Peruvian-Inspired Fish Tacos

While these fusion Peruvian-Inspired Fish Tacos look like their Mexican counterparts, they’re delightfully different. Your firm white fish soaks in a simple ají amarillo-lime marinade, and they get topped with a fresh goldenberry pico de gallo. These vibrant tacos with “a twist” come together quickly, and they’re super healthy and gluten free!

Peruvian-inspired fish tacos on a blue ceramic plate topped with fresh goldenberry pico de gallo.

👩🏻‍🍳 Tamara Talks – Recipe Inspiration

We love tacos at Andersen casa! ALL. THE. TACOS. On Beyond Mere Sustenance, I’ve posted recipes for some unusual tacos – fried oyster tacos, tacos de lengua (tongue), and Indian street tacos. Some of them are more typical like my Yucatán pork tacos and ground lamb tacos.

I am fully aware that tacos are not Peruvian. However, tortillas can hold an infinite array of delicious food. After I did the goldenberry pico de gallo recipe, it occurred to me it would pair perfectly with fish tacos. I did not hesitate to run away with this idea. This fish taco recipe will not disappoint!

📋 Ingredients Notes

A wood cutting board with fish tacos ingredients: Cod fillets, cumin, aji amarillo paste, garlic, and limes.

Fish and marinade

  • fish – Choose firm, white fish fillets – cod (in the photos), barramundi, tilapia, bass, snapper, etc. I often find flash-frozen fish fillets are fresher than the “fresh” options at the fish counter. Choose the best quality you can get. If using frozen fish, thawing slowly (overnight in the refrigerator) will yield the best result. For more see Selecting Fish for Purchase.
  • ají amarillo paste – Ají amarillo paste in the marinade is distinctly Peruvian. You can find it at Latin markets and in the international foods section of many large grocery stores.
  • Limes – You’ll want the zest of 1 of the limes, so don’t forget to zest a lime before squeezing the fresh lime juice!
  • garlic
  • ground cumin

Tacos

  • marinated and cooked fish – After your fish is cooked, you can cover it with foil to keep it warm. IMHO, Americans have a fascination with hot and icy cold. I’m happy to eat the fish in my fish tacos at room temperature.
  • salsa – I highly recommend my goldenberry pico de gallo. I created this fish tacos recipe specifically for this flavorful salsa.
  • avocado
  • queso fresco – Queso andina (a farm cheese) is very typical in Peru. I find the closest cheese we have in the US is Mexican queso fresco. Fresh mozzarella will work in a pinch.
  • cabbage – You can shred the cabbage yourself, or buy pre-shredded cabbage. The choice is yours.
  • corn tortillas – I have a confession to make: I do not love flour tortillas. They have about twice as many calories, and I find them somewhat lacking the flavor and texture of corn. Again, the choice is yours. NOTE: Flour tortillas are NOT GLUTEN FREE.

🔪 Instructions

A white oval ceramic dish with 2 fish fillets in the lime-aji amarillo marinade.
  • Whisk the marinade ingredients – lime juice and zest, ají amarillo paste, garlic, and ground cumin – together in a large enough vessel to hold your fish. Add the fish, and turn over in the marinade to coat both sides. After 15 minutes, turn. Marinate 30 minutes.
  • Prepare the taco toppings – Make the goldenberry pico de gallo, shred the cabbage, slice the avocados, and cube the queso fresco.
  • Prepare the fish for grilling/cooking – Remove the fish from the marinade. Using paper towels, remove excess moisture. Either spray with cooking spray or brush with oil a sauté pan or grill pan, and bring to very high heat.
A cast iron grill pan with 2 marinated fish fillets.
  • Place the fish on your very hot pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until fillets begin to brown on the first side. You can gently lift an edge to check.
Two fish fillets turned after cooking on the first side with grill marks.
  • Carefully turn the fillets. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the fish is opaque, and it flakes with a fork. Keep in mind the fish will be flaked for the tacos, so it is not important to keep the fish fillets intact!
All of the ingredients for Peruvian-inspired fish tacos: Prepared fish, goldenberry pico de gallo, queso fresco, avocado, shredded cabbage!
All of the ingredients for Peruvian-inspired fish tacos: Prepared fish, goldenberry pico de gallo, queso fresco, avocado, shredded cabbage!
  • Warm your tortillas by your favorite method. I use a tortilla warmer. See 3 Ways to Warm Tortillas for more options.
  • Assemble your tacos – I arrange all my fish, my tortilla warmer, and all of my toppings in a convenient spot. I let each taco-eater fill their tortillas. I find taco holders are useful.

💭 Tips

If you really want to elevate these fish tacos, prepare this southwest coleslaw with passion fruit dressing.

If you can’t find goldenberries, the southwest coleslaw really complements the fish! You could also just choose to do a pico de gallo.

PRO TIP: Season all components of the tacos. This is particularly important for avocado and cabbage.

NOTE: Don’t worry about removing perfect fish fillets from your grill or pan. The pieces will be broken up when filling tacos.

❓ FAQ

Can I make these fish tacos in advance?

I think these fish tacos are best made right before serving. The fresh ingredients shine. The goldenberyy pico de gallo does not suffer much by spending the night in the refrigerator, but I never recommend fish or shellfish leftover.

What kinds of fish work best for fish tacos?

Lean and flakey white fish makes for great fish tacos. We love to fish, and frequently have redfish, red snapper, sheepshead, and/or black drum on hand. Barramundi is a personal favorite because of its sustainability. Halibut, mahi mahi, cod, and tilapia are good options as well. I typically use fairly thin fillets because they cook so quickly.

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps to offset the costs of maintaining my blog and creating awesome content! 😊

Whether #TacoTuesday is a regular thing, or you have tacos only occasionally, this Peruvian-inspired fish taco recipe is a simple and very healthy addition to your taco repertoire! I do hope you’ll keep an eye out for goldenberries and give it a whirl. You can always substitute your favorite salsa if not. Try an easy mango salsa!

Signature in red and green with chiles and limes. Healthyish Latin cuisine.

A blue ceramic plate with 3 Peruvian-style fish tacos and a print napkin.

Peruvian-Inspired Fish Tacos

Fusion fish tacos with a Peruvian twist – the fish is marinated in lime juice and aji amarillo paste, and the tacos are served with fresh goldenberry pico de gallo. Que rico!
5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinate Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Peruvian
Servings 2 servings
Calories 445 kcal

Ingredients
  

Fish and Marinade

  • 12 ounces firm white fish fillets
  • 2 limes - juice and zest
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon ají amarillo paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Tacos

  • Marinated fish
  • goldenberry pico de gallo - or other fresh salsa
  • queso fresco - or other cheese grated or diced
  • shredded cabbage
  • avocado - sliced

Instructions

  • Whisk the marinade ingredients – lime juice and zest, ají amarillo paste, garlic, and ground cumin – together in a large enough vessel to hold your fish. Add the fish, and turn over in the marinade to coat both sides. After 15 minutes, turn. Marinate 30 minutes.
  • Prepare the taco toppings – Make the goldenberry pico de gallo, shred the cabbage, slice the avocados, and cube the queso fresco.
  • Prepare the fish for grilling/cooking – Remove the fish from the marinade. Using paper towels, remove excess moisture. Either spray with cooking spray or brush with oil a sauté pan or grill pan, and bring to very high heat.
  • Place the fish on your very hot pan. Cook until fillets begin to brown on the first side. You can gently lift an edge to check.
  • Carefully turn the fillets. Cook until the fish is opaque, and it flakes with a fork. Keep in mind the fish will be flaked for the tacos, so it is not important to keep the fish fillets intact!
  • Warm your tortillas by your favorite method. I use a tortilla warmer. See 3 Ways to Warm Tortillas for more options.
  • Assemble your tacos – I arrange all my fish, my tortilla warmer, and all of my toppings in a convenient spot. I let each taco-eater fill their tortillas. I find taco holders are useful.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g

NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and/or star rating! Email us with any questions: tamara@beyondmeresustenance.com

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