Grilled Fish Tacos With Escabeche Recipe

Grilled fish tacos are a delicacy in their own right: They put a fun, seafood-forward twist on the classic and beloved handheld. While the fish itself is typically the star of the show, toppings can make or break a good taco. Recipe developer Patterson Watkins knows a thing or two about crafting a well-balanced fish taco, as proven by this recipe, which pairs the grilled fish with zesty escabeche. Buttery grilled cod fillets make up the base of these seafood handhelds, but what really sticks out is a creamy avocado spread and a perfectly pickled escabeche topping consisting of red onion, carrots, jalapeño, and garlic. 

"If you haven't had Mexican-style escabeche before, you are in for a treat," Watkins tells us. The tangy-spicy pickled concoction is a staple at many Mexican restaurants, often with other veggies like cauliflower in the mix, available for you to add to any main course (or to snack on as you wait for said main course). "That pickled veggie combination balances the savory grilled fish while the creamy avocado spread soothes any lingering heat from the blackened seasoning and jalapeños," Watkins says. The result is "one tasty taco," as Watkins aptly puts it, and one taco that certainly delivers on an impeccably balanced freshness.

To make the escabeche, you'll need the veggies themselves — sliced red onion, sliced carrots, sliced jalapeño, and sliced garlic — along with the pickling liquid and spices, including apple cider vinegar, salt, granulated sugar, a bay leaf, black peppercorns, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Meanwhile, for the fish, you'll need either cod or grouper fillets, olive oil, lime juice, blackening seasoning, cumin, and coriander. 

Next on the list is the easy creamy avocado spread, which consists of an avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Finally, to assemble the tacos, you'll need corn tortillas, fresh cilantro, and queso fresco.

To make the escabeche, place the red onion, carrots, jalapeño, and garlic in a sealable container. Set aside.

Place the vinegar, ⅓ cup water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, peppercorns, cumin, and coriander in a small saucepan and stir to combine.

Bring the liquid to a low simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently, and cook until the salt and sugar have dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour the liquid into the container with the veggies.

Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pat the fish strips dry with paper towels.

Drizzle the fish with olive oil and lime juice.

Sprinkle with blackened seasoning, cumin, and coriander.

Using your hands, rub the fish to coat it in the seasoning.

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grates with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

Once hot, add the seasoned fish strips, and grill until they're cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Remove the fish from the grill and set aside on a clean plate.

Working in batches, place corn tortillas on the grill and warm them until they're soft and pliable.

Remove the tortillas from the grill and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

To make the creamy spread, place the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl.

Mash together until smooth and combined.

To assemble the tacos, spread the creamy avocado mixture over the tortillas.

Divide the blackened fish between the dressed tortillas.

Top the fish with some of the escabeche.

Sprinkle the tacos with cilantro and queso fresco before serving.

• Spicy Margarita on the Rocks Recipe
• Refreshing Aperol Spritz Recipe
• Simple, Classic Chimichurri Recipe

Escabeche isn't known for being particularly difficult to make, but Watkins offers some tips to ensure the best results. For starters, try to be as precise and even with your veggie cuts as possible — Watkins used a mandoline to get those uniform, thin cuts for this recipe, so if you have one, this is your opportunity to whip it out. "The thinner, more precise cuts reduce our overall pickling time — keeping this portion of our recipe down to just a quick overnight session," Watkins says. 

Meanwhile, depending on how hot you like your escabeche, there's room to play around with the spice level. As written, this escabeche definitely packs a little bit of spice thanks to the jalapeño, but you can easily increase the spice level by adding even more jalapeño to the mix or introducing an even spicier pepper, like a serrano or bird's eye chile. On the flip side, reduce or even eliminate virtually any heat by swapping out the jalapeño for a milder chile, like a poblano or green bell pepper.

As for storage, given that the veggies are pickled, the escabeche will last for a while in the fridge — upwards of a couple of weeks, according to Watkins. Aside from using leftover escabeche on other types of tacos, Watkins also notes that it's a great condiment for salads and sandwiches alike. 

There's lots of room for experimentation with these fish tacos, and it all starts with the fish itself. Watkins keeps the general choice between cod and grouper open, and she mentions that both types of mild, buttery fish work particularly well in this recipe (especially paired with that tangy escabeche). That said, other types of seafood are definitely fair game here, with shrimp, lobster, salmon, tuna, and scallops being Watkins' top suggestions. And, if seafood isn't really your thing at all, then the other elements of the tacos (the escabeche and creamy avocado spread) would work just as well with proteins like pork, steak, beans, or chicken.

Aside from the seafood or protein of choice, there's also room to make smaller swaps in this recipe, too. Don't have corn tortillas on hand? Flour will certainly work in a pinch. Prefer different toppings like corn, fresh radishes, or lettuce on your tacos? Go ahead and add them. "I went pretty traditional with the toppings for this recipe — the queso fresco crumbles and cilantro included," Watkins says, but she notes that just about any type of taco topping would work here.

• Chicken and Green Chile Quesadillas Recipe
• Citrusy Cuban Mojo Chicken Recipe
• A Leftovers Makeover: Salmon Croquettes and Sauce Recipe