Coconut-Crusted Alaska Rockfish Tacos

Rockfish tacos are a delicious take on Taco Tuesday. Rockfish is a lean, mild and sweet white fish with a medium-firm texture that makes the perfect foundation for these zesty, sweet and crispy fish tacos.

This recipe is provided by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 (4 oz) servings (2 tacos per serving)

Rockfish Tacos Ingredients:

Taco

1 lb wild Alaska rockfish fillets ½ c flour 2 large eggs 2 tbsp water 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ¾ c panko ¾ c unsweetened coconut, shredded 1 c purple cabbage, shredded 1 c white cabbage, shredded ¼ c red bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias ¼ c combined Thai basil, cilantro, and mint leaves ?roughly torn 1 avocado, cut into ½” thick slices 8 (6- to 7-inch) flour tortillas 1 lime, sliced into wedges

Nuoc Cham (Sweet and Sour) sauce

¼ c plus 2 tbsp lime juice ¼ c sugar ¼ c fish sauce ¼ c water 5 garlic cloves, minced 2-4 Thai chilis, thinly sliced (or 1 tbsp red chili flakes)

Directions:

Step 1: Make the sauce

In a small saucepan, add all sauce ingredients except for minced garlic. Bring to a low boil then simmer on medium-low until sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic; simmer an additional one minute. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.

Step 2: Cook the fish

Preheat fryer oil to 375º. Thaw rockfish if frozen. Pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper the fish fillets then slice into 2-ounce strips; set aside. Add flour to a wide shallow bowl. Beat eggs with 2 tbsp water in a separate bowl. Mix panko and coconut flakes in a third shallow bowl. Coat each piece of fish in the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the panko and coconut mixture. Set fish on a wire rack that’s placed on a rimmed sheet tray until ready to cook. Gently place fish strips into the oil and fry about 4 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 3: Assemble the rockfish tacos

Mix shredded cabbages, red bell pepper, scallion and herbs in a bowl and set aside. Heat flat top or cast-iron skillet on high temp. Heat tortillas for about 15 seconds per side. Place one strip of fish on each tortilla. Top with cabbage, bell pepper, scallions, and herb mixture, as well as a slice of avocado. Serve with Nuoc Cham sauce on the side or drizzle on top just before serving. Garnish with lime wedges.

Looking for more recipes like these rockfish tacos? Check out Fish Alaska’s recipe library.