These fish tacos are filled with grilled halibut, cilantro lime rice, salsa verde, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, pickled jalapeños, carrot and daikon (the Vietnamese flair in these tacos) and finally a dollop of Mexican sour cream.
1. Info for Banh Mi Fish Taco Recipe
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Servings: 6
- Calories: 320 kcal
2. Ingredients for Banh Mi Fish Taco Recipe
- 6 (4-ounce) halibut fillets, about 1″-thick
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or regular salt)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- juice of 3 limes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ¼ cup salsa verde
- 1½ cups long-grain brown rice
- ½ white onion, chopped
- 2¼ cups chicken stock, as needed
- 2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly cracked
- ½ cup olive oil
- 18 taco shells
- 1 cup shredded Romaine lettuce leaves
- 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced
- ½ daikon radish
- 1 carrot
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup white vinegar, to taste
- 2½ cups cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup queso fresco, freshly crumbled
- ¼ cup crema Mexicana sour cream
- 2 avocados, diced and drizzled with lime juice
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
3. Directions:
- Peel the carrots and daikon and shred them. If you use a shredding vegetable peeler, you’ll get long threads of carrot and daikon pieces. Cut into about 3″ pieces.
- You could also slice the vegetables with a mandoline, then julienne them using a sharp knife, but I wouldn’t recommend using a grater blade on a food processor as the vegetables will become a bit soggy and mushy.
- Place the carrots, daikon and 1 sliced jalapeño pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar. Drizzle with the rice vinegar. Toss well. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Mix well. Drain the vegetables, reserving as much liquid as possible.
- In a frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 clove garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the rice, stir well, making sure each grain is well coated in oil. Add 2 cups cilantro, 1 sliced jalapeño pepper, cumin, garlic powder and 1½ cups chicken broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, adding the remaining chicken stock once the first amount has evaporated. Check doneness of the rice. Add more chicken stock and cook for an additional 5 minutes, if necessary. If fully cooked, turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Pat dry the fillets using paper towels. Season the fish with salt and cayenne pepper on both sides. Add 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon cumin and juice of 2 limes. Place into a zip-top bag. Drizzle with olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Remove the fish from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to bring it back to room temperature. Pat dry one more time. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Brush a non-stick griddle pan with olive oil. Add the fish fillets to the hot pan. Cook for about 3 minutes. Once a caramelized crust is formed, carefully lift and flip the fillets and cook (about 10 minutes total) until the fish becomes opaque. Let stand for 5 minutes and flake the fish into large morsels.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Add 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime.
- Assemble the tacos. On a serving platter, place the taco shells. Spoon a layer of cilantro rice into the shells. For each individual taco, cover with lettuce, add a layer of pickled carrot and daikon, lettuce and the fish. Sprinkle with queso fresco. Finish with sour cream and diced avocado. Garnish with salsa. Repeat until all the tacos are filled.
- Count 3 tacos per person.
- Serve immediately; otherwise the taco shells will turn soggy.
- Serve with lime wedges on the side.