Naked Fish Tacos

We’re now in the thick of winter. The wind comes whipping down the plains with a nasty chill attached to it. I dream of the days when the cicadas are buzzing and the leaves curl in the hot summer sun. Only a few more months of winter left, but it feels like forever.

I’m to the point now where I’m craving more summery foods. Peaches. Watermelon. Salads. Tacos. I want the full summer smorgasbord and I want it now. Anything to get out of this dreary winter mood!

I can’t eat tortillas right now because of keto, but I can still make some tacos—minus the tortilla shell. I decided I needed to get a beachy vibe in my kitchen this weekend, and fish tacos were the ticket to paradise. No tortilla, no problem.

I spiced up my filets with ancho chili powder, cumin, cayenne and garlic and cooked them up until they were firm. With not tortillas in sight, I had to improvise a bit: a creamy, Mexican-style cole slaw bed. That worked perfectly! I mixed together some shredded cabbage cole slaw mix with mayo, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and just a dash of apple cider vinegar. It had that perfect amount of twang and acid to offset the spicy fish.

Cut up some avocado and top the fish with a sprinkle of cheese (cotija or Monterey Jack would work fine) and you’ve got yourself a naked taco. If you’re on a keto or low-carb diet it’s the best substitute for the real thing.

I used cod as my fish in this dish, but was considering catfish or halibut, too. A lot of people use tilapia in fish tacos, but I steer clear of that fish. It’s unsustainable and farmed at an alarming rate. You might want to consider reading up on tilapia before using it.

Enjoy!

Naked Fish Tacos

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 20 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Spicy fish filets on top of a bed of cilantro-sour cream slaw. Serve with your favorite taco ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. firm fish filets (cod, halibut, catfish), cut into 4″ long pieces
• 1 tsp. ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 TBS. olive oil
• 3 cups shredded cabbage cole slaw mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 TBS. apple cider vinegar
• Avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish on all sides with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook fish in hot oil until browned and fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3-4 minutes per side.
2. Make the coleslaw: Stir together sour cream mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice and vinegar. Add shredded cabbage and stir until well coated.
3. Make a plate: scoop out some cole slaw and top with fish. Add avocado slices, cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro on top.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish on all sides with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook fish in hot oil until browned and fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Make the coleslaw: Stir together sour cream mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice and vinegar. Add shredded cabbage and stir until well coated.

Make a plate: scoop out some cole slaw and top with fish. Add avocado slices, cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro on top.