Someone recently asked me, “Which fish should I be using for fish tacos?”
I paused for a moment. And then unequivocally concluded, “All of them!”
I’d never really narrowed it down before, because I’ve turned just about every species of WAC fish into tacos, every possible way — grilled, spiced, sauced, blackened, broiled, baked, seared, fried, even air-fried.
Building a fish taco can be as intuitive as this:
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Choose any type of fish and cook it any way you like
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Nestle the fish into your vessel of choice (soft tortilla, hard shell, lettuce cup, etc.)
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Pile on shredded cabbage (or other veggies such as carrots or broccoli slaw) and/or crumbled cheese
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Add a sauce/salsa/cilantro/lime
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Eat and repeat!
To further guide you to build the perfect fish taco (which, I’d like to reiterate, is “all of them”), I’ll say that I usually think of style first, then species next. Thinking about what texture and flavor I’m in the mood for helps to get me inspired.
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For fish tacos that are battered/breaded: I tend to choose any lean white species of fish for this type of taco, because the fish stays perfectly flaky and lets the flavor and texture of the crust take the lead. Try: Air Fryer Rockfish Tacos with Chipotle Crema
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For grilled fish tacos: To me, grilled fish tacos are all about the contrast of fresh toppings and the deep flavor of perfectly charred fish. With that in mind, I suggest choosing a fish that grills nicely — Pacific halibut and sockeye salmon are my top two choices. Last week’s newsletter was all about grilling, which I highly recommend checking out for some pointers on how to grill fish. Try: Grilled Pacific Halibut with Grilled White Peach and Corn Salsa (just add some tortillas!)
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For fish tacos that are spiced up in bold seasonings: Bold species like sockeye salmon and rockfish take really nicely to bold seasonings. But I also like to use spices to jazz up milder white fish like Pacific cod and wild Alaska pollock, treating these species like a blank culinary canvas for flavor. Try: Broiled Chili-Lime Pacific Cod Tacos
As far as recipes go, this newsletter is simply the tip of the taco-berg! There are simply too many to list here, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, hop over to the WAC blog and search for “tacos.” From there, I guarantee it’ll be hard to resist eating anything other than fish tacos tonight, so make sure you know how to quick-thaw your seafood.
P.S. Speaking of thawing, you can actually thaw your seafood in real time with the WAC Recipe Team! We’ve recently begun hosting live events (over Zoom) open to WAC members. Right now, the team is covering basics like thawing and kitchen essentials, but they’ve also been sharing a mini cooking demo that you might enjoy even if you feel like you’ve got the basics nailed down. There will be many more of these live events to come, so stay tuned for more.
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: A plate of Air Fryer Chili Rubbed Salmon Tacos, made with Sockeye Salmon Strips that have been generously crusted in a delicious mix of pantry spices.
