This recipe is inspired from Half Baked Harvest, slightly modified. If you are looking for Taco Tuesday meal, she has you covered with tons of flavor and interesting ideas! I used to make the old fashioned ground beef tacos with all of the normal toppings but when I was cooking during Covid with my girl Rebecca, Taco Tuesday got super interesting. Not sure why I never spiced up my taco game until now. My kids now love Taco Tuesday with fish so enjoy this one!
I think this is such a great dinner party meal! If serving this for a party, make all of the sauces in advance. Season your fish in advance and leave in fridge until your guests arrive. I like to cook meat at room temperature so take the fish out of fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking. While you are cooking your meat, ask a guest to grill up the tortilla shells. Asking guest to help gives them a sense of contributing and makes the party interactive and so much more fun. Also mix up the cocktail in advance and leave in a shaker. Once the guests arrive this is another opportunity to hand off a task. They can fill up the shaker with ice and serve.
Ingredients -*DIVIDE THE DRY MIXTURE (brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper) INTO TWO BOWLS!
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (DIVIDED SEE ABOVE)
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic powder (I prefer granulated garlic - either will do)
1 teaspoon thyme (dried or fresh)
2 teaspoons each kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds mahi-mahi (fresh or frozen)
Olive oil
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (whipped is best but all work)
8 corn or flour tortillas, warmed in microwave or toasted on grill
Mango Salsa (see below)
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Salsa, for serving (check out my mom's homemade salsa recipe coming this summer! It's the best!)
Pickled jalapeños, for serving (again, my mom's! Can't wait to share it!)
Pickled red cabbage, for serving (add red wine vinegar to chopped red cabbage in a mason jar, shake, marinate for 15 minutes and enjoy.)
1. In 2 small bowls, divide equally and combine the brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Season the fish with one bowl dry mixture and the coat with olive oil. Add the cream cheese to the second bowl, mix and combine.
2. Heat grill or cast iron to high heat.
3. Grill the fish for about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. I like the fish flakey.
4. Warm your taco shells by placing them directly on your gas stove top or grill. The little black bits add texture and crunch and all tortillas taste better when warm.
5. To assemble the tacos, spread the cream cheese and seasoning mixture on the warmed tortillas. Add flaked fish and top with salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside.
Mango Salsa
1-2 mangos, diced (check out how Margie makes mango hedgehogs for an easy way to cut mangos)
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 ears of corn, boiled for 5-7 minutes then charred on the stovetop just like the tortillas
1 red Fresno chili or jalapeño, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Combine all ingredients except cheese. Before serving, add cheese and serve immediately.
