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Pescado a la Diabla (or Mexican Deviled Fish) is a great way to add more fish into your diet. The sauce is so scrumptious. You’ll want to put it on anything and everything.
Try the shrimp version: Camarones a la Diabla
Or, the chicken version: Pollo a la Diabla
Even just with chips, this sauce is an explosion of incredible flavors. Don’t worry. I’ll show you how to tame the heat and not lose any of the deliciousness.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients needed to make this Mexican fish recipe.
If you don’t have tomatoes, omit the tomato, onion, and garlic. Instead use 1 can of tomato sauce.
How to Make It
- Rehydrate the cleaned and seeded dried chiles.
- Add them to the stock pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat off and leave them in there for 5-10 minutes, or until pliable.
- Add all the Diabla Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
You might not be able to remove all the seeds from the dried chiles. Once the sauce is strained they will be all removed.
You can also make this sauce ahead of time and cook this dish in no time flat.
Pro Tip: Dried Chiles are best stored when frozen. If you do not cook with them often, buy a small bag and store the rest in the freezer for later. They last up to a year in a freezer bag with all the air removed.
Atun a la Veracruzana, Pescado al Ajillo, Ceviche de Pescado
- Strain the sauce.
- Set aside until ready to use.
Straining helps in removing any bits of dried chile that remain. This is also your opportunity to taste the sauce for heat and salt.
How to adjust the heat
If you like it spicier, add more chipotle or chile de arbol.
If you like it milder, add 1 tablespoon ketchup for sweetness, or add another tomato.
- Wash and pat dry the fish.
- Add salt and pepper to both sides.
- Heat oil and saute onion. About 1 minute.
- Carefully add the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the fish. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Have your side dishes ready to cook. The fish takes no time to cook and needs to be served immediately.
Believe it or not, defrosted tilapia was used to make this Pescado a la Diabla. Frozen fish actually works great in this recipe!
Don’t worry about that yucky freezer taste. The Diabla Sauce will mask any freezer flavor.
By the way, you can use any sturdy white fish: Halibut, sea bass, cod, haddock, etc.
What fish do they eat in Mexico?
Red Snapper, grouper, marlin, wahoo, mackerel, mahi mahi, sea bass, tuna, and more.
How long does it last?
In the fridge, Pescado a la Diabla will last 3 days.
In the freezer, it will last 4 months. Be sure to use a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.
What to serve it with
- Arroz Blanco
- Nopalitos
- Refried Beans
- Steamed veggies
- Green Salad
Pescado a la Diabla is a yummy fish dish that’s SO simple to make. Make the sauce, and dinner is ready in no time flat. Hope you enjoy!
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Pescado a la Diabla
Ingredients
- 4 guajillo peppers
- 3 chile de arbol peppers
- 4 cups water
- 1 chipotle pepper
- 3 tomatoes quartered
- ½ onion (divided)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 ½ tablespoon salt (divided)
- ½ tspn pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 filets tilapia
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the guajillo chiles and chile de arbol.
- Cut the chiles lengthwise.
- Remove and discard any seeds and veins from all the chiles.
- Place them in a stock pot along with 4 cups water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat off and let the chiles sit in the hot water for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
- Discard the water and place the rehydrated chiles in a blender.
- To the blender, also add chipotle, tomatoes, ¼ onion, garlic clove, and 1 tablespoon salt.
- Blend until smooth.
- Taste for salt. Add more if necessary.
- Strain the sauce.
- Set aside until ready to use.
- Dice the remaining onion.
- Pat dry the fish.
- Season the fish with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet.
- Saute the onion until translucent. About 1 minute.
- Add the Diabla sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the fish.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish.
Notes
- If you like it spicier, add 1 more chipotle or 1 more chile de arbol.
- If you like it milder, add 1 tablespoon ketchup for sweetness, or add another tomato.
In the freezer, it will last 4 months. Be sure to use a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible.
Love this! We poured the sauce on top of some thawed out tilapa fish and threw on the bbq (wrapped the fish in little foil bags). Was a hit with my Mexican husband. Served with a side of white rice with some peas and cilantro added to the rice
Yum! Yum! Yum! That’s exactly how I like it too… over rice. 🙂
Me too 🙂 if you have more ways to make rice interesting, I would look forward to learning more!
You’re very kind. Thank you.
My family and I tried this dish and we loved it. We had a version of it for the first time in San Antonio at a mexican seafood resturant and have been searching for a recipe ever since. We added some melted Oaxaca cheese on top of the fish because we love cheese. Turned out great. Thank you thank you!
So glad you enjoyed this!
Thanks for the recipe! Frozen fish? I find hope in my cooking haha Going to print this out!
So glad this recipe is helpful to you!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe, it looks amazing! I want to try it with shrimp too.
Delicious with shrimp! Hope you try it
I used to cook Tilapia all the time and this looks great. My cousin still eats it a lot and I will share this with her.
Hope you guys try it!
Thanks for the recipe. I have been looking for new fish recipes to try and this one sure looks like it will be another family favorite. My sons love spicy food, so I am positive they will enjoy this dish.
I hope you make it for him. It’s so yummy!
This looks gorgeous! All I want is a decent meal at the moment because we’re just living off rations at the moment until we can get our delivery.
This recipe is delicious. Hope you try it!
I don’t agree that fish is boring. It is one of my favorite and much healthier than eating meat. We just have to be creative in preparation just like what you did 😀
Yes! Exactly.
what in the world does 74k calories mean??? I’m so confused. loved the recipe, but how many calories is it per serving???
Sorry. The way that the recipe card is displaying it makes it look weird. It’s definitely NOT 74k calories. “kcal” is that same thing as “Calories.” Basically, it’s 74 calories. Very light and healthy recipe.