Halibut Tacos with Citrus Slaw

By: Mandy Tanner

Pacific halibut fish tacos with a citrus slaw and avocado crema, begin with a homemade seasoning of fresh lemon, lime, and mandarin orange zest, that is ground in a mortar and pestle with kosher salt and black pepper into a flavorful rub. A quick six-minute cook in the pan and the tacos are ready to go. Avocado crema is used as the slaw dressing and for topping. The sweet mandarin segments add a sweetness and pop of flavor with the crisp slaw and delicious fish.

Ingredients

Halibut Tacos

  • 2 (5 oz) pieces Pacific Halibut, sliced into 1-inch-wide strips Buy Now
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, from ½ small lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon lime zest, from ½ lime
  • ¼ teaspoon mandarin orange zest, from ½ mandarin orange
  • 1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil, such as canola or grapeseed
  • 4 soft corn or flour tortillas, warmed for serving

Citrus Slaw with Avocado Crema

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, from ½ small lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon lime zest, from ½ lime
  • ¼ teaspoon mandarin orange zest, from ½ mandarin orange
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from ½ lemon
  • 2 teaspoon lime juice, from ½ lime
  • 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
  • 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
  • 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 large carrot, finely shredded
  • 2 mandarin oranges, segmented (supreme), for serving
  • ¼ cup cilantro microgreens, or chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Halibut Tacos

Heat a skillet over medium heat, then add the oil. Season all sides of the halibut with the citrus salt. Place the halibut in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Continue cooking on the sides for about 1 minute each, until the halibut is cooked through, and outside is light golden brown and the inside is opaque, about 6 minutes total.
Warm the tortillas. Top the tortillas with the citrus slaw, a few segments of fresh mandarin oranges, add the fish, and top with cilantro microgreens. Serve with additional avocado crema, and citrus slaw, as desired. Enjoy!

Citrus Slaw with Avocado Crema

Prepare the citrus slaw and avocado crema; In a blender or food processor, add the sour cream, salt, sugar, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, lemon juice, lime juice, and avocado. Blend until smooth. In a medium bowl, add the red and green cabbage, carrots, and ½ cup of the avocado crema. Stir well to coat the slaw, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cover and refrigerate the remaining avocado crema for serving. Reserve the mandarin orange segments for serving.
Make the citrus salt; In a mortar (the bowl of a mortar and pestle), add the salt, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, and black pepper. Grind with the pestle until combined and the zest is mostly a powder. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a small resealable bag and crush together with a rolling pin or heavy bottom of a pan, until combined.