Blackened Cod Fish Tacos with Creamy Lime Sauce
Description
Blackened cod gets stuffed in a charred tortilla with (super) quick pickled red onions, a creamy lime sauce, black beans and arugula, these tacos are unique and delicious. The best part? They're ready in 30 minutes!
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Ingredients
Pickled onions:
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
Fish:
- 1 tablespoon paprika*
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (marjoram or regular dried oregano also work)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ –½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 (4-ounce) cod fillets (halibut or mahi-mahi also work well)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sauce:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 lime, juiced and zested
- ½ teaspoon paprika
To serve:
- 4 –8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Bring vinegar, ½ cup water, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add onion to a medium bowl. Pour boiling vinegar mixture over onion mixture and let sit at least 15 minutes.
- Combine 1 tablespoon paprika, cumin, oregano, remaining teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a shallow bowl.
- Pat fish fillets dry then coat fillets in spice mixture on all sides; rubbing in as needed.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet set over medium for 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet, swirl to coat, then add 2 fish fillets. Cook fillets just until starting to blacken, about 4 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook 3–4 minutes more until blackened on second side and a thermometer inserted in the thickest parts registers between 140ºF and 145ºF; transfer to a plate.
- Repeat cooking process with remaining oil and fillets.
- Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest, and ½ teaspoon paprika; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Using tongs, char tortillas over an open flame on the stove top, turning frequently to char all over.
- Serve blackened fish in charred tortillas with arugula, black beans, pickled onions and sauce. Finish with a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro.
Notes
* use a combo of sweet paprika and smoked paprika if you want the tacos to be extra smoky!
MAKE DAIRY-FREE: skip the yogurt in the sauce and use ½ cup mayonnaise.
TIMING: cook time largely depends on how thick your fillets are. My fillets were 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick. If you have thinner fillets, drop the cooking time down by a minute or more.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 tacosCalories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 26gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 487mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g
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