I've been getting lots of fish taco questions lately, have you tried these Baja Fish Tacos yet?! It's one of the most popular recipes on the site and when you load them up with some goopy Chipotle Crema they are absolutely delicious!
The closer you live to the seaside communities in Baja California, the closer you'll be to the original incarnation of Baja Fish Tacos: fried fish, sharp cabbage, and some gooey creamy spiciness.
Luckily it's easy to whip up an authentic batch without booking a trip to Baja. Keep the original specs in mind and your family and friends will be very happy with the the results!
How To Make Baja Fish Tacos
Giving the cabbage some acidity adds another layer to these tacos, so we're making a half batch of cabbage-only Curtido. Curtido is a fiery, pickled slaw, but you can consider this step optional -- tossing the cabbage with some seasoning and lime juice would work well too.
Curtido typically needs time to pickle (usually overnight), but it will still give you some twang even 15-20 minutes after making it, so we'll get a batch started before making the fish batter.
The idea is to chop enough veggies for a single Mason jar, give it a shake in a seasoned vinegar mixture, and let it pickle until you need it. So in the above pic you've got:
1/3 head of cabbage
1/4 onion
1/4 jalapeno
Combine these well in a mixing bowl along with the following ingredients:
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
This should all fit into a single Mason jar, including the vinegar-water mixture.
Cover and give it a good shake, letting it rest in the fridge until you need it.
It'll be much sharper tomorrow, but I think it's still worth making it even if you want to use it a half hour from now 🙂
If you're new to the goopy Chipotle Crema you're in for a treat!
It's a perfect fit for these tacos, and it's so good that you can use it on just about anything (including these improvised Cuban sandwiches).
It's easy to make too, simply add the following ingredients to a blender and combine well:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves
2 chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
pinch of salt
squeeze of lime
You might need to add a splash of water to get it to combine well. I typically scrape out the seeds of the chipotles before adding them to the blender but you can consider this step optional. More info on working with chipotles here.
You can substitute some or all of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt if you want a lighter version. For example, you could use 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup mayo and still end up with a great tasting sauce.
If you want to go all the way and use 100pct yogurt, keep in mind that adding even a pinch of fat will make it taste infinitely better -- a tablespoon of mayo or heavy cream will do the job.
Okay let's talk fish!
We're using a pound of fresh mahi mahi.
But you've got lots of good options, with cod, tilapia and catfish being common picks for deep frying.
Season the fish on both sides and cut into strips in the realm of 1" x 3".
Beer is the preferred liquid for this batter as it leads to lighter, crispier tacos (why beer?).
In a mixing bowl combine:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground New Mexican chile (optional)
I'm using some of this pure chile powder, but you can consider this optional as seasoning the flour with salt is more important.
Combine this mixture well and then add 1 cup of beer. Whisk together until you have batter that resembles thick paint.
You might need to add more beer to get the right consistency, I added an additional 1/4 cup of beer to this batch.
If, like me, you cringe at the thought of a huge vat of frying oil in your kitchen, then use a narrow, deep saucepan and you'll only need a few cups of oil to make these tacos.
The key is to get the oil up to 350-360F before putting in the fish. Frying fish in oil that is too hot, or too cold, is a massively frustrating experience.
3-4 minutes in 360F oil does the job quite well, with crispy exterior and fully cooked fish inside. If your exterior is browning too quickly then your oil is too hot, if the interior isn't cooking all the way through then your oil is too cold.
If you don't have a kitchen thermometer it's worth adding one to your list -- you can get them super cheap from Amazon. Otherwise, I've found that a setting of 6/10 on my electric stove will keep the oil at approximately 360F once it has heated up all the way, but of course stoves will vary.
Coat each fish stick with batter and gently add them to the pre-heated oil.
Since we're using a small amount of oil, cooking only 3-4 pieces at a time is the best route -- if you add the whole batch the oil temp will drop too much.
If the oil is shallow in your pan be sure to flip them once about halfway through cooking.
Once the exterior turns a deeper brown remove them carefully and set them on some paper towels to drain. This batch needed about 4 minutes per round to cook.
Continue cooking as many as you need. This single pound of mahi mahi made 16 pieces of fried fish that could easily double as the world's strongest human magnet.
As with all fried foods, they have a limited window where they are crispiest. A couple minutes after taking them out of the oil, they will have cooled a bit and are ready to eat with a crispy exterior and moist fish inside -- nice!
If you let them sit for too long before serving the exterior will start to get soggy as the heat of the fish will steam the crust from the inside out.
One way to combat this is to get them out of the draining pit as soon as possible. So once the oil has drained off into some paper towels, put them on a wire rack in a 250-300F oven until you need them. This can extend their life a little bit and it's a good option to keep in mind if you're making a big batch.
Okay, now it's time to warm up some corn tortillas. For big batches you can nuke them or put them in the oven for a few minutes. For smaller batches I usually put them in a dry skillet over medium heat to give them a slight crisp.
Each tortilla gets fried fish, chipotle crema, pickled cabbage, and a final squeeze of lime.
The final squeeze of lime is a delicious final touch so please don't skip it!
And if you made the Curtido use a fork to take it out of the jar so that you get mostly cabbage and very little liquid.
Fried fish is a rarity for me and I think it should come with special permission to make them as goopy as you want!
So feel free to load up on the Chipotle Crema and any other fixings that sound appealing to you.
These Baja Fish Tacos have incredible flavor and will quickly whisk you away to a lazy seaside town. And you might want to stay forever!
I'll put the recipe box below with all the juicy details -- feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below.
Enjoy!
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Here's the web story for these Baja Fish Tacos.
Baja Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beer
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chile powder (optional)
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 2-3 limes
- 3-4 cups frying oil
For the Chipotle Crema:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- pinch of salt
- squeeze of lime
For the Curtido:
- 1/3 head green cabbage
- 1/4 onion
- 1/4 jalapeno
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt (Kosher or sea salt is recommended)
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- If you're making the Curtido, start by slicing up the cabbage (approx. 1/3 head), 1/4 onion, and 1/4 jalapeno. Add them to a mixing bowl along with the remaining ingredients: 1/2 cup vinegar, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional), 1 teaspoon of salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Combine well and add everything to a Mason jar. Give it a shake and let it rest in the fridge until you need it.
- For the Chipotle Crema, add the following ingredients to a blender or food processor and combine well: 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 chipotles in adobo, 2 peeled garlic cloves, pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime. You might need to add a splash of water to get it to combine. If you want more heat you can add more chipotles or some of the adobo sauce. Keep in mind that you can substitute some of the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt.
- Pat dry and season the fish on both sides with salt. Cut into strips that are approximately 1" x 3".
- To make the beer batter, add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl: 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon chile powder (optional). Combine well and then add 1 cup of beer. Whisk together until you have batter that is the consistency of thick paint, adding more beer if necessary (I added an additional 1/4 cup of beer to this batch.)
- Preheat 3-4 cups of oil in a saucepan until it reaches 350-360F (I used canola oil). One at a time, dip the fish sticks into the batter and drop them gently into the oil. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes or until the exterior is turning a darker brown. I used a narrow pan and only cooked 3-4 pieces at a time so that the oil temp remained as close to 360F as possible.
- Carefully remove the fish sticks from the oil and drain them in some paper towels, continuing until all the fish sticks are cooked. If making a big batch, place the fish sticks on a wire rack after draining , this will help prevent them from getting soggy. You can optionally keep them in a 250-300F oven until you need them.
- Warm up the corn tortillas. For smaller batches I prefer to slightly crisp up the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat. For larger batches you can warm them up in the oven for a few minutes (400F), or nuke them in the microwave for 60 seconds.
- Load up each tortilla with fried fish, Chipotle Crema, pickled cabbage, and definitely a final squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
You could also top these tacos with a zippy Lime Crema.
Still hungry?!
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Karin
These are fantastic!!! Made white corn tortillas to go with. Huge hit with my family. My son said I could make them any time... he said they were better than any fish he had in Nova Scotia last summer.
Patrick
Ahh good to know, thanks much for your note Karin!
NRM
I have been searching for a recipe that came close to the fish tacos I had in Tijuana over 15 years ago during a business trip.
THESE ARE SPOT ON.
The recipe is delicious. My family asks for them at least once a week. Make a large batch of the cabbage slaw so you always have some on hand. It saves time and the longer the cabbage pickles, the better it tastes.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for the feedback and tips NRM, I'm so glad this was a hit with your fam! Cheers.
NMJ
The recipe is spot on with flavor. I made one change....Mexican Crema instead of mayonnaise and the flavor is truly authentic. I have been trying to replicate the taste for years after enjoying the fish tacos in Tijuana. This recipe is the one I have been searching to find for at least 20 years. Thank you.
Patrick
Ahh good to know, thanks much for your note NMJ!!
Edelyn
I tried this recipe’ twice and both came out as a hit!!
Thanks for sharing this goodness 🙂
Patrick
Thanks much Edelyn!
Matt
This was delicious - I just made it for lunch, and added fresh pico de gallo and tomatillo salsa as toppings. My wife and I both loved it - looking forward to trying some of your other recipes!
Patrick
Thanks Matt, sounds like a great combo!
Donna
Hi Patrick,
I wanted to let you know I had made these as part of a Cinco de Mayo Brunch I had this past May.
They Rocked!
Everyone raved about them and wanted your recipe. Thank you! 🙂
I do have a question tho.... I could not find Mexican Oregano so I left it out.
I recently made them again, though found an article from Epicurious that suggested I substitute Marjoram do to them both being in the same family. 'Cause I have never tried Mexican Oregano, I have no idea how similar the flavors are. I am including the link to the article below and wanted to know your thoughts on this.
Thanks!
https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/mexican-oregano-substitutes-article
Patrick
Thanks much for your feedback Donna! Somehow your comment slipped through the cracks -- sorry about the epic delay in replying 🙂
I've seen this mentioned before too but I don't necessarily agree with it as I find the flavor of Marjoram quite different than Mexican Oregano. Keep in mind though that I am super picky 🙂 I've grown accustomed to the awesome flavor of Mexican oregano and I really don't think there are any worthy substitutes, so I typically recommend that people just omit it rather than finding an alternative. Easy to find online though 🙂
Will put a link below for some more details on Mex Oregano. Cheers.
What is Mexican Oregano?
Donna
Thanks Patrick.. 🙂
I was able to find real Mexican Oregano about a year ago & have made this several times since then.
I actually am making them this Friday for a couple friends... and again for Cinco de Mayo. Its the best! Thank you! ❤
Denai
Thank you for this recipe! I made these tonight and they were a hit! The sauce and cabbage were the perfect addition to the crispy fish. I will make these again without a doubt!
Patrick
Hey thanks Denai!
Mckenzie
Hello,
This recipe looks amazing! What beer do you recommend for the batter?
Patrick
Hey Mckenzie! It won't matter too much as they will all have the bubbles that you need, but bonus points if you use Dos Equis Amber 🙂
Jess
Is it spicy all together.. I'm feeding kids this dish tonight?
Patrick
Hi Jess! I think the Chipotle sauce is the spiciest part so if you want a milder version just use 1/2 chipotle in the sauce and give it a taste test, adding more if you want. Cheers.
Jessica
I did 2 chipotle and no jalapenos in the curtido .. Perfect the kids ate it up... Thanks
Patrick
Oh awesome glad they liked it!
Sela
My husband has been missing authentic baja fish tacos for years. Made them and got 2 thumbs up. They were a hit! Thanks! PS I still recommend heating your tortillas on a comal/griddle.
Patrick
Thanks Sela, so glad these tacos were a hit! If you need 20 tortillas for dinner are you still heating them all up on the comal?
Sela
Yes! Everyone I know does it that way, no matter how many tortillas. We keep them wrapped in a towel to stay warm as we heat the rest. But it may be different in other places. I'm looking forward to cooking some more of your recipes. They're well-written with really helpful details and tips! Thanks!
Patrick
Okay thanks Sela. I hope you find some other keeper recipes on the site! Cheers.
Betsi
I do this too! The rest of the tortillas also continue to soften with the vapors while keeping that wonderful Smokey flavor profile intact 🤍