These Fresh Fish Tacos With Mango Salsa Prove That Yes, Tacos Can Be Healthy Too

We love our tacos—but usually they’re laden with pork or beef, cheese, salsa, and even sour cream. Not quite the right dish to have when you’re trying to lose weight or simply get healthy. The solution is simple—keep your taco shell and just replace the filling with baked fish and a refreshing mango salsa that is anything but bland. You can also substitute the mango with avocado or pomelo, depending what’s in season.

Just take note—to keep the fish fillet from drying out in the oven while it’s baking, you can cook it en papillote, or sealed in parchment paper or aluminum foil, so that it gently poaches in its own juices, together with the spices and the herbs.

Baked Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Serves 4

• 4 white fish fillets, 6 ounces each, like cobbler, cod, mahi-mahi, snapper, bass, trout
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped  
• fresh cilantro, for garnish

MANGO SALSA:

• 1 ripe mango, large, peeled, pitted, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Arrange fish fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle with garlic and parsley.

3. Place fish in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until cooked.  

4. To make the salsa, in a large bowl, combine mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño pepper. Add lime juice and lemon juice, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Serve fish with taco shells or warm tortillas. Top with mango salsa or serve on the side. Garnish with cilantro. 

This recipe first appeared in FOOD Magazine, Issue 3, 2015

Styling by Nancy Dizon-Edralin

Photography by Paulo Valenzuela