Cajun Fish Tacos with Blood Orange Slaw.
Anytime hot pink food can be found, you know I’m there!
Spicy Cajun fish tacos. Juicy blood oranges. Lots of cabbage slaw and tons of lime. It’s one of the freshest meals I want to eat in the winter, which is saying so much since right now all I can think about is hot soup.
Perhaps I’m just trying to transport myself to warmer weather with food?! I think so.
With this third week into the new year, I’m excited when I think about how well we’ve been doing with weeknight dinners. We don’t eat out at ton to begin with, but for 2018 I really wanted to make sure we were eating balanced delicious dinners during the week. I’m also trying to be a little better about weekends… which I’ve always considered to start on Thursday night.
Thursdays are the best day of the week! Because the anticipation of Friday and the weekend is so REAL.
The issue is that by Thursday, I’m like, “oh it’s almost the weekend, let’s get takeout!” and then it’s Friday night, and I don’t want to cook, and then it’s Saturday, and we’re gone all day… and so on. So I’m trying to make sure we have something balanced ALL week – even if it’s lunch on Saturday before we eat out at night, or the other way around. So it’s not just all… pizza.
This meal though! These fish tacos. Yessss.
It’s one that we can’t get enough of… even with a side of thin and crispy tortilla chips.
Fish taco sides are always tricky. They seem too fresh and light to have beans and rice on the side. More slaw? That’s an option. Lots of tortilla chips and guac? Not saying no to that, ever.
We absolutely love using napa cabbage for slaw when it comes to fish tacos. It’s hearty, but still more delicate than regular old green cabbage, so the crunch doesn’t completely overpower the flakey fish. It just gives the BEST texture to tacos.
All you have to do is toss it with some fresh cilantro, lime juice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and those beautiful blood orange chunks. Whyyy are they so pretty?
For the fish, I used a wild caught cod and my favorite method of quickly broiling it in the oven. It takes minutes and produces the most buttery, flakey fish that is perfect for fish tacos. I do this with salmon all the time and it makes dinner come together super quickly.
P.S. autocorrect is telling me to change “most buttery” to “butteriest.” OMG. Is butteriest a word?! Please tell me that’s being added to the dictionary in 2018. For the next three months I am not going to shut up about butteriest. My apologies.
Tortillas! We always go back and forth between corn and flour. I like to use different tortillas for different things. Definitely prefer corn here. Sort of like the whole cabbage debacle – they are a bit more delicate and let the flavor of the fish and slaw shine. They aren’t as thick or chewy as flour tortillas, which I can find a little overpowering with fish tacos.
And! You guys always always (always) ask me how I char my tortillas. Ummm… I just stick them on the open flame of my gas range top. Yes, like almost burn the house down. Eddie is the tortilla char-er and it’s a supervised activity so we’re all good.
That’s my fish taco saga. These are SO flavorful and delish. Kind of like my cajun salmon with a twist! Annnd if you’re feeling it, you could always make them beer battered. I totally would.
Cajun Fish Tacos with Blood Orange Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds wile caught cod
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 1 blood orange peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, plus more for topping
- juice of 1 lime
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 8 to 12 corn tortillas
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- 1 or 2! avocados, thinly sliced
- lime wedges for serving
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler in your oven to high and set the oven rack about 6 inches below it.
- Place the cod on a baking sheet and brush it with the grapeseed oil. In a bowl, stir together the paprika, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, pepper flakes and cayenne. Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cod and press gently so it adheres.
- Broil the cod for 6 to 8 minutes, or until just opaque and flakey with a fork!
- While the fish is cooking, toss together the cabbage, blood orange, cilantro, salt and pepper with the lime juice.
- To assemble the tacos, add a few forkfuls of fish to the tortilla, top with the slaw, a slice or 2 of avocado and some radish slices. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips!
Did you make this recipe?
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Feels a little sunnier now!
31 Comments on “Cajun Fish Tacos with Blood Orange Slaw.”
Oh my, this looks so fresh and satisfying! I have to try that fish!
thanks ashlyn!
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Hi Jessica, read the comment I posted on yesterday’s page regarding Xmas tree. And I am puzzled you are using Italian seasoning when talking about Cajun fish… There are Cajun mix sprinkling spices that do a wonderful job.! P.S. Émilia is such an angel! And Max is growing so fast!
thank you mia!!
OMG. I made almost identical tacos for the blog this weekend but with salmon!!! We’re on the same wavelength haha. Yours look incredible! Loveee this flavor combo.
thanks molly!!
Hi Jessica. Although I’m not into really spicy Cajun stuff, these sound great. Except I don’t see how much Cajun spice to add. You mention it in the directions, but not the ingredient list. I’m sure I could wing it, but it would be nice to have a starting point.
hi colette! the spices are the homemade cajun mix! you stir them all together and sprinkle them onto the fish. :)
Hi again. I guess I mis-typed. It’s actually the amount of cayenne that’s missing.
GAH! so sorry! it’s 1/4 tsp. :) i fixed it – thank you!!
Oh my! That cod looks so damn flavorful! And gimme all the blood oranges right now. SO so delicious! I can’t stop.
thanks girl! xo
Whooooa this looks good. I’m in Arizona so we have plenty of fish taco options here, but definitely going to have to try this. Thanks for the recipe.
thanks brandon!
Thursday is a black hole day – my desire to cook (and clean up after) has petered out by then. But this could entice me back (love fish tacos) – I am so intrigued by the addition of the blood orange
this is SO true about thursdays!
I saw fish taco and I wanted it already! This looks seriously amazing, thanks for sharing <3
https://www.myblackcloset.com/
thanks kay!! xo
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Do u know about fruit that can sub for blood orange. My local Whole Foods has blood oranges but if I make these for my cinco de mayo party, blood oranges may not be in season.
I love doing my tortillas like that after seeing you do it a while back. It’s so perfect! I’ve told my husband any future house has to have a gas stove too. They are so much better! We love fish tacos are our house too. They are so quick and fresh!
LOL I think our meal planning situation is the same – we cook Sunday-Wednesday, but by Thurs I’m SO. OVER. cooking. We’ve been trying to make enough leftovers during the week to eat lunch on the weekends though!
Woudl this also be good with chicken? I love fish but my husband, not so much.. so I coul make fish for me and chicken for him…
Let me start by saying I never review recipies as I rarely follow them. This recipie sparked my curiosity with the combination of napa cabbage and blood oranges. I did used my own blacken seasning and did add a 1/2 teaspoon of Evoo to the slaw to help the flavors mend…..It was Seriously Delicious!!! I did used Grouper since it was the daily catch so any firm white fish should work great. I will definitely mKe tgis again!
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I love this! I make it at least once a week. Have you considered making a recipe on how to make homemade cajun seasoning? I would love to prepare it with your directions! for now, I just buy one from here https://unlimited-recipes.com/best-cajun-seasoning/ It didn’t disappoint me yet.
Greetings, Kelly
I’m making a “taco of the month” for 2022 so this was February’s recipe. I’m not usually enthusiastic for fish tacos but this was excellent. Loved the seasoning blend; used flounder because that’s what was available (oh pandemic supply chains). I would recommend using two blood oranges if yours are kind of small like mine. Would definitely recommend this one.