Grilled Halibut Tacos

Think of the best tacos you've ever had in your life. Not the frozen beef tacos you bought from the grocery store, but the spicy, sizzling, flavor-packed fish tacos you bought from a street vendor or an authentic Mexican restaurant. Now imagine making tacos of that caliber at home--no restaurant trip or week-long vacation required.

These grilled halibut tacos are filled with fresh halibut and loaded with salsa, vegetables, and spices to make a flavorful entrée that's as colorful as it is delicious.

What Temperature Should Halibut be Grilled at?

Halibut should be grilled over medium or medium-high heat. You don't want it to be on the grill too long or it can dry out, so a quick cook is ideal. Foodsafety.gov recommends cooking white fish to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Ingredients

If you've never made salsa verde before, it might seem a little intimidating, but it's actually quite a simple process: simply roast the vegetables, mix them together in your food processor, and you're ready to go. You can experiment a little with different herbs and vegetables to suit your taste. You can of course use store-bought salsa verde to save on some time if you prefer.

For the Salsa Verde:

• tomatillos - husks removed and sliced in half
• yellow onion
• garlic cloves
• olive oil
• fresh cilantro leaves
• serrano pepper - you can substitute with jalapeño pepper
• lime juice
• salt and pepper

This salsa verde was also specially formulated to go well with the grilled halibut. When you're preparing a light, flaky fish, you want a salsa verde that's spicy and savory but not overpowering.

For the Tacos:

• lime juice
• olive oil
• Mexican seasoning mix - or taco seasoning
• halibut fillets
• corn tortillas - 6 inch
• red cabbage
• mango
• red chili pepper - optional garnish

Mango might seem like an unusual ingredient for tacos, but it adds the perfect burst of sweetness to an otherwise meaty, spicy dish. Spicy food is complemented by cold condiments and side dishes.

How to Make it

For the Salsa Verde:

1. Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the tomatillos, onion and garlic on a baking pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and cover with foil. Bake until tender (about 30 mins.). Cool to room temperature.
2. Blend. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor. Add the cilantro, serrano pepper and lime juice. Cover and pulse until chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving.

For the Tacos:

1. Marinate the halibut. In a large plastic bag, add the lime juice, oil, salt, and Mexican seasoning mix and shake to combine. Add halibut. Seal the bag and turn to coat the fish evenly. Refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
2. Grill halibut. Drain and discard marinade. Lightly oil the cooking grates. Grill halibut over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Keep an eye on it as it cooks quickly.
3. Season and flake the fish. Season again, if needed. Flake fish into 1 ½” pieces.
4. Warm tortillas. Warm the tortillas by heating the grill to medium-low. Grill them until warm, less than 1 minute per side. You can keep them warm on a plate, covered with a clean kitchen towel.
5. Serve. To serve, top tortillas with cabbage, fish, diced mango and tomatillo salsa. Garnish with red chili peppers, lime wedges and more fresh cilantro.

What do you Serve With Halibut Tacos?

• Many people serve their tacos with sour cream, but you could also serve a Mexican pasta salad, corn pudding or a summery chilled soup. Make sure you've got plenty of milk on hand for your friends who aren't used to spicy dishes.
• Some sides that would compliment halibut tacos well are guacamole, Caesar salad, coleslaw, cucumber salad, Queso dip, cilantro-lime rice and grilled corn.
• Creamy desserts go well with these flavor-packed tacos. You might consider serving a traditional Mexican dish like flan or fried ice cream. The sweeter and creamier, the better--after those delicious sizzling tacos, your guests will appreciate something a little milder.

If you enjoyed these grilled halibut tacos, let me know in the comments and please share the recipe!

📋Recipe

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