I’m all for a weekly Taco Tuesday celebration. Mainly because I could literally live off chips and salsa and guacamole, and of course endless margaritas with salt. There’s just something about tacos that make me very happy. With that being said though, if you’re like me and constantly eating tacos week after week, you might want to switch things up a bit. Reignite your love of the stuffed tortillas. That’s where these Fish Taco Bowls come into the picture. Honestly though, these could easily be chicken taco bowls or beef taco bowls or even veggie taco bowls (for all my vegetarian friends out there). The great thing about taco or burrito bowls, as they’re sometimes called, is that they are 100% customizable and can be adapted hundreds of different ways to make them exactly as you want them to. No more suffering through bland food you don’t want to eat. It doesn’t get any better than that. Turn your fish tacos into large bowls of comfort food.
Let’s start by marinating the fish very simply. Just olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chipotle in adobe sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne.
**Note: You can sub out all of those spices for about 1 tablespoon of prepared taco seasoning mix from the store. Also, add as much or as little of the chipotle sauce as you’d like depending on your preference of heat.**
For me, fish tacos are all about the creamy chipotle sauce that’s usually drizzled on top of the tacos. That’s simply made with sour cream and some canned chipotle in adobe sauce. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover with plastic and store in the fridge until ready to use.
**Note: You can make this sauce ahead of time if you’d like. Whip together and store in the fridge up to 3 days before you plan on using the sauce.**
Cook white rice on the stove as you normally cook rice. Then once it’s done, fluff with a fork and gently stir in fresh lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro until evenly combined.
Once the fish has marinated for at least 30 minutes (not much longer than that because of the lime juice), then cook it on a stovetop grill pan or outdoor grill for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool slightly.
Divide the rice evenly between four large serving bowls.
**Tip: You can leave the rice plain if you’d like, but I like the added flavor you get from the lime and cilantro. BUT you can also make these bowls with brown rice, quinoa, couscous or even barley (if you want something on the healthier side).**
The other base of this bowl is shredded cabbage. Again, this is reminiscent of the cabbage that’s loaded on top of traditional fish tacos. Then cut the fish into large chunks and divide evenly among the bowls.
The rest is completely up to you! These bowls are completely customizable and so you can top them with whatever your heart desires. There are no limits when it comes to toppings. Go crazy. More is more, I promise.
I like using all the usual suspects. Black beans, scallions, radishes, avocado (of course), cilantro, cherry tomatoes, cotija cheese, that chipotle sour cream, lime wedges and tortilla chips.
The great thing about these bowls, is that you can also easily convert them into chicken taco bowls, or beef taco bowls, or even veggie taco bowls. Bowls in general are a great weeknight meal because they literally take no time at all.
If you want to switch up your weekly boring Taco Tuesday routine, these Fish Taco Bowls are here to fit the bill and save the day. They’re perfect to keep in mind as the weather hopefully continues to warm up and we get closer to summer. Give in to the bowls.
Fish Taco Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chipotle in adobe sauce divided
- 2 limes zested and juiced, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound fresh cod
- 1 cup cooked long grain rice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup sour cream
Toppings:
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 3 radishes thinly sliced
- 3 scallions sliced
- 1 large avocado sliced
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese crumbled
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, 1 tablespoon chipotle, half of the lime zest, half of the lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, oregano, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne. Add in the fish and flip around to evenly coat. Allow to marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat or outdoor grill to medium-high. Once hot, place the fish in a single layer and grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. The fish will let you know when it's ready to be flipped. If it's stuck to the grill, then it's not ready. Flip over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate or platter and set aside to cool slightly.
- Fluff the cooked rice and then stir in the remaining lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, remaining chipotle and salt and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- To assemble the bowls, divide the rice evenly among 4 large bowls. Top with the cabbage and beans. Then slice and divide the fish evenly among each both. Top with desired toppings and serve with tortilla chips on the side. Enjoy!
This is such a good recipe! The marinade for the cod is delicious. The taco bowls are also delicious and filling. Thanks for the recipe!
We call them ‘fish bowls’ in our house!!!