Yummy Crispy Mexican Baked Fish paired with an amazing 2 ingredient sauce is a delicious finger food that both kids and adults can enjoy. This oven baked fish also makes the Best Fish Tacos!!!
Ain't a brand new recipe!!! We shared a recipe for the Best Baked Fish Tacos, few months ago that is SO GOOD <--- A must try recipe
Charred corn tortilla loaded up with a crispy baked Mexican fish with panko breadcrumbs, crunchy coleslaw, ripe avocado, jalapeños and drizzled with an amazing 2-ingredient fish taco sauce.
This has become one of our family favorite Taco Tuesday dinner rotation.
And, those baked fish for fish tacos is so good, that I end making more often to be served as is with taco sauce on the side and baked potato or sweet potato wedges - Mexican style Fish and Chips!
CRISPY BAKED FISH with PANKO
We begin with any white fish for tacos - Tilapia, Cod, Mahi Mahi are all great options. Adjust the cooking based on the thickness and size of the cut fish pieces.
We decided to work with tilapia for this crispy Mexican baked fish recipe. Cut fish into you desired size (fingers or leave them in big chunks)
What makes this the best crispy baked fish recipe?
There are few tricks that are adopted from our Baked Bang Bang Cauliflower recipe.
The secret in making the golden, crispy baked fish lies in toasting the breadcrumbs.
A regular coating of breadcrumbs doesn’t necessarily develop a golden color but also results in uneven brown and white crumby look. So, panko is first toasted in a skillet with some oil, until golden and crisp. The fish pieces are then coated with this crumb, making them crispier and more browned when baked!!!
Instead of adopting a regular breading method of flour-egg mixture-bread crumb, I’ve come up with a much easier one which involves tossing the fish in a batter and then coating them with breadcrumbs. The crumbs stay intact and forms a lovely crust on the outside.
How to make crispy baked fish Mexican style?
1.Toast breadcrumbs - Saute panko breadcrumbs along with oil in a skillet, until golden brown. Cool completely.
2. Add Egg and cornstarch into a shallow bowl.
3. Whisk until smooth.
4. Stir in Mexican spices.
5. Add chopped Tilapia fish and toss well.
6. Working with one piece at a time, remove fish from the batter and coat with toasted panko breadcrumbs.
7. Bake at 375° F, until golden brown and cooked through.
Done and DONE!
Can the crispy baked panko crusted fish be frozen?
Absolutely!
Bake fish and let cool completely. Place in a zip lock bag, seal well and freeze.
To reheat – Place desired number of fish on a baking sheet, bake in preheated 450 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, until hot and heated through.
How to cut tilapia fillets?
I choose to cut into long very thick strips, since they are
- Perfect size to be made into tacos
- More surface area for crispy breadcrumb coating
But, if you don’t want to cut the fillets, then leave it whole and bake following the recipe and then flake into big chunks before making into tacos.
Crispy Mexican Baked Fish
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 and ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¾ pound tilapia 2 large or 3 medium fillets, each fillet cut into 2 to 4 pieces
Batter
- 1 large egg beaten lightly
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
Instructions
- Toast breadcrumbs Add vegetable oil and panko breadcrumbs into a skillet placed over med-high heat and stir continuously until breadcrumbs become deep golden ( stirring continuously will ensure that the breadcrumbs toast evenly). 2. Transfer into a shallow plate and cool to room temperature.
- Make batter1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 2. Whisk egg, cornstarch and all spices ( chili, cumin, garlic, black pepper powders, paprika and salt ) in a shallow dish, until thoroughly combined. 3. Add fish and toss to coat on all sides.
- Coat fish Transfer each piece of fish into the toasted breadcrumbs, gently press it on so that the fish is coated on all sides. Place fish on the greased cookie sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining fish.
- Bake Bake for 11-14 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve with
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
This baked fish looks so crunchy on the outside and moist and delicious on the inside!! Love this way more than fried fish!! Yum!