Tacos are one of my quick dinner go-to's during the week. These tacos are full of flavor with a homemade blackening seasoning, topped with a corn poblano salsa, which can be made in advance. So, kick up your taco night tonight!
We are Taco Tuesday enthusiasts! Tacos are such an easy, no-brainer, dinner, for me. Having a day devoted to one of your favorite foods isn't such a bad idea. You know it's there, and it will never disappoint. Whether I use ground beef, ground turkey, shredded chicken, or pork, a taco is Tuesday night comfort food for us.
Start off by making the blackening seasoning. You can make this up ahead of time. The blackening seasoning for the mahi-mahi is versatile and not just for fish. Try it on other meats, chicken, or even shrimp (as pictured in tacos in the first photo above).
A single batch of seasoning will coat 4 pieces of mahi-mahi nicely, or a pound of shrimp.
When I get a little tired of using beef or chicken for tacos, I'll turn to shrimp or fish. Having had mahi-mahi tacos in restaurants before, they are a great alternative to the standard ground beef taco, and so simple to recreate at home.
I grilled a poblano and jalapeno pepper for the corn salsa. You could get a similar effect by using a cast-iron skillet or broiling the peppers.
My family loved the combination of the corn salsa with the mahi-mahi tacos (and shrimp). My son loves corn salsa but doesn't like the onions in it. So, I came up with this version. Feel free to add some finely chopped red onions to the corn salsa. That would be excellent! The salsa can be made in advance and will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
Perfectly cooked, and look at that color! My mouth is watering just remembering how good these are. I could eat these every week.
Gently shred the mahi-mahi with two forks. If you see that the center isn't cooked all the way through, do not be alarmed. The fish will continue to cook from the residual heat. Just move the pieces around and the fish will be cooked in no time. The meat is moist and full of flavor from the blackening seasoning. If you are using shrimp, I highly recommend chopping up the cooked shrimp a bit with the tip of a spatula. It is much easy to eat the shrimp this way, and it fits better in the tortilla.
I topped these tacos with the corn salsa and some guacamole, but you could also add some pickled red onions to this. I just thought of that as I'm sitting here typing this. That would be delicious! Here is a quick recipe for pickled red onions: About 1 cup apple cider vinegar,1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 red onion cut in thin slices. In a bowl combine apple cider vinegar, sugar, and Kosher salt. Whisk to dissolve. Add sliced onions. If they aren't submerged in the liquid, add a little extra vinegar or water. You could add sliced jalapeños or peppercorns to the brine for added flavor. Let sit for up to an hour. Then they are ready to enjoy. Transfer unused onions to a covered container or mason jar. They will last several days in the refrigerator. I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you tried the tacos.
Pictured here are shrimp tacos using the blackening seasoning. To get the tortillas nice and brown and a little crispy, cook them over the open flame on your gas stove. It works like a charm! I will never heat tortillas in the microwave again. Cooking them over the open flame gives the tortillas a slightly smokey taste and brings out the flavor.
Until next time, friends. XO!
Blackened Mahi-Mahi (or Shrimp)Tacos with Corn Poblano Salsa
Serves 4
Ingredients
Corn Salsa:
2 cups Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn, thawed
1 large jalapeño
1 large poblano pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Juice from 1/2 lime
Cilantro to taste
Optional - Finely chopped red onion
Blackening Seasoning:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
4 mahi-mahi fillets, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds (or 1 lb of raw shrimp, peeled) (I got mine from Trader Joe's. There are two in a package)
Corn or flour tortillas
Guacamole
Cojita cheese
Method
Using your outdoor grill, or a skillet over your stove, char 1 large poblano pepper, and 1 jalapeño pepper. Once the outer skin is charred, remove from heat and place in a paper bag to steam for a few minutes. This will make it easier to peel the skin off the peppers. Place on a cutting board, and scrape off the out skin of both peppers with a knife, or if cool enough use your fingers to peel off the skin. Slice and remove the seeds, and chop the peppers up. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the corn with the chopped peppers. Add apple cider vinegar, Kosher salt, the juice from half a lime, and some chopped cilantro. Mix to combine all the flavors. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pat mahi-mahi fillets off with a paper towel. Sprinkle the blackening seasoning over both sides of the fish, using all of the seasoning (or place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle over shrimp and mix well). Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, lay fish fillets in the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Take a peek and only flip if they are a deep brown. After you flip, turn off the stove and let the residual heat finishing cooking that side. Once cooked through, take two forks and lightly pull apart the fish, shredding it. If you are using shrimp after they are slightly cooked through, use the tip of a spatula to chop them into bite-sized pieces. You are ready to make your tacos. Use either corn or flour, whichever you like, top with corn poblano salsa, and some guacamole. Garnish with cojita cheese, cilantro, or pickled red onions, if you like.
Bonus recipe: Pickled Red Onions
About 1 cup apple cider vinegar,1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 red onion cut in thin slices. In a bowl combine apple cider vinegar, sugar, and Kosher salt. Whisk to dissolve. Add sliced onions. If they aren't submerged in the liquid, add a little extra vinegar or water. You could add sliced jalapeños or peppercorns to the brine for added flavor. Let sit for up to an hour. Then they are ready to enjoy. Transfer unused onions to a covered container or mason jar. They will last several days in the refrigerator.