We (Tuck’s family) have been living in Florida for about two weeks now and are totally spoiled when it comes to fish options compared to when we live in Colorado. We order fish tacos all the time when we go out for meals and figured it was time to make them at home. Our rental house does not have a grill, so we opted for crispy fish tacos. This makes the tacos a little more decadent, but no one in our house was complaining. 

When it comes to making any sort of tacos at home, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the toppings. Our favorite fish taco toppings are usually some sort of spicy aioli and a creamy, limey coleslaw. We have combined those two in this recipe to save some time in the kitchen and love the outcome. The spicy coleslaw is helps balance out the richness of the fried fish. We like to finish our tacos with fresh avocado, a few slices of red onion, a healthy squeeze of lime and a slice of jalapeno for punch, but add or subtract any ingredients to achieve your taco making dreams! 

Crispy Fish Tacos
Makes: 4 servings 
Prep Time: 30 minutes   Total Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients For Crispy Fish: 

• 1 1/2 lbs flakey white fish- we used red snapper but tilapia, cod, and halibut work well
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tbs water 
• up to 1 cup vegetable oil 

Ingredients For Chipotle Lime Coleslaw: 

• 3 cups shredded cabbage or cabbage salad mix 
• 2 chipotles in adobo, finely minced 
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt 
• juice of one lime
• 1 tbs honey 
• 2 tsp cumin 
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Ingredients for Additional Tacos and Toppings: 

• 12 taco sized tortillas 
• one lime, cut into wedges 
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 
• 1 avocado, sliced 
• 1 jalapeno (optional) 
• additional cilantro leaves 

Directions: 

1. Prepare the fish. Cut the fish into slices about two fingers thick so that they are in bite-sized pieces. We bought true “taco tortillas” that are about 4 inches in diameter. Judge the size of the fish based on the size of your tortilla. 
2. Whisk the eggs and 1 tbs water in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Put the bread crumbs in a second bowl and also season with salt and pepper. Create an assembly line to bread the fish pieces, dunking each piece in egg wash and then in the bread crumbs. Place the breaded fish onto a cookie sheet for easy access while cooking. 
3. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to the pan so that the bottom is coated. When the oil is hot, add the fish pieces to the pan. The fish should be in one layer and not over crowded. It will likely take you 3+ rounds in the pan to get all the fish cooked. Cook the fish for 3 minutes per side, or until the fish is completely cooked through. Remove from the pan and onto paper towel to drain the excess oil. Season with a bit of salt. Repeat this step as necessary, including refilling the oil if needed, until all the fish is cooked. 
4. Make the coleslaw. Combine the wet ingredients of the slaw (chipotles in adobo-cilantro) in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Depending on how spicy you want the slaw you might add additional mayo or honey. Add the cabbage to the slaw dressing and mix to combine.
5. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds. Assemble the tacos by layering the coleslaw on the bottom and fish on top. Top with any additional desired ingredients from the list above. Enjoy immediately.