Trade Tartar Sauce For This Creamy Mexican-Style Condiment On Your Next Fish Sandwich

Whether you prefer your fish grilled, fried, or baked, turning it into a hearty sandwich is a wonderful way to get your fill of lean pescatarian protein. Tartar sauce may be the gold standard condiment for fish sandwiches, but it is by no means the only option. One clever sauce upgrade for your next fish sandwich presents an even more flavorful alternative to the typical tartar sauce. Swap in a Mexican-style avocado crema and you'll wonder how you ever enjoyed fish sandwiches without it.

This is one of the best ways to dress your fish sandwich that doesn't involve tartar sauce because it still offers a tangy and creamy accent to your meal but with even more flavorful notes thanks to the avocado. It's adjacent to fish sandwiches in that it's a common condiment for Mexican-style fish tacos. Plus, the addition of avocado to your sauce is also ideal for getting even more nutrients in your fish sandwiches. A luscious and notably healthy fat, avocado contains fiber and vitamins C and E to name a few.

Avocado crema is easy to prepare and can be stored in your fridge for up to five days for use in other dishes or more fish sandwiches. Consider Tasting Table's super easy chipotle crema recipe, which comes together in a blender or food processor and calls for a handful of basic ingredients. All you need is sour cream, lime juice, honey, cumin, salt, minced garlic, and canned chipotles in adobo sauce. Either add a ripe avocado to this existing recipe or swap it in place of the chipotles for a picture-perfect crema that will effortlessly complement your favorite fish sandwich recipe.

A traditional Mexican crema is usually made with a combination of buttermilk that contains live cultures and heavy cream; however, many streamlined versions of the recipe opt for using a base of sour cream instead. You can choose whichever base you like, but the result will be a condiment with a creamy consistency similar to that of tartar sauce, which calls for a base of mayonnaise, except with uniquely tart and tangy notes from either the buttermilk or sour cream. 

This effective tartar sauce alternative truly shines in a recipe for salmon sliders where the avocado crema provides a robust finishing touch to the flavorful fish sandwiches. Additionally, let the seasonings and preparation of your fish sandwiches inform any other ingredients you mix into your avocado crema. Add chopped cilantro to your avocado crema for more of a refreshing herbal flavor in your fish sandwiches. For a dairy-free version, make this crema using a plant-based sour cream. Give your crema an even more flavorful upgrade with a hearty shake of your favorite Cajun seasoning and pair this with pieces of seared tuna on a toasted bun. Any way you choose to prepare your avocado crema, it'll easily become a new staple condiment for fish sandwiches and more.