Sesame-Crusted Fish Tacos With Spicy Cabbage Slaw Recipe

In our sesame-crusted fish tacos with spicy cabbage slaw recipe, we bring together beloved Mexican tacos with traditional Asian ingredients for a fusion dish that's spicy, tangy, and full of savory flavor. According to Ksenia Prints from At the Immigrant's Table, the highlight of this dish is the salmon itself, which is coated in a unique seed and spice mixture and is then cooked on skewers on a hot coal pan or a grill. The sesame seeds are mixed with crushed Sichuan peppercorns, which provide the tender fish with a satisfying crunch and a piquant flavor that leaves the tongue tingling. "This combination creates a complex flavor profile that plays against the zest and crunch of the slaw and the buttery avocado," she says. 

While there is no shortage of ways to cook your salmon, we recommend you give these tacos a try for an ideal easy weeknight meal that feels elevated without being fussy. It will break you out of the pan-seared fish rut and, who knows? Maybe you'll start grilling all your fish on skewers from now on.

For the salmon skewers themselves, you'll need a mix of black and white sesame seeds, kosher salt, crushed Sichuan peppercorns, cubed salmon, and toasted sesame oil. For the slaw, you'll need napa cabbage, daikon radish, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, Sriracha, and a neutral oil like grapeseed or Canola oil. For the taco assembly, grab corn tortillas and a ripe avocado.

Toast the sesame seeds in dry pan until fragrant, and let them cool.

Mix the seeds with 1 teaspoon salt and Sichuan peppercorn.

Toss the salmon with the sesame oil, then coat it in the sesame seed mixture.

Thread the salmon onto wooden skewers and then chill for 20 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and daikon.

Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, Sriracha, and grapeseed oil for the dressing.

Toss the slaw with the dressing 10 minutes before service.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet on high heat.

Sear the salmon skewers on high heat for 1-2 minutes per side.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave or on a dry pan.

Assemble the tacos by layering the tortillas with slaw, salmon, and avocado slices. Drizzle with more Sriracha, to taste, and serve.

• Easy Fried Rice Recipe
• Bamboo Steamer Sticky Rice Recipe
• Quinoa Fried Rice Recipe
• Jalapeno-Lime Three-Bean Salad Recipe
• Edamame with Five-Spice Salt and Toasted Sesame Seeds Recipe

We find that searing the sesame-coated salmon on high heat while on skewers provides a fish that is crispy on the outside, yet soft and fully cooked on the inside. This method also ensures that you don't burn the coating, which would leave you with an acrid taste in your mouth. The inspiration for our cooking method in this recipe is a home-cooked adaptation of the traditional Japanese method of cooking on a binchotan grill. Binchotan is a traditional, highly-prized Japanese white charcoal that is beloved for its clean-burning properties and ability to reach extremely high temperatures (up to 1,000 F). This special charcoal imparts a subtle smokiness to any food cooked on it, and turns all grilled food into extraordinary dishes.

If you are looking to grill the fish outside in a more traditional format, then a standard charcoal or even a gas grill will do. However, if you don't have skewers, a grill, or even a cast iron pan, then a broiler set on high with the salmon arranged on the top rack will give you perfectly crispy results. Cooking the fish on a cookie-cooling rack will also help keep it from burning on the bottom.

We went with a combination of thinly sliced napa cabbage and daikon radish for this Asian-inspired slaw, but there's no shortage of other routes you can go with this recipe. The goal of the cabbage slaw component is to add some crunch to counterbalance the creamy avocado and the peppery fish, so you can make it spicier, sweeter, or just choose different veggies altogether.

To add some more spice to this dish, add thinly diced jalapeno peppers to the mix or stir a teaspoon of gochujang paste into the dressing. If you want more vegetables and color, add some julienned bell peppers, carrots, or even shredded purple cabbage. To stick with the Asian theme, an addition of some thinly sliced snow peas, underripe mango or papaya, or even crunchy water chestnuts is also great for texture and sweetness.

Finally, to add a fresh and aromatic component, you can sprinkle some chopped herbs like cilantro, mint, or Thai basil on top of the tacos. We've also loved a tablespoon of peanut butter in the dressing, to turn it into a sort of tangy-spicy peanut sauce.

• Smoked Chicken Tacos Recipe
• Easy Ground Beef Street Tacos Recipe
• Walking Tacos Recipe
• Beer-Battered Fish Tacos Recipe
• Indian Steak Tacos Recipe
• Pulled Jackfruit Tacos Recipe