I had my first fish tacos with slaw in San Diego with my friend Mark Murphy. It was so delicious. He took me to a fish taco dive that was very reasonably priced. I made a note in my mind that it would be worth a try to recreate what I ate that day. This recipe is as close as I could get it, and it’s certainly delicious.
Rockfish are abundant in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waters of the Maryland Eastern Shore. Some of my fondest summer memories are fishing right off our dock and being able to eat freshly caught seafood. One of my favorite things is knowing where my food is coming from, and I’d say straight out of the water into my kitchen is pretty fresh. These particular fish tacos with slaw are made with Rockfish caught from our dock. You can use store-bought rockfish, just make sure they are ethically raised and caught.
Rockfish season in Maryland runs from late April to Mid May. In this peak, season hand caught rockfish have to be 35 inches or larger and you can only keep one fish. Outside of the season, the rockfish size changes to 19 inches and you can keep two fish. This is to ensure the rockfish are not overfished.
Making fish tacos with slaw
Let’s make a list of all the ingredients that you’ll need to make these tacos. I can’t emphasize enough that the higher quality the ingredients the better the meal. I have to admit that I am a bit spoiled. When I want fresh rockfish, I call my friend Willie and ask if he’s out fishing. That’s usually a cue to him that I am looking for a piece of fish. The happiest days cooking on the shore are with fish and the green egg!
To make this dish you’ll need:
- cabbage
- salt and pepper
- lime juice
- Waxing Kara Honey
- cilantro
- Rockfish filets
- corn tortillas
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- garlic
- red pepper flakes
You can make these fish tacos in 4 easy steps!
Step 1: Make the slaw
Combine all the ingredients for the slaw and set aside at room temperature.
Step 2: Marinate the fish
Mix the marinade for the fish and coat the fish, let stand for 10-20 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the fish
Pan saute or grill the fish 4-5 minutes on each side.
Step 4: Serve the fish tacos with slaw
Heat the tortilla and plate. Place fish in the center of the tortilla. Garnish with slaw, pickled onion, Pico de Gallo, and avocado slices, and whatever else you would like!
Fish tacos with slaw are a true Eastern Shore specialty. Serve them with all of these accompaniments for a wonderful treat.
- pico de gallo sauce
- sliced avocado
- chopped cilantro
- sliced tomato
- These easy pickled onions
Try these easy pickled onions on top of salad, or these tacos for that matter. You can make a batch of these and store them in a glass jar in the fridge for weeks. They add depth to any meal, and just taste special!
Easy Pickled Onions
If you decide to try these rockfish tacos, be sure to take a photo and share them with us using #waxingkararecipes on Instagram. We love seeing your photos!
Fish Tacos with slaw
Ingredients
For the Slaw
- 4 c cabbage shredded
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 tbsp. mayonaise
- 1 tbsp. lime juice fresh
- 1 tsp. Waxing Kara Honey
- 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
For the Fish
- 16 oz rockfish filets 4-four ounce filets
- 4 large flour tortillas 9″ whole-wheat
Marinade
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. Waxing Kara Honey
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp. cilantro chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 dash red pepper flakes
For the accompaniments
- 1 C easy pickled onions
- 1/2 C pico de gallo
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 2 tbsp. cilantro chopped
Instructions
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Get the easy pickled onion recipe together an hour in advance.
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Combine all the ingredients for the slaw and set aside at room temperature.
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Mix the marinade for the fish and coat the fish, let stand for 10-20 minutes.
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Pan saute fish 4-5 minutes on each side.
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Place tortilla flat on plate.
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Place fish in center of tortilla.
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Garnish with slaw, onion, Pico de Gallo and avocado slices.
I make these fish tacos a lot. They’re delicious.