Chili Marinated Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos with Pineapple Coleslaw
Soft corn tortillas are wrapped around a drizzle of chili-garlic sauce, flaky chili-marinated pan seared mahi-mahi, and a pile of cool, lightly dressed pineapple coleslaw with red and green cabbage, carrots, radishes, and red bell peppers.
It's no secret that I like a lot of flavor in my food. Which, may seem like a strange thing to say because... doesn't everyone love richly flavorful food? Perhaps. But, friends, there is a lot of bland food out there. Which makes me wonder if that's how some people like it. Perhaps some people don't actually want a lot of flavor in their food.
If that's true, and if that's you, these fish tacos are not for you. Because there is SO. MUCH. FLAVOR in there. Every single bite is a combination of sweet, spicy, bitter, salty, sour, soft, creamy, and crunchy.
You're gonna wanna make these all the time is what I'm saying.
Start by spreading a thin layer of chili, garlic, and lime sauce down the center of a warm, soft corn tortilla.
Then layer on your chili-marinated pan seared Mahi-mahi, all flaky and delicious, with a light crust that seals in all the flavor from the marinade.
Then pile on the pineapple coleslaw. If this step has you feeling a bit wary because you're used to bland, soggy coleslaw that's covered in waaaaaaaay too much mayonnaise and contains only cabbage, you can relax. This pineapple coleslaw is very lightly dressed in a creamy cilantro dressing and includes red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, thinly sliced radishes and red bell peppers.
And, pineapple! Which is a FANTASTIC contrast to the sharp and spicy chili, garlic, and lime flavors of the fish and chili-garlic sauce.
Weekly Meal Plans that Include Mahi - Mahi Fish Tacos with Pineapple Coleslaw:
Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos with Pineapple Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs Mahi-mahi fish fillets, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup peanut oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1-2 tbsp corn oil
For the marinade:
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
For the Pineapple Coleslaw:
- ¼ lb red cabbage, cut into ¼-inch strips
- ¼ lb green cabbage, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
- 5 radishes, top and bottom trimmed, cut in half and sliced very thin
- ½ red bell pepper, seeded, cut into quarters, and sliced very thin
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- ½ jalapeño, seeds removed, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 20 oz. pineapple chunks, fresh or canned (about 1 ½ cups)
Instructions
Marinade the Mahi-Mahi-Mahi:
- Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl until throughly combined.
- Put the fish fillets in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Turn the fish around in the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
Make the Coleslaw:
- Add both cabbages, carrots, radishes, and red pepper to a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, minced jalapeño, salt, and cilantro to a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour over veggies and toss gently to coat everything with the dressing. Stir in the pineapple and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Sear the fish and assemble the tacos:
- Pour the flour onto a plate. Lift each fish fillet from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and dredge in the flour, turning it to coat on all sides with flour. Shake gently to remove excess flour and place on a clean plate.
- Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let boil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly. Pour into a bowl, cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large, deep skillet set over medium-high heat until shimmery and almost smoking. Add the butter and let melt - about 5 seconds.
- Add the fish fillets, letting them cook for 3-4 minute until a dark golden brown that's bordering on black. Turn them over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Use tongs to lift the fillets from the pan to a plate covered in paper towels. Cover with another paper towel and place in an oven set to warm.
- Pour the corn oil into a shallow bowl. Brush both sides of a corn tortilla with a light coating of oil and place in the center of a damp paper towel. Brush only one side of a second tortilla with a light coating of corn oil and place oil side up on top of the first tortilla. Continue with remaining tortillas. Cover with a second damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and feel into the center of the stack to see if it’s warm. If not, microwave for a bit longer.
- To serve: Spread a thin line of chili sauce (thickened marinade) down the center of a corn tortilla. Top with a few pieces of fish and a generous spoonful of pineapple coleslaw.
These are so good! I love pineapple salsa on a fish taco - yum, yum, yum!
Love that sweet-spicy-salty yumminess of topping fish with pineapple! I hope you make these. If you do, I'd love to know what you think... 🙂