These blackened fish tacos are packed with lots of fresh veggies and make for a delicious summer dinner that comes together in under an hour! You’ll coat your favorite white fish in blackening spices, then sear until deeply browned and perfectly moist. For a complete meal, I serve them with a juicy and refreshing mango cabbage slaw and a creamy, spicy charred corn salad.
After developing this recipe for a corporate workshop, it was so well-received that I knew I had to publish it!
Though there are a few components, the recipe uses pantry-friendly ingredients and comes together rather quickly. For me, these tacos have it all. Enjoy with my blackberry shrub for a restaurant-worthy meal at home!
👩🏽🍳 Recipe Lowdown
key details before we dive into the cooking!
- Flavor bomb: The combination of perfectly charred tortillas, well-seasoned fish, crunchy slaw, and that creamy elote topping is so flavorful!
- A cast-iron skillet comes in handy for charring the corn and searing the fish, allowing you to get the pan smoking hot for the best browning!
- Play around: Swap out the elote salad for this creamy Taco Bell style chipotle sauce and serve my watermelon jalapeno salad on the side!
The Star Here is the “Elote” Salad
The elote salad features charred corn tossed with classic Mexican street corn flavors like mayonnaise, lime, chili powder, and, optionally, Cotija cheese.
Technically, it’s a cross between elote and esquites; esquites typically refers to corn served off the cob, while elote is traditionally served on the cob. Because this salad captures the flavors of elote, I chose to call it an elote salad. It’s delicious on its own, too, especially with tortilla chips for scooping.
Ingredient Notes
- White Fish: You can use any white fish here, such as cod, Mahi-Mahi, tilapia, or even halibut. Just note that thinner pieces will cook very quickly, while thicker filets like halibut, will take a bit longer.
- Tortillas: Good corn tortillas really make a difference here. I do not recommend La Banderita tortillas as they often fall apart (if that’s all you can find, make sure to use 2 tortillas per taco!) If possible, look for a local brand at your supermarket and/or a sturdier product with good structure.
- Chili Powder: The recipe yields a mild heat, but you can add more (or less) to your preference.
- Mango: Ripe mango will do wonders for this meal. Look for honey/champagne/Ataulfo mangoes, as they have a firm but juicy texture with the right balance of sweetness and acidity.
TIP: Short on time? Use frozen corn kernels, pre-shredded cabbage, and pre-cut mango.
For a full list of ingredients and their quantities, please refer to the recipe card.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 – Add corn to a hot pan with a bit of oil and char for a few minutes.
Step 2 – Remove corn from the heat, and add the grated garlic. Cool until warm, then add the remaining elote ingredients and the Cotija (if desired). Season and set aside.
TIP: For the best char, use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet so you can get the pan smoking hot. Stir every couple of minutes to allow the bottoms to brown. If you stir too frequently, they won’t have time to get that nice char!
Step 3 – While the corn cools, prep the slaw. Massage the cabbage with a bit of salt to soften the leaves, then add the mango, shallot, cilantro, and citrus juices.
Step 4 – Brush the fish with oil, then coat in the blackening seasonings.
Step 5 – Sear the fish for 2 – 3 minutes until nicely browned, then flip and sear the other side until cooked through.
Step 6 – Time for assembly! Char the tortillas in a skillet (or over the flame), then place a piece of fish on top. Top with a bit of slaw and corn salad, and enjoy!
How to Warm Tortillas
The easiest way to warm tortillas is to heat them in a cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
My favorite method, though? Charring them over a gas flame. Set a large gas burner over medium heat, then carefully add a tortilla with tongs. Char for 20 – 30 seconds, flip, and char the other side. Please be careful with an open flame!
Wrap tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
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Spicy Blackened Fish Tacos
Ingredients
For the elote salad:
- 1 – 2 teaspoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil, optional
- 2 cups corn kernels, fresh (from about 3 cobs) or frozen
- 1 small clove garlic, grated or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, from about half a lime, plus more if needed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Cotija cheese, optional
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon mild chili powder, such as Kashmiri chili powder or Ancho chili powder
For the mango slaw:
- 2 cups finely shredded cabbage, red or green
- Salt
- 2 ripe mangoes, preferably Honey/Champagne/Ataulfo, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 shallot, minced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely minced
- 1 mandarin orange, or ½ Navel orange, juiced
- 2 teaspoons lime juice, from about half a lime
For the spicy fish tacos:
- 12 ounces firm white fish, such as cod, mahi mahi, or halibut
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, such as Kashmiri chili powder or Ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt, or ½ teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil, divided
For assembly:
- 4 Corn tortillas
- Lime wedges and thinly sliced radishes, optional, for serving
Instructions
For the elote salad:
- Set a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. If your skillet is well-seasoned, you won't need any oil. If it's not, I recommend adding 1 – 2 teaspoons neutral oil to the skillet before cooking the corn.Add 2 cups corn kernels, and sear, undisturbed, for 2 – 3 minutes until nicely browned. Stir, then repeat, 1 – 2 more times until corn kernels are well-toasted, with charred spots. Remove from the heat, then add to a medium bowl with 1 small clove garlic (finely grated). Let cool until warm, then stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons freshly grated Cotija cheese (if using), ¼ cup mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon mild chili powder, and salt to taste.
For the mango slaw:
- Add 2 cups finely shredded cabbage to a medium bowl and massage with a good pinch of salt to help soften the leaves. Add 2 ripe mangoes (cubed), 1 shallot (finely minced), ¼ cup cilantro (minced), the juice from 1 mandarin orange, and 2 teaspoons lime juice. Season to taste.
For the fish tacos:
- Cut 12 ounces firm white fish into 4 portions and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and ¾ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt.Coat fish with 2 teaspoons neutral oil, then rub the spice mixture evenly on all sides. Gently tap off any excess seasoning before cooking.Set a large seasoned cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons neutral oil. Once the oil is hot, add the fish, and sear until the bottom is nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 2 minutes more for thinner fillets and 3 – 4 minutes more for thicker portions. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
For assembly:
- Warm 4 Corn tortillas on a skillet or directly over a gas flame. Place a piece of fish in the center of the warm tortilla, then top with a spoonful mango slaw and elote salad. Serve warm and enjoy with lime wedges and thinly sliced radishes (if desired).
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
