Rockfish becomes golden, crispy, and the perfect white fish for tacos with this air fryer taco recipe. From start to finish, you can have a healthy taco dinner on the table in under 20 minutes. It’s also a fun recipe to make, whether you’re taking the lead or delegating tasks to a helper in the kitchen.
Along with crispy breaded rockfish, this recipe includes an easy corn salsa and a smoky chipotle crema as toppings for the tacos. The corn salsa can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned corn — use what is available to you in your home kitchen.
For the smoky chipotle crema, you’ll need a mini food processor to blend up the canned chipotles so that they can be integrated into a creamy sauce. Alternatively, you can buy a can of chipotle sauce to use in place of blended chipotles, and simply add enough sauce to taste when mixing together the crema.
How to Make Crispy Rockfish Tacos on the Stovetop
If you don't have an air fryer, pan-frying is the cooking method that will allow you to make crispy fish tacos on the stovetop.
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Heat a deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
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Once oil is sizzling hot, add fish. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip to cook remaining side, about 5 minutes total.
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Transfer fish to a paper towel or paper bag to absorb excess oil.
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Assemble tacos and enjoy.