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Fish Taco Platter

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Fish Taco PlatterPornchai Mittongtare

Instant Party: Crispy fish tacos, pickled onions and jalapeños, lime cream, salsa verde, and guacamole — it all adds up to one fun party. Set everything out, and let everyone assemble their own.

Ingredients

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeños

1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
5 whole small jalapeños
2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

Baja cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Pinch of salt

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

12 ounces tomatillos,* husked, stemmed, divided
4 green onions, white and green parts separated
1 jalapeño chile
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 1/4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice

Fish

2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 pounds skinless halibut, sea bass, or striped bass fillets, cut into 1/2x1/2-inch strips
16 corn tortillas
2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Fresh salsa
Guacamole

Preparation

  1. For pickled red onion and jalapeños:

    Step 1

    Place onion and jalapeños in heatproof medium bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

  2. For baja cream:

    Step 2

    Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

  3. For tomatillo salsa verde:

    Step 3

    Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil roasting pan. Char half of tomatillos, white parts of green onions, and jalapeño directly over gas flame or in broiler. Transfer charred vegetables to prepared roasting pan. Add remaining tomatillos and garlic cloves to pan. Roast until all vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes. Cool.

    Step 4

    Stem and seed jalapeño. Place all roasted vegetables, green onion tops, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to push vegetables down into blades several times. Transfer to medium bowl. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired.

  4. For fish:

    Step 5

    Mix buttermilk, cilantro, pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish; toss. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

    Step 6

    Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil; place in oven to warm. Whisk flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Add enough oil to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Heat oil until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, remove fish from marinade and dredge in flour. Carefully add fish to skillet, cover partially, and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to oven to keep warm.

    Step 7

    Set up buffet with all taco fixings, along with fresh salsa and guacamole.

  5. Step 8

    *Green and tomato-like with a papery husk, tomatillos are available in the produce section of some supermarkets and Latin markets.

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Reviews (130)

Back to TopTriangle
  • I've been making this recipe for about 10 years. It's fantastic. I don't change a thing...time consuming...but the sides are wonderful. I use coleslaw out-of-a-bag or shredded cabbage as a topping. This recipe is so good...I never order fish tacos in a restaurant. They never measure up.

    • prpauquette

    • Georgia

    • 6/22/2019

  • This recipe was a lot of work, but so good! I used gluten free flour for the frying because of celiac, and it was still delicious. For the pickled onions, I used one large jalepeno, which I did not seed and cut into rounds. The onions were plenty hot enough. The recipe made way too many onions I think. Half a large onion, and half the vinegar, would still leave you with left-overs. I also made salsa fresca and guacamole. Really, really good.

    • stephandjosh

    • Annapolis, MD

    • 6/27/2016

  • I make these just as recipe is written - this is by far the best fish taco I have ever had or made. My husband loves them just as much and I would not change a thing. Have made them several times.

    • gspen

    • Orrington, ME

    • 1/25/2016

  • This recipe is a lot of work but worth it for a special meal. I have made it at least 10 times and it is SO good that other fish taco dishes pale in comparison. I do not use mayo in the baja sauce and substituted tomatoes for tomatillos (too complicated to find). And used flour tortillas instead of corn (I find that they are less imposing.) Definitely try this dish!

    • charbin

    • Paris, France

    • 12/29/2014

  • the pickled jalapeños and red onion are to die for. Seriously. I can't make another fish taco dish without this. Fish marinade and batter are top notch too. Definitely a keeper.

    • shroff

    • Huntington Beach, CA

    • 7/19/2014

  • Love! I've made this on a few occasions and it is always a hit! I add more lime and jalapeno, reduce the mayo like other reviewers have recommended, and use my friend's homemade salsa. It is definitely not a week night family dinner, but more for a group to make the effort worth it. My husband and I just returned from Cabo San Lucas, MX and had the fish tacos there. We both agreed that these are better!

    • rhurtt

    • El Segundo, CA

    • 6/24/2014

  • Liked the idea, and the fish was great. Pickled onions were good, used another tomatillo salsa. Overall I found the dish needed more zip. Would reduce or omit the mayo from the crema next time; I added a little chipotle powder to the crema and next time will add more as well as lime zest.

    • patmccarty

    • SF Bay Area

    • 1/17/2014

  • The entire taco bar is fabulous together. I stack tacos and pass them out to ensure everyone gets to taste the combination of flavors- which is what really makes the meal special. I first made these a month ago and everyone keeps asking me to make them again. Our new favorite meal!

    • Brockbakin

    • St. George, Utah

    • 7/16/2013

  • Excellent - serve with all the extras for the best effect - but the onions and baja creme are crucial additions in my opinion (I use a different recipe for the tomatillo sauce, but this is good too.). I've done this about four times for different groups and everyone raves. Am making it for a large crowd tomorrow and doing some of the sides today - as the recipe says - instant party. The pickled onions/jalapenos are a big hit on other foods as well. I slice some and leave some whole for the braver among us.

    • jj5335

    • Austin

    • 7/5/2013

  • We tried different fish taco recipes for many years and we've landed on this one because even our picky fish eaters really like it. We love the pickled onion and jalapenos and use it for many other recipes when we want a little kick. Although I must admit to slicing the jalapenos because I'm a wimp. We usually use halibut as the fish and make the batter as explained. The crema is always a hit.

    • mrsmegalosaur

    • Seattle, WA

    • 6/29/2013

  • When making the onions, are the peppers are supposed to stay whole? Is the purpose to flavour the brine? Do you cut them up later, or not eat them at all? What did everyone else do.....

    • dawson777

    • Barrie, ON

    • 6/20/2013

  • I served these tacos with all the toppings at my daughter's college graduation party. They were a huge hit. I used cod which I was afraid would break up but it didn't. It was delicious. Also, later in the week I cooked some fresh green beans (3 min) and tossed them with the leftover pickled onions. I let them absorb the liquid for a few hours then served chilled as a side salad at a dinner party. Everyone loved them. I will make the fish tacos again and again.

    • MaryRPercy

    • Cape Cod, MA

    • 6/1/2013

  • After finding the epicurious cookbook at my local library, when I saw the picture in the book I knew I had to make this recipe. It did not disappoint. I used tilapia instead of the bass. The pickled red onion and jalapeños was really tasty; I also used them on some tostadas later in the week. When my mom bit into the taco the first words out of her mouth were ¿Oh my gosh!¿ So I just had to share because these tacos were top notch.

    • bubblyjaz

    • Dallas

    • 5/31/2013

  • I made the pickled onions and baja cream to go with shrimp tacos. Umm, the pickled onions made the dish! Baja cream was fantastic. Absolutely amazing. I also made the buttermilk mixture to fry the shrimp. Didn't have buttermilk so I combined milk and lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes. The flavor of the shrimp was really really good after I let it marinade (I did it for 3 hours). I'm making the onions and the baja cream again today. Excellent!

    • Anonymous

    • Queens, NY

    • 1/15/2013

  • I used the pickled onion/pepper and lime crema parts of this recipe and the fish recipe from another epicurious fish taco recipe by Lourdes Castro, from Gourmet Magazine May 2009.

    • Anonymous

    • Boston

    • 7/23/2012

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