Chili & Lime Marinated Fish Tacos

Name: Chili & Lime Marinated Fish Tacos
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican, Latin American, American
Ingredients: 3/4 ounce guajillo chilies (4 medium), stemmed and seeded; 1 medium white onion, ½ roughly chopped, ½ finely chopped; 2 habanero chilies, stemmed and seeded, 1 left whole, 1 finely chopped; 1/4 cup orange juice; 1/4 cup lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve; 5/8 ounce achiote paste (2 tablespoons grated on the small holes of a box grater; see headnote); 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled; 1 tablespoon oregano, preferably mexican oregano; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; Kosher salt and ground black pepper; 1 1/2 pounds skinless snapper or mahi mahi fillets; 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil; 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (½-inch chunks); 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped; 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped; 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro, chopped; 8 to 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

7 steps

Prep:1hCook:25min

achiote paste, a good substitute can be made by stirring together 1½ tablespoons sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 tablespoon white vinegar to form a stiff paste. Use in place of the paste called for in the recipe.

Updated at: Sun, 21 Apr 2024 21:27:14 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Great

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories560.5 kcal (28%)

Total Fat13.6 g (19%)

Carbs48.9 g (19%)

Sugars12.6 g (14%)

Protein59 g (118%)

Sodium514.3 mg (26%)

Fiber5.5 g (20%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

0.75 ounceguajillo chilies

stemmed and seeded

1white onion

medium, 1/2 roughly chopped, 1/2 finely chopped

2habanero chilies

stemmed and seeded, 1 left whole, 1 finely chopped

¼ cuporange juice

¼ cuplime juice

plus lime wedges to serve

0.63 ounceachiote paste

2 tablespoons grated on the small holes of a box grater

2garlic cloves

medium, smashed and peeled

1 tablespoonoregano

preferably mexican oregano

1 teaspooncumin seeds

kosher salt

ground black pepper

1.5 poundsskinless snapper fillets

or mahi mahi

2 tablespoonsgrapeseed oil

or other neutral

1 ½ cupsfresh pineapple

chopped, 1/2-inch chunks

1carrot

medium, peeled and finely chopped

1celery stalk

large, finely chopped

½ cupcilantro

lightly packed, chopped

8corn tortillas

6-inch, warmed

Instructions

Step 1

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, toast the guajillo chilies, turning occasionally with tongs, until fragrant and just a shade darker in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cool, then break the pods into smaller pieces, discarding any remaining seeds; reserve the skillet.

Step 2

In a blender, combine the guajillo chilies, the roughly chopped onion, the whole habanero, orange juice, lime juice, annatto paste, garlic, oregano, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Puree until smooth, about 40 seconds, scraping the blender jar as needed.

Step 3

Place the fish in a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate or similar nonreactive dish. Add the puree, then turn the fillets to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Step 4

Meanwhile, in the same skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pineapple and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the finely chopped onion, the carrot, celery and finely chopped habanero; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl; set aside until ready to serve.

Step 5

Heat the broiler with a rack about 4 inches from the element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and mist the foil with cooking spray. Place the fish skinned side down on the baking sheet in a single layer, leaving the marinade on the fillets. Broil until the fish is well charred on top and the flesh flakes easily, 5 to 9 minutes.

Step 6

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the fish to a cutting board. Cut each fillet crosswise into 1-inch pieces, then transfer to a platter. To serve, put the lime wedges and cilantro in small bowls. Serve the fish with the tortillas, salsa and garnishes for making tacos.

Step 7

Tip: Don’t use an aluminum baking pan or a vessel made of a “reactive” metal for marinating the fish. Rather, use a glass or ceramic pie plate or a wide, shallow stainless steel bowl to ensure the marinade’s acidity does not react with the material and cause “off” flavors. The acidity also impacts the texture of the fish, so don’t marinate the fillets for longer than a couple hours.