When you think of spring and summer, don’t you always think of all things green? My Spring Green Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado Lime Crema are fish tacos that have undergone a spring rejuvenation (hopefully just like the rest of us!). Usually taco filling is all dark and rich and cooked forever in a slow cooker or Instant Pot with rich spices. And that is just great…if it’s freezing out.
But now with the longer days and some wonderful sunshine, we need to bring our grilled fish tacos out into the light and freshen them up. Green them up. So, what’s green, I thought? Broccoli and kale are green, but try as I might, I can’t fall in love with either of them. Since the typical “green” vegetables were out, that led me to the lighter green ingredients. Melon, cucumber and avocado! A green trifecta.
Making the Grilled Fish Tacos
First of all, I wanted my grilled fish tacos to be light, green and perfect for spring. Because fish is lighter than chicken or pork, so I went with fish. Any firm fish like tilapia, sea bass or halibut would work perfectly for these grilled fish tacos, either grilled or broiled. The fish is topped with the cool slices of melon and cucumber which I sliced with a Y-peeler like this one.
Then, the avocado gets whirled in the blender with a bit of sour cream, cilantro, salt and lime. Since we want to make these grilled fish tacos as green and fresh as possible, the avocado crema is a perfect addition. You can make these as soft tacos in warmed flour tortillas, but I prefer the crispness of corn tortillas baked in the oven.
Cheese or no cheese? Queso fresco (I used this one) works well because it is light and looks subtle against all the green elements. Top these grilled fish tacos with chopped cilantro for flavor and color and you are all set for spring. In addition, I found a delicious fruity not-too-spicy salsa from Sabra and the mango and peach flavor was perfect to serve on the side of these light, green grilled fish tacos. These are such a nice change from all the heavy winter food. Can you tell I am so sick of our extended freezing cold winter? Yes I am, and it is going to be a spring menu makeover for me so get ready my friends!
Spring Green Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema
Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas lightly brushed with olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds tilapia halibut or sea bass
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 English cucumbers thinly sliced with a peeler and with the skin on
- 1 honeydew melon thinly sliced with a peeler
- 4 limes
- 3 avocados
- ½ cup sour cream full or reduced fat
- 1 bunch of cilantro chopped
- ¾ cup queso fresco grated
- Mango Peach Salsa
Instructions
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For the taco shells:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the corn tortillas which you have brushed with olive oil on a sheet pan and bake them for 6-7 minutes until lightly brown. Turn them over and cook on the other side for a 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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While you're prepping ingredients, preheat a grill or broiler. Rub the fish with olive oil. In a small bowl combine ¾ teaspoon salt, black pepper, paprika and cumin. Sprinkle all of the seasoning evenly over the fish. If using an outdoor grill, place the fish on a large sheet of aluminum foil which you have poked all over with holes. The fish will cook all of the way through but it won’t stick to the grill.
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Before you put the fish on the grill or under the broiler, in a Vitamix or blender combine the avocados, juice of two limes, sour cream, remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ of the chopped cilantro.
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Place the fish on the grill and cook it for about 6 minutes. Then, turn the fish over and cook for 3-4 more minutes, depending on the type of fish and its thickness.
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While the fish is grilling or broiling, slice the cucumbers and melon into long thin strips with the Y-peeler. And, if you want to be fancy, loosely wrap the slices into rolls or you can just lay them on top of the fish.
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Evenly divide the fish among the corn tortillas, cover them with the melon and cucumber and give each one a large dollop of avocado crema and some queso fresco. Finally, sprinkle the cilantro over all of the tacos and garnish them with slices of lime.
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You can serve these with some Mango Peach Salsa on the side or any other salsa, preferably one which has some fruit in it for some sweetness.
