How to Prepare Spicy, Creamy Fish Tacos

Spicy fish tacos are a quick, easy and fun dinner solution.

The question of what to make for dinner needn't fill you with dread. Spicy fish tacos will earn a thumbs-up from even the pickiest eater in your family. They're quick, simple and flavorful. While the spicy fish tacos recipe calls for the use of white-fleshed tilapia fillets, you can experiment with your favorite seafood. If you're not familiar with cooking white fish, don't worry; it's a forgiving ingredient and good for you.

Things You'll Need

• 2 avocados, diced
• 1/2 medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Salt
• Medium-sized mixing bowl
• Spoon
• Plastic wrap
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 tsp. capers, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill
• 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• Small mixing bowl
• 5 tilapia fillets, thawed
• Paper towels
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Frying pan
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• Large open dish
• Fork
• Tongs
• 1 package fajita-sized flour tortillas
• Lettuce

Instructions

Prepare Sauces

1. 

   Fresh avocados are key to creating a great salsa.

   Combine avocados, onion, tomatoes, lemon juice, black pepper and 1 tsp. salt in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Mix it well, but do not mash the avocados. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes.

3. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

4. Stir until all ingredients are mixed. Add lime juice a little at a time until the white sauce is almost runny. Cover and refrigerate it for at least 20 minutes.

Preparation and Assembly

1. Pat the thawed tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them lightly with salt.

2. Pour oil into the frying pan set over medium-high heat.

3. Mix flour, cornmeal and chili powder in a large open dish with a fork until well-blended. Drag individual pieces of tilapia through the flour mixture, coating both sides.

4. Ease tilapia into the pan to avoid splashing hot oil. The fillets should take only about two minutes per side to cook. Remove them from the oil and drain them on paper towels.

5. Warm the tortillas, following the directions on the package.

6. Assemble tacos by placing lettuce in the center of a tortilla and topping it with the tilapia (broken into pieces if preferred). Dribble white sauce over the fish, and top it all with salsa.

Tips & Warnings

• Tilapia will flake apart with a fork when properly cooked.

• Alter the flavor of the taco by using coleslaw instead of lettuce.

• Substitute diced mangoes for avocados in the salsa for a different take.

• Frozen tilapia fillets can be completely thawed in less than 30 minutes by placing them in a plastic bag in a bowl of slightly warm water.

• Wash hands thoroughly after handling uncooked fish.

• Wash hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers.

References

• The Cookingfishmonger: Tilapia Fish
• Stress Management Tips; Fish Dishes: How to Cook Tilapia; Sanjiv Bhatia; August 2010
• NorthernAquaFarms.com: Buying and Cooking Tilapia

Resources

• "Agricultural Research"; In-Demand Fish...; Marcia Wood; October 2010