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Dinner · Mexican Inspired

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Crumbed white fish in soft tortillas with a fresh mango salsa and lime crema. A quick dinner that makes the most of mango coming into season.

Prep
25 min
Cook
15 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4

Updated

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Ready in 40 min, serves 4.

Total time
40 min
Serves
4
Course
Dinner
Cuisine
Mexican Inspired
Ingredients
18
Steps
6

Make ahead / storage: Assembled tacos don't keep, build them fresh.

Three crumbed fish tacos with shredded cabbage, mango salsa, crema and lime wedges on a white plate

White fish needs a crisp coating to hold up in a taco, otherwise it falls apart under the toppings before you get it to your mouth. A simple flour, egg and panko crumb does the job, and panko in particular stays crunchier for longer than fine breadcrumbs once it's sitting under warm salsa.

Make the mango salsa first and let it sit while you crumb and cook the fish. Ten minutes is enough for the lime juice to soften the red onion and pull the flavours together, salsa made and served immediately tends to taste like separate diced ingredients rather than one thing.

Use a firm white fish that holds together when cut into strips, flathead, basa or barramundi all work. Pat it dry before crumbing, a wet surface stops the flour sticking properly and the crumb slides off in the pan.

Fry in batches rather than crowding the pan. Too much fish at once drops the oil temperature, and the coating absorbs oil and turns soggy instead of staying crisp.

Recipe

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Prep
25 min
Cook
15 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

4 Servings

Mango salsa

Fish and tacos

Method

  1. Step 1: Combine the mango, red onion, coriander, chilli, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Set aside to sit while you prepare the fish.

  2. Step 2: Pat the fish strips dry with paper towel. Set up three shallow bowls: flour, beaten egg, and panko mixed with the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3: Coat each fish strip in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in egg, then press into the panko mixture to coat evenly.

  4. Step 4: Heat ½ inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the fish in batches for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.

    Tip: Don't crowd the pan, too much fish at once cools the oil and the crumb turns soggy instead of crisp.

  5. Step 5: Mix the sour cream with the lime zest and juice to make the lime crema. Warm the tortillas.

  6. Step 6: Fill the tortillas with shredded cabbage, crumbed fish, mango salsa and a drizzle of lime crema. Serve immediately.

Tips

  • Pat the fish completely dry before flouring it. A wet surface stops the crumb sticking and it slides off in the pan.
  • Let the mango salsa sit for 10 minutes before serving, it tastes like separate ingredients if you use it straight away.
  • Test the oil with a pinch of panko before frying, it should sizzle gently straight away. Too hot and the crumb browns before the fish cooks through.

Variations

  • Oven-baked: spray the crumbed fish with oil and bake at 200°C (180°C fan-forced) for 12-15 minutes, turning once, for a lighter version.
  • Gluten-free: use gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour, and corn tortillas in place of wheat.
  • Grilled instead of crumbed: skip the crumbing and grill fish fillets brushed with the same paprika and cumin seasoning for a few minutes each side.

Storage and make-ahead

Assembled tacos don't keep, build them fresh. The mango salsa keeps in the fridge for 1 day (the onion loses its crunch and the colour dulls after that). Cooked fish keeps for 1 day and is best reheated in the oven to stay crisp, rather than the microwave.

Nutrition per serving, estimated

Calories
390
Protein
27g
Carbs
40g
Fat
14g

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