I missed my one chance at San Diego's famous fish tacos. Back when I was a fledgling food fanatic, I made my lone visit to San Diego. I didn't know there was such a thing as a fish taco. That is, until I got home. Then, every magazine I read for the next year had an article about the glories of fish tacos. Doh! I had to learn to make them myself, to find out what I had missed.
Nowadays, instead of the traditional fried version, I grill my fish tacos. Mahi-mahi is my fish of choice. It is sustainable (according to Seafood Watch), easy to find in my local stores, and relatively inexpensive. Mahi-mahi is a firm fleshed white fish with a neutral taste; it works well as a carrier for spice rubs, and the firm flesh does not disintegrate when I flip it on the grill.
Mahi-mahi's neutral taste (read: bland) needs some help. I like my meal to have some punch, so I rub the fish with spices, including chipotle chile powder to bring some heat. Fish tacos are always served with cabbage slaw, and I can see why - the cabbage adds a nice crunch and even more flavor. (I make the slaw with a creamy dressing to simulate the traditional crema and lime topping.) Serve everything in a tortilla, top with salsa or hot sauce, and the fish taco is ready to go.
Why is cabbage slaw traditional with fish tacos? This question gnawed at me for years...until I read the answer, and then it was obvious. Fish tacos originated on the Baja coast of Mexico, before migrating north to San Diego. The little shacks serving fish tacos on the beach don't have refrigeration, and cabbage will hold up much better than, say, lettuce, which would wilt in the heat. Voila - cabbage slaw.
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📖 Recipe Card
Grilled Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Mahi-mahi fillets rubbed with ancho, chipotle and cumin, grilled over high heat, and piled into tortillas with a creamy lime red cabbage slaw.
Ingredients
Grilled Fish
- 4 mahi-mahi fillets, 8 ounces each (about 2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (½ teaspoon per fillet)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- Juice of ½ lime
Red Cabbage Slaw
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound red cabbage (1 small head), thinly sliced
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 serrano pepper, halved and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
For Serving
- Tortillas
- Salsa
- Avocado slices
- Sliced serrano or jalapeno peppers
- Mexican hot sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the grill: Set up the grill for direct high heat, and preheat for 15 minutes. Brush the grate clean, and wipe it with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
- Season the fish: Sprinkle the fillets with the salt and pepper. Mix the ancho, cumin, chipotle and brown sugar, and rub the spice mix over the flesh side of the fish.
- Make the slaw: Whisk the lime juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve. Whisk in the mayonnaise and olive oil until smooth. Add the cabbage, onion, serrano and cilantro, and toss to coat.
- Grill the fish: Grill the mahi-mahi over direct high heat, flesh side down, for 4 minutes. Gently work a spatula under the fish, and flip it skin side down. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes more, until just opaque in the thickest part. (Peek into the natural seam with a paring knife.)
- Finish the fish: Move the fish to a platter, and drizzle with the juice of ½ lime.
- Serve: Break the fish into chunks with a fork, and pile into tortillas. Top with the slaw and your favorite toppings.
Notes
Equipment: A grill (I use a Weber Summit).
Cooking times are for 1 ½ inch thick fillets, which took 10 minutes total. One inch thick fillets take 6 to 8 minutes. It's fine to leave the fish on the skin side a little longer - the skin protects it from burning.
Other fish: Any firm white fish works.
Other cabbage: Napa or green cabbage works too - I used red for the color.
Fruit salsa: Instead of the slaw, top with Avocado Orange Salsa or Mango Salsa.
Inspired by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig's Fish and Shellfish, Grilled and Smoked.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Grilled Barramundi with Avocado Salsa
Grilled Trout, Herb and Citrus Stuffed
Air Fryer Tilapia
Grilled Scallops with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
Inspired By:
Karen Adler and Judith Fertig Fish and Shellfish, Grilled and Smoked
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Timnas Indonesia says
I've wanted to make fish tacos forever, and finally tried it using your
recipe. They were easy, delcious, my husband was a big fan, too. The
only alteration I made was to mix brocolli slaw in with the red cabbage-
extra crunch and color.
gambar payudara
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
You're welcome, and good luck. I hope he likes them!
Ann says
We are spending the summer in Ventura, CA to be close to son, in San Diego, and nephew's family in Ventura. Rented a beach house and plan on doing a LOT of outdoor cooking. I've been looking for Fish Taco recipes because San Diego son LOVES fish tacos, but I'm not finding anything I think would compare to the ones we've eaten there. I believe this critic son is gonna LOVE your recipe - this sounds fantastic and you've done your homework - good job! Thank you for sharing.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Thank you! I'm glad you like it - it's one of my favorites, too.
Beth says
Mike- I just wanted to let you know that this slaw recipe is hands down my absolute favorite! So good!
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Anonymous:
The broccoli slaw add-in is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it.
Anonymous says
I've wanted to make fish tacos forever, and finally tried it using your recipe. They were easy, delcious, my husband was a big fan, too. The only alteration I made was to mix brocolli slaw in with the red cabbage- extra crunch and color.
Thanks for the recipe, I will visit again!
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Bob Jones:
Thanks for the recipe, Bob!
Bob Jones says
Fish tacos sound good. You might like this variation for the Crema slaw.
• CREMA:
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 11/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• (I added some chopped pickled jalapenos too)
Mix with 1 cup of each red and green cabbage to make the slaw. Makes a real nice slaw for the fish tacos.
BJ