Fish tacos with lime crema
Mexican street food
Tacos, fresh fish, spicy salsa, and a creamy lime crema. The perfect bite for sunny days.
Fish tacos were born in San Diego, where Mexican cuisine and the California lifestyle come together. The city sits just a few miles from the Mexican border, but this popular street food actually comes from the United States rather than Mexico. During a trip to San Diego we tried these fish tacos for the first time. After testing the recipe a few times at home, we thought this definitely belongs on our website.
What makes a good fish taco?
In a good fish taco everything comes together. Fresh, spiced, soft, and crunchy. The fish should be well seasoned, but not too spicy. The salsa should be fresh with a bit of acidity. And the sauce? That is what ties everything together. In this recipe we use tilapia, a mild white fish that cooks quickly and pairs well with our seasoning mix. We use small tortillas so each bite is easy to hold. With a little lettuce, tomato, and avocado, the tacos get just the right amount of extra crunch.
The freshness of lime crema
The surprise in this recipe might be the lime crema. This creamy sauce adds freshness and gives the tacos just a little extra. It is easy to make yourself. Mix sour cream with one pressed clove of garlic, some lime juice, ground cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper. We sometimes make this sauce for other dishes as well because it is that good. But with these tacos it really shines.
Making your own seasoning mix
For the fish we use a simple seasoning mix: paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, ground cumin, a little cayenne, salt, and pepper. Just mix everything together and rub it well over the fish. Then cook the pieces briefly in a skillet with a little olive oil. The result is tender fish with a nicely seasoned crust that pairs perfectly with the other fresh ingredients.
How to serve
Once the fish is cooked, it is time to assemble the tacos. Start with some iceberg lettuce or mixed greens, add a generous spoonful of tomato salsa made with tomato, shallot, green onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro or parsley. Top with slices of avocado and the warm fish. Finish with plenty of lime crema.
Within about 30 minutes you will be sitting down to a plate full of sunshine. These fish tacos with lime crema are light, fresh, and full of flavor. Just like the ones we tasted in San Diego. Perfect for a summer evening, though they taste great all year round, even when the weather is a little less sunny.
Fish tacos with lime crema
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Easy fish tacos with tomato salsa and creamy lime crema. A fresh 30-minute taco dinner with seasoned tilapia and warm tortillas.
Ingredients
- 1 lb tilapia
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 small tortillas
- 3 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 avocado
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 lime
- 1/2 shallot
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Fresh parsley or cilantro
- Iceberg lettuce or mixed greens
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Make a seasoning mix for the fish with 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Pat the tilapia (or another white fish) dry and rub the seasoning mix all over the fish. Set aside for a moment.
- Cut the tomatoes into very small cubes and remove the seeds. Finely chop the shallot, slice the green onions into thin rings, finely chop the jalapeño pepper, and mince 1 clove garlic. Mix everything well together and add the juice of 1/2 lime. Finish with fresh parsley or cilantro.
- Make the lime sauce by mixing the sour cream with 1 pressed clove garlic, the juice of 1/2 lime, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and cook the fish for about 5 minutes per side until nicely browned. Meanwhile cut the avocado into pieces.
- Take a small warmed tortilla and add some mixed greens or iceberg lettuce. Spoon some tomato salsa on top, add a few pieces of avocado, and place the fish over it. Finish with a generous spoonful of creamy lime crema.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
