few Pike for fish tacos. Last year we sank our small block of Velveeta into our Vigo red beans and rice and it was crazy good!

Cook the fish up in a Cajun breading. Serve in a tortilla on Zatarain's Red Beans & Rice.

Can either broil or fry fish, then break up and toss into wrap.

For sides, try black beans & rice, red beans and rice, or even dirty rice - depending on your personal taste. These different sides also have varying degrees of "kick" that might avoid the need for additional sauces (salsa, taco sauce, etc). After several years in Texas before moving "north" to Tennessee, I like it hot - hotter the better.

I do like the idea of adding refried beans - makes it even more filling and a real taco.

Hey Old Hoosier... what is "dirty rice"? Just plain old brown rice or something else?

Zatarain's® would say, "dirty rice isn't actually dirty—it’s called that because the chicken gizzards and livers it’s traditionally made with give it a brown or 'dirty' color. Most common in regions of Southern Louisiana and Mississippi, it’s similar to pilaf in its use of the holy trinity of New Orleans cooking—green bell pepper, celery and onion. Then meat is added, and the whole thing is garnished with green onions and parsley." Dirty Rice, Zatarains style

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

--Goose

We do fish tacos every year. Either walleye or smallie. Fried Fish is the one in our group that usually does the cooking (he's a chef) so if I don't get this right, he can edit. I believe he breaks the fish up and fries it in the pan in some olive oil. He mixes in some spices and he makes his own pico de gallo (jalapeno, onion, cilantro, diced tomato) to mix in with the fish and rice, which goes into a flour tortilla. He adds a little bite to it by including chipotle peppers that have been pickled in mexican spices. The chipotle's can burn when exiting the next morning, so be careful.

Here's my recipe:

Put a little flour in a baggies with salt and pepper. Add fish filets and shake to coat. Melt your fat of choice in a skillet, add one half of a serrano chile for a kick, and saute the fish.

For a slaw: Rough chop a quarter head of cabbage, dice 1/4 red onion, and mince the other chile half. Add in a few packets of mayo and squeeze in the juice of a lime. Mix. Salt to taste.

Quickly heat up a soft tortilla on the fire grate to make it more pliable. Fold in the fish and slaw.

fish tacos from earlier post


these are results of a 2007 posting on Fish Tacos

Woodpecker

Thanks for posting the thread from the archives, Woodpecker. Between that one and this one, there should be plenty of great options for a good meal of Fish Tacos.

I made Fish Tacos for supper tonight.

With walleye fillets on sale this week at the local grocery store, I thought it was the perfect time to give them a try. Cooked up some Black Beans and Rice to go with them, too. (I know most of you suggested RED Beans and Rice, but since I had the Black at home, I went with it.)

Only had about a pound of walleye fillets, but I filleted them and sliced them into strips. Then I shook them in my standard breading mixture of a 50:50 mixture of Shorelunch and Medium Hot Breader from House Autry Mills.

I chopped up the walleye strips as they cooked so at the end, I had a pan full of small chunks and flakes.

Then I browned some taco shells, put the fish and Black Beans and Rice in the shell and rolled it up.

It was EXCELLENT!!! Definitely a winner that will go with us to Quetico this summer.

It's debatable, but my understanding is that fish tacos originated in Ensenada, Baja California, the fishing port 60 miles south of Tijuana. That's where I used to buy them from little pushcarts on the streets near the harbor after our surf sessions (then drinks at Hussong's Cantina). They were made with batter-dipped deep fried shark (fried in what looked like a garbage can lid over charcoal,wood or propane). Corn tortillas, shredded cabbage and salsa with lots of cilantro and lemon squeezed over it. The batter was very thick, like tempura batter, and the story I heard was that it started with the Japanese tuna fleet that frequented the port. Here's a shot of some of our friend trout--not tempura batter though.

Fish tacos for supper again last night. My family just laughs at me this time of year for experimenting with canoe camping food. I think you'll agree this looks pretty darn good.

"Yeah, doc - I'm tellin ya he's got the fever real bad!" HA!

Can't wait to go paddling, too!

quote Jackfish: "Fish tacos for supper again last night. My family just laughs at me this time of year for experimenting with canoe camping food. I think you'll agree this looks pretty darn good.

"

Is that vigo's Black Beans and rice Jackfish ? are you just using that and some fried fish ?

Yep... Vigo's Black Beans & Rice. Just fried up the fish like we always do, chopped it up a bit after it was done, put it in a lightly browned soft shell taco, topped it with the Rice & Beans (made according to the directions on the package), rolled up the taco shell and ate it. Yummm...

You obviously don't need to eat the stuff rolled up in a taco. Fish and Black Beans & Rice go together just fine on a plate without a taco, too.

Hey! as a fourth generation Californio, now living in Oregon I can tell you walleye would be excellant in tacos....we use Black Rock Bass (from the Pacific) better known as "Snapper".

Use small corn tortillas and put the rice & beans on the side.....add some grated cheese with salsa, chilis, and hot sause , all optional...
MMMmmmmmmm! good stuff!

Has anyone made Ceviche out of fresh water fish?

I had fish tacos from a little place in Cordova, AK at this past summer, and now that place will forever be on my radar for fixing the first and best fish tacos I've tried to date. They had some kind of green chile sauce with salmon, lettuce and they somehow made the seasoned tortillas a bit crispy. I'm thinking this is something I'd like to adapt to walleye for our trip this summer...

When I make fish tacos at home I prefer Salmon, corn tortillas, some shredded cabbage, and chipotle peppers/adobo sauce, and a squeeze of lime. The chipotle/adobo (the kind in the small cans) adds a smokiness and a level of heat that goes really well with the salmon. The cabbage and lime add a bit of texture and help to balance. The omission of cheese and cream keep it a little lighter, but feel free to add if that's what you like.

For the BWCA....I'd obviously substitute laker (although walleye would be ok too). I'd chop the cabbage into thin strands and vacuum pack ahead of time, and double bag the chipotles/adobo in a ziplock. Another option is to toss in some of the new Taco Bell Chipotle sauce packets or Tabasco Smoked Chipotle sauce.

Enjoy!

Re-hydrated salsa is exactly the same as out of the jar. great for fish tacos and scrambled eggs.

For cooking fish, here is a very easy recipe:

Just filet fish but leave skin on. Build up a nice bed of coals. Place the filets, on the grate skin side down. Lay a frying pan lid over the fish. Sprinkle with any spices you like (we really like Tony Chacheree (sp?).

The fish will cook a bit from the bottom and smoke a bit from the top.

After about 5-8 minutes, just use 2 forks to flake the fish off the skin.

The flaked fish is good by itself but would be great in fish tacos.

I usually keep it simple as food tastes better than it normally would in the BWCA anyway. I used to just cut the fillets into smaller chunks and use Shorelunch Cajun on them, in a tortilla with spanish style rice and hot sauce. Now i use Northwoods Mild Cajun in lieu of the Shorleunch and its great.

Roasted potatoes with chili spices and onion is an excellent fish tacos side dish.