Pan Fried Rockfish Tacos with Mango Salsa (no dairy or mayo)
You don't need cheese, a deep fryer, or mayo to make an edible fish taco. This recipe properly seasons the dense, small flake, meat of rockfish with classic taco spices and tops it with a freshly made, creamy, sweet mango salsa.
Servings 2
Calories 270kcal
Equipment
- 1 skillet to pan fry the fish, at least 10" wide
Ingredients
- 12 oz rockfish fillets (about 2 fillets) boneless, skinless
- 1 Tb olive oil + 1 teaspoon for the pan
Spice Rub
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ tsp chili powder or smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Mango Salsa
- ½ c mango cut into a small ¼" dice
- ¼ c red bell pepper cut into a small ¼" dice
- ¼ c red onion cut into a small ¼" dice
- 2 Tb cilantro chopped
- 1 Tb jalapeno chopped
- 1 Tb lime juice
- 1 Tb chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For Serving
- 6-8 ea warm 4" corn tortillas See Note 1
Garnish
- avocado slices
- lime wedgges
Instructions
- Pat the rockfish fillets dry. Cut in half if needed, so they will fit in the pan in one layer. Rub with 1 Tb of olive oil.
- Mix together the spice rub. Press on to both sides of the rockfish fillets.
- Heat a well seasoned cast iron pan or nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- While the pan is heating, mix together the mango salsa ingredients and set aside.
- Drizzle remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil into the hot pan. It should shimmer, and the oil should slide easily across the pan if you gently roll the pan with the wrist off the heat.
- Lay the rockfish fillets in the pan. When the edges begin to turn white, test the edge of fillet to see if it can easily be flipped. If it's still stuck to the cast iron pan, it needs more time to cook. If using a nonstick fillet, check the underside to see if it is golden brown or 'blackened' from the spices. Flip each fillet once one side is cooked. It will take about 3-5 minutes to cook per side.
- Remove the fillets onto a serving dish with the warm tortillas and mango salsa.
- Gently break up ⅓-1/2 of a fillet into flakes. Serve in a warm tortillas with a spoonful of mango salsa. Garnish with a squeeze of lime and avocado slice if using.
Notes
This recipe serves 2 people, with 3-4 small tacos each or 4 people as an appetizer with 1-2 tacos each.
- The corn tortillas can be warmed on a hot griddle or nonstick pan for about 30 seconds per side. Alternately, you can spritz them with some water, stack, wrap in foil and put in a 350 degree oven for 10-20 minutes until warmed through. The time will vary depending on how tall your stack is.
- The mango salsa can be mixed and made up to 3 days in advance.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1341IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg