Authentic Baja Fish Tacos and Baja Shrimp Tacos served with a spicy chipotle sauce and coleslaw
I have always been a big fan of Baja fish tacos but being pregnant has put my cravings for fish tacos into overdrive! I crave them and Baja shrimp tacos (I don’t discriminate) at least twice a week so when I went to Punta Mita, Mexico to visit my mom last month, I asked her housekeeper and cook to teach me how to make authentic Mahi Mahi fish tacos from scratch!
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything better! I mean, that week we were in Mexico we had tacos two or three times over the course of a week but the fish tacos we made at home were definitely my favourite. Maybe it was because the fish was fresh - we had gone to La Cruz that morning to the Mercardo del Mar to purchase the Mahi Mahi caught by local fisherman that morning - but they were out of this world!
Of course I didn’t leave Mexico without snagging the recipe for myself. I mean, now that I know how easy they are to make at home, I’ll definitely be making them whenever a pregnancy craving strikes!
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INGREDIENTS FOR BAJA MAHI MAHI FISH TACOS & BAJA SHRIMP TACOS:
SERVES 4 PEOPLE
- BATTER FOR BAJA FISH TACOS & BAJA SHRIMP TACOS -
2 Cups of Flour
2 x 355ml Cans of Beer (I used Corona!)
1 TBSP of black pepper
1 TBSP of Salt
- COLESLAW FOR FISH TACOS -
4 Cups of Green or Red Cabbage (shredded)
3 TBSP of Lime Juice
1/2 TSP of Salt
- BAJA FISH TACO SAUCE -
3 Chipotle Chilies - you can freeze any leftover Chipotle peppers from the can by placing them in a Ziplock bag.
3/4 Cup of Mayonnaise
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
2 TBSP of lime juice
- ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS -
1.5 - 2 lbs of Mahi Mahi cut into 1 x 3 inch strips
20 pieces of Shrimps - de-veined with shell and tail removed
Vegetable Oil for Frying
1 Lime cut into wedges for serving
Flour or Corn Tortillas - warmed
Guacamole *optional
Cilantro for Garnish *optional
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HOW TO MAKE BAJA FISH TACOS:
Begin by making the coleslaw for your fish tacos. Toss the cabbage, lime juice and pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well before setting aside to soak. The acidity in the lime juice will help soften the cabbage.
Next, begin making your Baja fish taco sauce. In a blender combine your chilies, lime juice, and mayonnaise with a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend and taste. Add more chilies if you want it spicier or mayonnaise to cool it down.
Fill your frying pan with vegetable oil (you’ll need about a 1/2 inch depth of oil) and slowly let it rise to temperature on the stove over medium heat. You want it to heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a deep fry thermometer if you have one or test the oil with a wooden spoon - if it sizzles when dipped in the oil, it’s ready.
While you are waiting for the oil to heat up you can make your batter for the Baja fish tacos and Baja shrimp tacos. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium size bowl and slowly whisk in the beer, little by little until you have a smooth consistency with no lumps.
Once the oil in the pan is up to the correct frying temperature, dip the fish strips and cleaned shrimp in the beer batter, making sure to coat both sides well but letting any excess batter to drip off. Place battered fish and shrimp in the frying pan, a few pieces at a time so not to overcrowd the pan too much. Allow each piece to fry until golden brown and cooked through (approximately two minutes) before transferring the cooked pieces to a plate lined with paper towel. The paper towel will soak up all the excess oil. Repeat until all the fish is cooked.
Fry the battered fish and shrimp in a half inch of vegetable oil over medium heat until golden (approximately 2 minutes)
While you are cooking the fish you can also warm the tortillas in the oven for a few minutes.
When ready to plate, line the tortillas up on a plate and place a piece of fish or 2-3 pieces of shrimp in each taco shell. Top with some cabbage slaw and drizzle with some Chipotle fish taco sauce.
You can garnish the Baja fish tacos and Baja shrimp tacos with cilantro before servicing if you like but make sure to also include a wedge of lemon.
This dish also goes well with guacamole and chips or just guacamole on its own which you can always add on as an extra topping to your fish tacos.
Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this Baja fish taco recipe with Chipotle Baja fish taco sauce and coleslaw as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Hasta Pronto!!!
