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A man holding an Ensenada fish taco on a white plate
Kate Ramos

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!
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Course: tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 250
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Fish
For the Chipotle Crema
For The Tacos

Equipment

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 22gFat: 167gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 137gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 576mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3g

Video

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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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