There isn’t just one way to make Crispy Fish Tacos and you can choose from a variety of fish. You don’t need to get all gourmet about it, though, and choose expensive fish. Half the point is to save money and go with some delicious and cheap. Unfortunately, Cod has been fairly expensive lately and many recipes use it in their tacos because it tastes great. But, who can afford $7 to $10 dollars per pound? Might as well buy Shrimp at those prices. Tilapia, Pollack and Swai are good alternatives, if you’re cooking from scratch but I’m going to shock you and ask you to consider frozen fish Fillets.
Frozen Crispy Fish Tacos
That’s right, I said it, Frozen Crispy Fish Tacos are amazing and incredibly inexpensive. I bought this bag of Gorton’s Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets for only $3 bucks. I’m not affiliated with them in any way so, for all I care, buy Van De Kamp’s or some other brand on sale. The point is, these are ready to go and you can make some great fish tacos with these fillets. Not only does it save time, the clean up is just one oven pan. So consider these the next time you want to crank out some crispy fish tacos.
If you want to do it from scratch, however, be my guess. I’ve got a fantastic Beer Batter recipe and/or a Southern Fish Fry recipe you can use, if you prefer. the Beer Batter is also great for making Onion Rings and the Southern Fish Fry can be used for Shrimp as well. Either way, you’re also going to need my Pico De Gallo recipe to make these Tacos as well. So study up and let me know if you have any questions.
Crispy Fish Tacos Ingredients:
10 Fish Fillet’s, 3-4 oz portions
1 pkg Corn Tortillas
1 head Cabbage, chopped
2 Limes, cut into wedges
1 cup Pico De Gallo, CLICK HERE
1/2 cup Crema or Sour Cream
Be sure to watch the short video tutorial to make these Crispy Fish Tacos.
A fully seasoned and cooked plate of previously Frozen Crawfish Boil crayfish.
A Frozen Crawfish Boil is still Great
If you’re a fan of Crawfish, you’re going to love this recipe. The problem is that there are a lot of places that don’t have access to live Crawfish, if they have access to them at all. If you’re lucky, you can at least find them frozen in your seafood department at your local grocery store. “Lucky” may be a loose term because any good cook knows that any pre-cooked anything, let alone frozen, is a recipe for disaster. But, if you consider the fact that King and Snow Crab legs don’t get shipped, practically, any other way, then believe me when I say, you’re in good hands with this post. The trick is to reconstitute and reheat these mud bugs without over cooking them and to be sure to add enough flavor. When it’s done right, no Cajun will ever know they’re eating a Frozen Crawfish Boil.
A bowl full of Frozen Crawfish ready for the seasoned boil.
How to Season a Frozen Crawfish Boil
Just to be clear, this recipe can be used for both Live or Frozen Crawfish. It will flavor and season them both, properly. The only difference will be the amount of time live Crawfish need to cook before they soak and to get good flavor into either/or you definitely need to soak. Frozen crawfish are the easiest to prepare because the cleaning and purging have already been done for you. All you need now is the right ingredients and they’ll get the re-heat they need, along with a good soak, and all of the flavor you would expect great Crawfish to have in just a matter of minutes.
The Broth is what makes it Incredible
To make a killer broth for a Crawfish Boil, start with a spicy base. Thankfully, seasoning blends like Slap Ya Mama, Zatarain’s, or Old Bay make it easy and affordable. Liquid versions are available too if you prefer. The only downside? The suggested water-to-seasoning ratios can be overwhelmingly spicy, even for heat lovers like me. Reducing the seasoning solves the heat issue but dulls the flavor. My solution? Add Knorr Tomato Bouillon—it balances the heat with a medium kick and amps up the flavor to perfection.
Cutting the Heat but adding Flavor
I recommend Knorr Tomato Bouillon because it works best for this recipe. Why tomato instead of chicken, beef, or vegetable? Tomato-based broths are common in spicy dishes like Mexican or Indian cuisine, so it just fits. I also add onion and a full stick of butter. Crab boil seasoning already includes onion, garlic, paprika, cayenne, pepper, lemon, and salt, so there’s little else you need unless you want to experiment. For an Asian twist, ginger works well. This approach lets you control both heat and flavor while preparing the boil exactly as shown in the video.
What to do with the leftover Seasoned Boil
Be absolutely sure to strain and save the broth for other recipes. It can be used in sauces, soups and many recipes that require broth. And if you’re looking for more Cajun recipes, be sure to check out my Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalaya, Oysters Rockefeller, Bourbon Chicken or Boudin Recipes. I have more Cajun recipes than this and, if you’re interested, you can search for them by category on this website or just watch and flip through this Cajun Playlist I have on YouTube.
Frozen Crawfish Boil Ingredients:
5 lbs of Frozen Crawfish – Rinse them well; their sweet, delicate meat is the star of the dish.
1 gallon of Water – Forms the base for a flavorful broth.
1 Whole Onion, peeled and quartered – Adds a natural sweetness and depth to the boil.
1/3 cup of Tomato Bouillon(adjust to taste) – Enhances the broth with a rich, slightly tangy flavor.
1 Stick of Butter – Smooths out the spices and adds richness to the broth.
Directions:
Rest for Flavor: Turn off the heat and let the crawfish sit in the broth for an additional 10
Prepare the Crawfish: Rinse the crawfish thoroughly in cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Set them aside while you prepare the broth.
Make the Broth: In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water to a boil. Add the onion, tomato bouillon, crawfish boil seasoning, and butter. Stir well to combine.
Simmer for Flavor: Lower the heat and let the broth simmer for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Cook the Crawfish: Add the cleaned crawfish to the pot and increase the heat to bring the water back to a boil. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the crawfish shells turn bright red.
In my opinion, Shrimp Cocktail is only as good as the seasoning. Technically the shrimp only need to be steamed or boiled in water but without salt or a good Crab Boil seasoning, the prawns aren’t going to have that much flavor. So, I highly suggest adding flavor to the water that soaks into the shrimp as it cooks. Even Bouillon or a good stock would be perfect. I also show you how to make Cocktail sauce. I know that it seams like a no-brainer but there are several different ways to make it and I show you 3 different versions in this recipe. First, the basic recipe, then I show you a more diverse recipe and, finally, the Bloody-Rita style Cocktail sauce recipe for the Oyster Shots.
Oyster Shots with Shrimp Cocktail
Originally, I just wanted to film a good Cocktail Sauce video recipe and post that to the blog. But, after more thought and deliberation, I realized I needed to combine that recipe with a couple of popular appetizers that go great with Cocktail sauce. So, in truth, you’re getting a 3 in 1 special and I decided that Oyster Shots and Shrimp Cocktail were the two recipes I wanted to share the most.
I’ve got such good memories of the few occasions that I ordered Oyster Shots. It’s only appropriate that I share my favorite recipe. The best version I tried was served with Tequila, which I have since realized is a Bloody-Rita style Cocktail Sauce.
Much like a Bloody Mary Cocktail, a Bloody-Rita is served with Tequila instead of Vodka and usually garnished with Lime. Margarita’s have been one of my go to drinks and I love a good Bloody Mary, plus I’m a big Oyster fan. So, needless to say, I fell in love with this Oyster Shot recipe the moment it was served and I ordered another round.
The Cocktail Sauce recipe I listed in the ingredients below is a hyped up version of the very basic recipe; ketchup, horseradish and lemon juice. It’s great with the Shrimp Cocktail but it’s even better for the Oyster Shots because it’s got everything you need to take it to the next level. Just add the Tequila and Lime and you’re on your way. Just be sure to use fresh Oysters and not bottled, canned or smoked oysters. And, I highly recommend you purchase the smallest Oysters you can find. If you need a tutorial on shucking Oysters, I’ve got a great step by step guide in my Oysters Rockefeller Video Recipe.
Shrimp Cocktail and Oyster Shots Ingredients:
1 lbs 16 to 20 Prawns
1 dozen Oysters
1 cup Cocktail sauce
1 1/2 oz Tequila
1 Lime
4 cups water
2 tbsp Crab Boil Seasoning, Old Bay/Slap Ya Mama/Zatarain’s
Cocktail Sauce
1 cup Ketchup
1 1/2 tbsp Horseradish
1 tsp Lemon juice
3 tbsp Chili sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Hot sauce
Be sure to follow the instructions in the short Shrimp Cocktail and Oyster Shots video recipe tutorial.
