Crunchy fried Ensenada fish taco recipe seasoned the “Ensenada way” with yellow mustard and Mexican oregano. Stuffed into warm tortillas with hot sauce, chipotle crema, and thinly sliced cabbage. These tacos are saucy, spicy, crispy, and so yummy!
Imagine sun-kissed Baja California, the Pacific Ocean breeze swirling with the aroma of sizzling fish and smoky chipotle peppers.
You grab a warm corn tortilla, piled high with crispy white fish, tangy slaw, and a creamy chipotle crema. This, my friends, is the essence of an Ensenada fish taco, a culinary masterpiece from the fish taco capital of the world.
But fear not, passionate cooks! You don’t need a plane ticket or find an elusive street vendor. With expert guidance and a few key ingredients, you can recreate the magic of Ensenada right in your own kitchen.
Living in Southern California, I’ve spent years researching (aka eating), testing, and perfecting this recipe, drawing inspiration from local Ensenada cooks and traditional methods to figure out the secrets to making the most authentic Ensenada fish tacos at home.
From sourcing the right fish and achieving the perfect crispy texture to balancing vibrant flavors. Forget bland, overcooked fish tacos – I’ll guide you step-by-step to create the best fish tacos!
What Is Ensenada-Style?
In Ensenada they add an important ingredient to the batter that may surprise you; yellow mustard. This tangy condiment is what separates an Ensenada fish taco recipe from your standard Baja fish tacos.
In David Castro Hussong’s book, The Baja California Cookbook, he insists it is the yellow mustard along with the Baja white sauce, or crema that makes a fish taco an Ensenada fish taco.
The yellow mustard adds that distinct flavor and adds the traditional yellow color you find in the fish tacos in Ensenada.
Ingredients
- Cod or other firm white fish fillets like Mahi Mahi, sea bass or tilapia
- All purpose flour for the fish batter
- Cornstarch
- Avocado oil or canola oil
- Baking powder
- Yellow mustard. The secret ingredient in Ensenada tacos.
- Dried Mexican oregano. You will need 1 tsp. Use Mediterranean oregano if you can’t find Mexican oregano.
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Mexican Pilsner beer
- Corn tortillas are traditional but use flour tortillas if you prefer
- Green cabbage
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Mayonnaise for the creamy sauce
- Lime juice
- Chipotles in adobo sauce. These are my favorite brands of canned chipotles.
- Hot sauce or your favorite tangy red salsa. Some of my favorite Mexican hot sauces are Cholula, Valentina, or Tapatio
- Pico de Gallo
- Limes to add a squeeze of lime
How To Make This Recipe
Step one
Make the batter. Combine the flour, baking powder, Mexican oregano, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk well. Add the yellow mustard and beer and whisk until smooth. You want it to be the consistency of pancake batter. It will thicken a little bit as it sits. Set aside and let rest 20 minutes.
step two
Puree the crema. Combine the Mexican crema, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotles, and salt in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.
step three
Prepare the oil. Pour the oil into a Dutch oven or deep cast iron pan and clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side. Heat oil to 375°F over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
step four
Season the fish. Lay the pieces of fish on a separate baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish with a teaspoon salt and toss with cornstarch.
step five
Batter the fish. Using kitchen tongs, dunk a piece of fish one at a time into the beer batter letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Gently place in the hot oil. Don’t let go right away, let the fish fry for a few seconds, lightly swishing it in the oil before letting go. This way it won’t sink directly to the bottom and stick.
step six
Fry the fish. Cook the fish, deep frying 3-4 pieces at a time so not to crowd the pot. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Monitor the oil temperature as you are frying, adjusting it up or down to maintain 375°F as much as possible. Remove the fish with tongs or a slotted spoon letting the excess oil drip back into the pot. Let drain on the paper towel-lined baking sheet.
If you have a wire rack to set over a baking sheet that would work as well.
*CHEF’S TIP: Here’s a make-ahead tip I learned from chatting with Ensenada chefs; the best way to reheat fried fish for serving is to give it a quick (second) dip in the hot oil. This will give it extra crunch and quickly get the fish piping hot again.
step seven
Serve. Place the beer-battered fish into warm tortillas and serve with the crema, pico de gallo, shredded cabbage, lime wedges, and hot sauce for everyone to add to their liking.
Top 5 Most Popular Taco Recipes
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Ready To Make These Ensenada-Style Fish Tacos?
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Ensenada Fish Tacos
Crunchy fried Ensenada fish taco recipe seasoned the "Ensenada way" with yellow mustard and Mexican oregano. Stuffed into warm tortillas with hot sauce, chipotle crema, and thinly sliced cabbage. These tacos are saucy, spicy, crispy, and so yummy!
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon [baking powder]
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 6 ounces Mexican Pilsner-style beer
- 6 cups avocado oil, for frying
- 1 pound cod, cut into 1-inch thick strips (about 10-12 pieces)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Chipotle Crema
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Tacos
- 12 warm corn tortillas
- 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- Hot sauce
- Pico de Gallo
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the batter. Combine the 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk well. Add the 1 tablespoon yellow mustard and 6 ounces beer and whisk until smooth. Set aside and let rest 20 minutes.
- Make the crema. Combine the 1/2 cup Mexican crema, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 chipotles, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Prepare the oil. Pour the 6 cups of oil into a Dutch oven and clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side. Heat oil to 375°F over medium heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- Season the fish. Lay the fish pieces on a separate baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss with the 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
- Batter the fish. Using kitchen tongs, dunk a piece of fish one at a time into the batter letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Gently place in the hot oil. Don’t let go right away, let the fish fry for a couple seconds or so, lightly swishing it in the oil before letting go. This way it won’t sink directly to the bottom and stick.
- Fry the fish. Fry 3-4 pieces at a time so not to crowd the pot. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Monitor the oil temperature as you are frying, adjusting it up or down to maintain 375°F as much as possible. Remove the fish to the paper towel-lined baking sheet as they finish cooking.
- Serve. Place a piece of fish into each warm tortilla and serve with the crema, pico de gallo, shredded cabbage, lime wedges, and hot sauce for everyone to add to their liking.
Notes
- Batter thickness: The batter should have the consistency of slightly thin pancake batter. It will get thicker after sitting for 20 minutes. If it still is too thick or too thin, add more flour or beer a little at a time, to reach the right consistency.
- Fish: Any thick fillets of white fish will work. Cod is reasonably priced and tasty. Other fish choices would be Mahi Mahi, halibut, sea bass, or even catfish or tilapia.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch helps the batter stick to the fish but it also makes the tongs stick to the fish as well. If you are brave you can use your fingers to dip the fish and let them go in the oil or rinse the batter off the tongs in between dipping.
- Crema: Authentic Ensenada fish tacos have a simple white sauce without the chipotles but I like the hit of smoky spice. You can leave them out if you are sensitive to heat.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 167gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 137gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 576mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 22g
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