If I had to choose my favorite Mexican dish, it would have to be fish tacos. Or ceviche. Or crispy shrimp tacos. Pretty much all of the seafood Mexican food. When the fish is battered perfectly and wrapped in a warm corn tortilla, I cannot resist. Sadly, my favorite Mexican seafood restaurant isn't open due to the quarantine. So I'm going to attempt to make a healthy variation at home. With some spice, some homemade salsa, and fresh fish, these fish tacos bowls with charred mango salsa delivered.
Fish Taco Bowls with Charred Mango Salsa
Ingredients
Marinated Fish
- 1 lb firm white fish cod, halibut, swordfish
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- juice of ½ lime
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Almond scallion rice pilaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup medium grain rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- salt and pepper
Charred mango salsa
- 1 mango peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- ¼ cup basil chiffonade
- juice of ½ lime
- salt and pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 2 avocados sliced
- 8 radish quartered
- extra lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the fish. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Make the marinade by combining 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, juice of ½ lime, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and 2 tablespoon olive oil. Pour over the fish and turn to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the rice pilaf. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped onion and saute until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add 2 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 cup rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring the pot to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add ½ cup sliced almonds and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add the cooked rice and ¼ cup scallions, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place the fish on a baking sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
- Meanwhile, make the charred mango salsa. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saute pan over high heat. Add the chopped mango and cook until browned and slightly charred, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Combine the mango with ½ cup cucumber, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup basil, the juice of ½ lime, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble the fish taco bowls. Portion the rice into bowls and top with the fish, mango salsa, sliced avocado, and radish. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
I'm a huge fan of rice bowls because it combines so many great ingredients all into one bite. These fish taco bowls achieve the same goal by combining flavorful fish with balanced well-seasoned rice and sweet and savory salsa. To create this meal at home, start by marinating the fish. You can use any firm white fish including but not limited to cod, halibut, and swordfish. Combine all of the spices and coat the fish liberally with the mixture. Since we're working with seafood, it only has to be marinated for 20 minutes.
To stray from the usual cilantro lime rice and pico de Gallo, I decided to pair the spiced fish with charred mango salsa and almond scallion rice pilaf. To make the rice, saute onion in a medium pot until the onions are translucent. Add the rice and garlic and let the rice get a little toasty. Add the chicken stock or vegetable broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer until the rice is tender. This is pretty much how I cook all of my pilafs but today we're going to take it one step further by adding toasted almonds and fresh scallions.
For the charred mango salsa, cook the mango first and then combine it with the remaining ingredients including the cucumber, red onion, basil, and lime juice. I used basil but you can substitute it for cilantro. By cooking the mango, the heat releases the sugars and makes the fruit even sweeter. Just a little something different than the usual salsa.
Bake the fish until the fish flakes easily and then get ready to make the fish taco bowls. Portion the rice on the bottom and top with the fish, charred mango salsa, avocado, fresh radish, and of course, lime wedges.
I like my fish taco bowls with extra salsa and a dash of hot sauce but you can go crazy with the toppings. Some queso fresco, chopped cilantro, and onions, sour cream, it all works! Delicious and healthy!
For more bowl recipes check out this roasted tomato and farro bowl with basil vinaigrette!
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