Blackened Fish Tacos with Carrot Crema Slaw and Pickled Purple Onions Recipe

This is one of my very favorite recipes  with a great combination of fresh, hot, sweet and salty. These naturally gluten-free tacos have a great depth of flavor from the blackening seasoning and a creaminess thanks to the slaw. While it might look like a lot of ingredients, it is very quick to put together and makes a great weeknight meal. 

Serves: 6  – makes 2 tacos per person

Weight Watchers SmartPoints: 8SP

Ingredients

• 2 lb wild-caught fresh Pollack, Hake or Haddock
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 tbsp butter
• Optional – crumbled queso fresco

Fish Blackening Seasoning

• 2 tbsp each: thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp each: sea salt, sugar, white pepper, Cayenne or chipotle powder (use more for spicier)

Carrot Cilantro Slaw

• 1 lb carrots shredded on a box grater or in the food processor (I do not recommend packaged shredded carrots as they are too thick)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro – washed and chopped, stems and all
• 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers – chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic – chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp sugar or honey
• 1/2 C Mexican Crema or equal parts non-fat Greek yogurt and mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice or red wine vinegar or a combination of both

Pickled Purple Onions

• 1 large purple onion – sliced
• 1 jalapeño pepper – sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pint mason jar
• Enough rice wine vinegar to fill

Instructions

1. Place sliced onions, jalapeno, salt and sugar in a mason jar
2. Fill with rice vinegar, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
3. Combine all slaw ingredients in a bowl and set aside or refrigerate to meld
4. Combine all blackening ingredients in a large bowl
5. Coat fish with seasoning
6. Heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy bottomed skillet on high and add butter when very hot
7. Fry fish for about 2-3 minutes per side until blackened and cooked through (time depends on thickness of the fish). Do not worry if the fish flakes and falls apart- it is going into a taco!
8. Remove fish to a plate
9. Alternate layers of corn tortillas with wet paper towels that have been squeezed out and microwave the stack on high in the microwave for about 1 minute until hot (you can also wrap the tortilla stack in a wet wrung-out dish towel and place in the oven for 10 minutes at 325° to warm)
10. Fill tortillas with fish, slaw and top with pickled purple onions

Enjoy!