Blackened Fish Baja Tacos
By Kath Dedon
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Cooking Light’s The New Way to Cook Light (which just last weekend won the 2013 James Beard Award in the “Focus on Health” category) has a terrific recipe for fish tacos. They used tilapia, but I chose to use fresh lingcod fillets instead. Blackened Fish Baja Tacos made a fantastic dinner which Bob and I both enjoyed.
The tacos would be equally good, I think, with true cod, mahi mahi, or any fish that you enjoy. Cooking Light suggests using shrimp as an alternative as well.
Although it took a little longer to make than I was expecting, the recipe is very easy and I will definitely be making Blackened Fish Baja Tacos again!
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Blackened Fish Baja Tacos
(Adapted from Cooking Light’s The New Way to Cook Light)
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Serves 4 (2 tacos each)
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¼ cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced white onion
1½ teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoons brown sugar (I used maple sugar.)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon oil
4 (6-ounce) lingcod fillets (or fish of your choice)
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
½ ripe avocado, thinly sliced
4 lime wedges
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1. Put the sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeno pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. (My small processor worked fine.) Put in a bowl and stir in the sliced onions.
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2. Stir the paprika, sugar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
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3. Coat the fish fillets on both sides with the spice mixture. Use all of it.
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4. Preheat the oven to warm. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Put the tortillas in the dry skillet, heating them for about 30 – 40 seconds on each side. When all of the tortillas are done, wrap them in foil and keep them in the warm oven.
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5. Add the oil to the skillet and heat until it’s hot. Add the fish fillets and cook until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3 minutes on each side.
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6. Divide the sour cream mixture, fish, and avocado slices evenly between the tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.
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In the kitchen with Kath 
Mmmm this looks VERY much like the blackened mahi mahi I had in Hawaii. Will have to try this!
You will not be disappointed! 😉
I have heard great things about the book, and now I’m eager to try one of the recipes. These look so very good, my friend! Thank you for sharing them with us!
There are so many great-sounding recipes in the book, Monet! I’m looking forward to trying some more.
I will have to pick up that book. I need lighter recipes in lieu of all the baking I’ve been doing. Fish tacos are one of my favs, and I do love blackened anything. Hope you are having a good week.
-Gina-
Thanks, Gina! I do love the way Cooking Light lightens up recipes without compromising flavor. And I appreciate that they don’t use artificial sweeteners or a lot of fat-free ingredients. I think you’ll like the book.
I love blackened fish and then put them in a taco?? I am in heaven! Looks awesome!