California's Baja Fresh Fish Tacos with Zarandeado Sauce
Authentic Baja-style fish tacos featuring flaky fish, vibrant Zarandeado sauce, and fresh toppings. This flavorful recipe brings the taste of Mexican coastal cuisine right to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Pickled Onions
- 1 Red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Zarandeado Sauce
- ⅔ cup Mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup Sour cream
- Zest from 1 lime then cut the lime into wedges for serving
- 1 Chipotle Chile in adobo sauce or to taste
- 1 Puya Chile pod or whatever dried chile you prefer
- 1 tablespoon Frank's hot sauce or your favorite Mexican hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Beer
- 1 tablespoon Yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Soy sauce
- 1 Fresh garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Fish
- 6 Mahi Mahi fillets, cut into "taco sized" pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Butter
Tacos
- 1 ½ cups Red cabbage
- 1 ½ cups Green cabbage
- 12 Corn tortillas, warmed
- ½ bunch Cilantro, coursley chopped
- 2 Avocados, sliced
- Cojita cheese for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION
- Place sliced red onion in a medium bowl. Bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onion, pressing the onion below the surface of the liquid. Let the onion cool completely for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
FOR THE ZARANDEADO SAUCE
- Process all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. Reserve 6 tablespoons of the creamy sauce for cooking the Mahi Mahi.
FOR THE FISH
- Cut the fish into equal "taco size" pieces. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the pieces of fish with about a teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the fish in the flour, shaking to remove excess, and transfer to a large plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the foaming subsides. Add half of the fish pieces to the skillet in a single layer and cook, without moving them, for about 3-4 minutes.
- Drizzle the Mahi Mahi with 3 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and then gently flip the pieces over. Shake the skillet gently to distribute the sauce and let the fish continue to cook until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat and, transfer the fish to the prepared wire rack.
- Transfer to the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining fish pieces.
- Wipe out the skillet with paper towels and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, pieces of Mahi Mahi, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved sauce.
FOR THE TACOS
- Combine red and green cabbage in a bowl. Build tacos by placing the fish in the center warm corn tortillas, followed by cabbage, cilantro, Zarandeado sauce, pickled onions, avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Calorie Disclaimer:
The nutritional information provided is intended for informational purposes only. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, the actual nutritional content of recipes may vary depending on various factors, including the specific ingredients used, portion sizes, and cooking methods.