Blackened Tilapia Fish Tacos with Chipotle Aioli Sauce
For this tacos recipe I coated the tilapia with a wet and spicy paste and grilled it, piled some into a warm corn tortilla, added some coleslaw, drizzled some creamy chipotle aioli sauce over the slaw and fish, and finished it off with a squeeze of lime. The explosion of flavors is definitely worth repeating more this summer.
In a small saucepan bring the sugar, vinegar, coconut oil, celery seed, and salt to a low boil. Add to the cabbage and carrots, toss well, cover and store overnight. Drain all the liquid from the slaw before serving. This slaw was at its prime after 2 days of marinating. If you can, marinate for 2 days I’d highly recommend it.
Savory Cilantro and Lime Coleslaw:
Combine the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, vegetable oil, and salt in a large bowl. Toss well and chill about 1 hour before serving.
Chipotle Aioli Sauce:
Combine crema, chipotles, adobo sauce, and onion in a food processor or blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. Salt to taste.
Blackened Tilapia Tacos:
Combine spices, honey, and lime juice in a bowl. Using your hands, coat both sides of the tilapia.
Spray the grates of your grill or hot griddle before heating. Heat the grill or hot griddle. I like using my small kitchen griddle that has ridges, leaving charred lines on my fish. Grill each side about 3 to 4 minutes.
Warm corn tortillas on a comal (hot griddle); add chunks of blackened tilapia, coleslaw, and drizzle with spicy chipotle aioli sauce. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
I couldn’t decide between a savory and sweet coleslaw so I made two but you can pick ust one. The savory slaw is simple and screams summer with its fresh cabbage, lime juice, and cilantro while the red coleslaw is a sweet delicate contrast to the slightly spicy chipotle aioli sauce. Either way both slaws are great with this blackened tilapia.