Fish Tacos with Coconut Cabbage Slaw

Add a splash of color to Taco Tuesday! These tacos are made with bright, cornmeal crusted fish and a vibrant slaw loaded with ALL the flavors and textures.

This recipe is so much fun and extra special to me! First of all, my husby is obsessed with fish tacos, and the dishes my family loves most are always my absolute favorite recipes to develop. Secondly, Cecily began daycare last week, and after a summer of laid back summer fun (as summer should be!), weeknight meals on a schedule are going to become a bit more important for us now. I’m here for it! My creative wheels are spinning and I’m SO excited to continue sharing nutritious, delicious, and not over-the-top complex weeknight dinner ideas with you all!

These right here are fish tacos on fleek. Flaky white fish is lightly fried in bright, crunchy cornmeal and then topped with a vibrant, creamy, crunchy, tangy, nutty slaw made with beautiful cabbage, carrots, and coconut. I’ve also incorporated some unique flavors like toasted nuts and sesame oil for a cool and unexpected twist. Topped with a spicy sauce, fresh herbs, and creamy cheese, it all gets wrapped up in a toasted tortilla like a big, delicious, fully loaded hug.

I hope you’ll work this recipe into your Taco Tuesday rotation! Also, an important note to the cooks: keep a close eye on them for safety, but throwing tortillas directly on the stove flame DOES make you feel awesome. Just saying. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Yield: 4 Tacos

Ingredients

For the Slaw:

1 pound shredded cabbage

1 large carrot, shredded

2 pieces (about 3 ounces) coconut meat, shredded

1 shallot, thinly sliced

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ cup canned coconut milk

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup crème fraîche

1 teaspoon sesame oil

¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing

¼ cup toasted walnuts (check out my Jar of Crunchies recipe HERE)

For the Spicy Sauce:

1 tablespoon Everything but the Elote Seasoning (from Trader Joes)

4 tablespoons crème fraîche

For the Fish:

Oil for light pan frying (I prefer olive oil or grapeseed oil, but coconut, vegetable, and canola are all fine, too)

1 ½ pounds boneless white fish filets (sole, flounder, cod), washed and patted with paper towels until totally dry

1 ½ cups cornmeal

1 egg, beaten

Kosher salt for seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

For Assembling and Garnish:

4 Tortillas, grilled or placed over stove flame to char a bit (optional)

Fresh cilantro

Crumbled cotija, queso blanco, or feta cheese

Directions

For the Slaw:

1. Toss all ingredients well in a large bowl and place aside at room temperature so the flavors can come together.

For the Spicy Sauce:

1. Using a fork, whisk ingredients in a bowl until combined, and place aside.

For the Fish:

1. Add oil to a large pot until it’s about 1 inch deep. Bring to high heat and maintain a temperature of 350 degrees. If you have a deep frying thermometer, it will be very helpful. If your oil isn’t hot enough, your fish will be soggy, so make sure it’s on high heat.

2. Add the cornmeal to a wide set bowl and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the beaten egg to a second wide set bowl.

4. One piece at a time, coat the fish lightly with cornmeal, allowing any excess to fall off. Then dredge in egg, and coat with the cornmeal mixture again.

5. Gently place the battered fish in the oil and fry both sides until they reach a vibrant golden shade - no less than 3 minutes on each side. Some of the fish may part in half because it’s so delicate, but that’s totally ok for assembling the tacos!

6. Once cooked, place on a cooling rack over a sheet pan to cool down.

Assemble:

1. On each tortilla, place a few pieces of fish, then a generous serving of slaw, and top with spicy sauce. Garnish with chopped cilantro and crumbled cheese. Serve immediately.