Tacos
Fish Tacos
Pan-seared tilapia sits on warm corn tortillas with lemon mayonnaise and a crisp radish salad. Red onion, parsley and fresh lemon balance the fish’s cayenne seasoning.
- Prep time
- 15 minutes
- Cook time
- 15 minutes
- Makes
- 6 large or 12 small tacos
Estimated total time: 30 minutes.
Let’s make it.
Make the radish salad.
Combine the sliced radishes, any tender radish greens, red onion and parsley in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss gently.
Mix the lemon mayonnaise.
Stir the mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a small pinch of salt. Taste and add a little more lemon if you like. Cut the remaining lemons into serving wedges.
Season and cook the fish.
Pat the tilapia dry and season both sides with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste, starting with ½ teaspoon cayenne across all three fillets. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for about 3–4 minutes per side, working in batches if needed, until it reaches 145°F in the thickest part and flakes easily. Adjust the heat if the seasoning begins to scorch.
Warm and assemble.
Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet for about 20–30 seconds per side over medium-high heat. Gently flake the cooked fish into bite-sized pieces. Spread the lemon mayonnaise over the tortillas, add the tilapia and top with the radish salad, leaving excess dressing in the bowl. Divide the filling among six 6-inch tacos or twelve 4-inch tacos and serve with lemon wedges.
From the kitchen
- Cayenne is potent. The smaller starting amount gives you room to adjust the heat to your taste.
- Check the thickest part of the fish; fillets of different thicknesses may finish at different times.
- Use Original or Turmeric corn tortillas, or twelve 4-inch Street Taco tortillas for smaller tacos.
The basics
Get to know your tortillas.
Explore three heating methods, freezing and thawing advice, and tips for cooking with corn tortillas.
Cooking with tortillas