Tacos de Pescado (Ensenada Fish Tacos) are the perfect blend of textures and flavors. 🤤 With their crispy fish, zesty slaw, and creamy sauce, these gems can make every day a Taco Tuesday.
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I have traveled across Baja California, the birthplace of the best fish tacos. It’s a magical place filled with food and travel adventures. The Mexican seafood dishes are unbeatable.
Similar to Baja Shrimp Tacos, this recipe is a Baja adventure captured right in your own kitchen!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Fish
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Egg
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Oregano
- Yellow mustard
- Ground pepper
- Beer
- Flour to coat the fish
For the Tacos
- Vegetable oil
- Corn Tortillas or Flour tortillas
- Shredded green cabbage
- Chipotle Mayo sauce
- Pineapple pico de gallo
- Pickled red onions
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a blender: the flour, baking powder, egg, garlic, pinch of salt, pinch of oregano, mustard, pinch of ground pepper and beer.
- Blend for 2 minutes until everything is well combined.
Choose any beer of your choice to make the beer batter.
Do not let this sit outside for too long. There’s raw egg, and you don’t want to make anyone sick.
- Cut the fish into strips or large chunks, whichever you prefer.
How to Choose Fish:
- Choose a firm and mild-flavored fish such as fresh cod, tilapia, or mahi mahi
- Look for fresh fish with clear eyes, firm flesh, and a pleasant ocean smell
- Avoid fish with slimy or discolored skin, or a strong fishy odor
- Ask your fish market person for their recommended fish for making fish tacos
- Coat the fish with the flour in a small bowl.
- Dip the fish strips in the batter
- Cover them completely until they are well coated.
Baja California is all about fresh seafood. Consider sustainability and choose fish that are responsibly sourced and not overfished.
If using frozen fish, make sure to thaw it properly and pat dry with a paper towel before cooking.
- Heat the oil on medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is ready, put the fish strips in the pan and fry them for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Consider the thickness of the fish, as thicker cuts will take longer to cook.
Also, only add a few pieces at a time to the pan. You don’t want to overcrowd the fish, or they will not cook properly
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with cooking spray. Arrange the coated fish fillets (per instructions).
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes on the baking sheet.
- Drain the excess oil by placing them on a paper kitchen towel.
- Cover with aluminum foil while the rest of the fish is cooking.
Warm corn tortillas on a hot griddle.
Some people may prefer flour tortillas, but the corn ones are more traditional.
How to Assemble Tacos
- Spread some chipotle mayo on a warm tortilla and place two or three shrimp in the center.
- Top with some shredded cabbage, fresh pico de gallo, and pickled onions.
These Ensenada fish tacos are just not the same without a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Feel free to add other toppings or swap out like using regular sour cream or adding your favorite hot sauce.
Always to be enjoyed with some really cold beer.
HISTORY
Baja Fish Tacos are a perfect example of how Baja cuisine stands out from mainland Mexican cooking. Because the Baja peninsula is surrounded by bodies of water, seafood is a fundamental ingredient in many dishes. This unique physical and cultural environment allowed Baja cuisine to develop independently, absorbing influences from both European and Asian culinary traditions.
The fish taco, a staple of Baja cuisine, embodies this fusion of flavors. Most historians agree that it emerged when Asians introduced Baja natives to the practice of deep-frying fish. When combined with traditional Mexican toppings, the fish taco was born.
The fish taco became popular in the 1950s in the Baja cities of Ensenada and San Felipe, where street vendors sold them from tiny stands. Workers and market-goers could get hot, fresh, and delicious food at an affordable price.
It’s no wonder that San Diego surfers chasing waves across the border were some of the first to appreciate this delicious dish. Ralph Rubio, a San Diegan, was so in love with these tacos that he created an entire chain of restaurants featuring these gems. Learn more here.
More Mexican Fish Recipes:
This Tacos de Pescado recipe is packed with delicious flavor and textures in every bite. These tacos are easy to make and even easier to love!
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Tacos de Pescado
Ingredients
For the Batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground oregano (pinch)
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (pinch)
- 1 cup beer
Also Need:
For the Tacos:
- 2 cups vegetable oil (or corn oil) for frying
- 15 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cabbage (topping)
- ½ cup chipotle mayo sauce (topping)
- ½ cup pico de gallo (topping)
- ¼ cup pickled red onion (topping)
Instructions
For the Batter:
- Put all the batter ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth. About 2 minutes.
How to Cook the Fish:
- Cut the fish into strips or into small pieces.
- Rinse and pat dry the fish with a kitchen paper towel.
- Use a firm, white fish like cod, bass, halibut.
- On a plate, add 1 cup flour and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix to combine.
- Coat the fish pieces with the flour + salt mixture.
- Shake to remove the excess.
- Place the flour-coated fish in the batter.
- Coat the fish completely with the batter. Set aside.
- Continue coating the rest of the fish.
- Heat the oil in a deep saucepan or fryer.
- Once the oil is hot, place some of the coated fish strips in the pan.
- Fry for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan.
- Drain any excess of oil by placing on a plate with a paper kitchen towel.
- Repeat until all the fish are cooked.
How to Assemble the Tacos:
- Heat the tortillas on a hot griddle.
- Spread some of the mayo on a warm tortilla.
- To the center, add a few pieces of the fried fish.
- Add desired toppings – shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and pickled onions.
- Serve with salsa and a cold beer!
Notes
- Choose a firm and mild-flavored fish such as fresh cod, haddock, or mahi mahi
- Look for fresh fish with clear eyes, firm flesh, and a pleasant ocean smell
- Avoid fish with slimy or discolored skin, or a strong fishy odor
- Ask your fish market person for their recommended fish for making fish tacos
Nutrition
Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.
I love tacos so much!
It is so easy and delicious! I can actually eat this any time of the day!
I couldn’t agree more! Tacos are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Enjoy your Tacos de Pescado!
These are soooo juicy and quick to make.
Glad to hear you liked this recipe! Whether you’re preparing them for a weeknight dinner or a casual gathering, these Tacos de Pescado are sure to please everyone’s taste buds. Enjoy the juicy goodness!
Looks like an amazing tacos recipe for everyone to enjoy! This Tacos de Pescado looks amazingly delicious and very yummy! A great upgrade to our normal taco. I’ll definitely make this at home! Thanks!
You’re absolutely right! Tacos de Pescado, are indeed an amazing and delicious upgrade to the traditional taco. Enjoy making this recipe at home!