Blissful Cooking Club 8/16/23: Skillet Tilapia Tacos

*This is the last Blissful cooking class before I go on vacation. When I return the schedule will be changing to a monthly cooking class with the possibility of some more short video content including breathwork, yoga and meditation.

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Enjoy the recipe along with the class!

Skillet Tilapia Tacos with Mango Salsa

Makes 8 tacos

TL;DR: Make salsa. Season tilapia. Toast tortillas in the pan and keep them warm in oven while fish cooks. Assemble tacos and douse in salsa.

MANGO SALSA

1 large mango peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot finely chopped (or half a red onion)
1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 lime juiced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

SKILLET TILAPIA TACOS

4 large or 8 small fillets of tilapia skin removed and thawed from frozen
1 tablespoon fine sea salt plus extra as needed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
8 to 16 corn tortillas (see note)
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil such as canola
lime juice freshly squeezed

Make the salsa: Combine the mango, shallot, bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl, stir, and set aside to let the flavors mingle. It helps if they get to know each other.

Make sure your tilapia fillets are fully thawed, then pat them mostly dry with a paper towel. Place the salt, cumin, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine, then lightly coat the tilapia on both sides with the seasonings. Set the tilapia aside while you deal with the tortillas.

Preheat the oven to 125°F.

Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, toast the tortillas in the pan until they puff up and develop a few brown spots, 1 minute or so per side. As you finish toasting them, place the tortillas in the warm oven on an oven-safe plate, under a towel. This should keep them warm and pliable until you are ready to assemble the tacos.

When you’re done with the tortillas, turn the heat under the skillet up to high. Once it is nice and hot, add a tablespoon or so of the cooking oil. Working in batches so you don’t crowd them, gently place 2 or 3 pieces of tilapia in the pan, cover, and let cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook until they are just cooked through, beginning to flake apart, and ideally have a few brown spots, about 2 minutes more. Remove to a plate and place in the warm oven. Repeat until you have cooked all of the tilapia; replenish the oil in the pan as needed.

Taste the fish. Sprinkle with more salt, if you like, and squeeze fresh lime juice over the tilapia to finish.

To assemble the tacos, place 1 or 2 tortillas on a plate (see note above) and top with 1 large piece of tilapia or 2 small ones (don’t worry if they break up, that just means they’re lovely and tender) and a generous spoonful of mango salsa. I recommend two tacos per person.