This Baja Fish Tostadas recipe is crunchy with tons of flavor. Topped with radish and mango, the sweetness from the mango complements the spices for a perfect and easy meal.
A popular Tex Mex staple, tostadas are basically flat, crunchy tacos. In fact you could just make these into fish tacos and call it a day, but I already have lots of taco recipes and zero tostada recipes so here we are. I will say that struggling to watch your significant other try to eat one of these after piling on far too many toppings is a delight in itself. These baja fish tostadas are perfect for a night where you’re looking for a quick, yet flavorful meal.
You'll love this recipe because:
- It's a legit 30 minute meal. Not a fake 30 minute meal that actually takes you an hour.
- These tostadas are super flavorful and the whole family will love the crispy fish.
- This is a great gluten and dairy free recipe.
- It's easy to use different kinds of mild white fish like cod, ono, or halibut.
Ingredients
- Fish (Cod, Ono, Mahi Mahi, or Halibut) - For any kind of fish tacos or tostadas I like to use an inexpensive yet sturdy, light fish that won’t flake too easily. Cod or mahi mahi (dolphinfish) are both good, sustainable choices that are widely available. If you use a more expensive fish like halibut, I would prepare this on the grill instead. On my most recent trip with my family, we purchased Ono and just made these into grilled fish tacos.
- Tortillas - Corn or flour work for this recipe, so go with whatever your favorite is. Corn tortillas are generally gluten free. In Texas I can get fresh homemade tortillas locally at HEB, but if this isn't an option I recommend TortillaLand or Margaritas which are usually found refrigerated.
- Mango - This is a necessary topping! The sweetness of the mango compliments the spiciness of fish and cuts the richness of the frying and tostada. If you're looking to reintroduce foods on a migraine diet, pineapple would be a great addition!
- Coleslaw or Shredded Cabbage Mix and Radish - Perfect for extra crunchiness on top.
- Spicy Mayo - This is just a combination of mayonnaise and sriracha.
- Additional optional toppings like microgreens, green onion, tomatoes, lettuce - whatever you like!
How to Make Crispy Baked Tostadas
Baking saves us a few more calories while still getting these fish tostadas nice and crispy.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lay tortillas on a baking sheet and spray both sides with oil. Bake for 4-5 minutes until crispy on one side. If you're using flour tortillas, they may puff up more than corn tortillas (see pictures). You can use tongs to reach in there and flatten them out a bit while cooking, which will help to keep them even.
Step 2: Flip tortillas and cook another 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. The tortillas will crisp up more as they cool. For corn tortillas, these are a bit more difficult to judge. Do a test tostada to get the cooking times right.
Step by Step Process
To make the fish tostadas, start by having all your ingredients ready to go because this meal moves fast!
Step 1 - Mix together the flour with spices and slice fish into thin 2-3 inch strips. Toss fish with the mixture and use your hands to stir it around till well-coated.
Step 2 - In a large frying pan, add enough high heat oil to just cover the bottom of your pan. Heat oil over medium high until shimmering. A flick of water that sizzles can tell you if it's ready. Add fish strips and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Step 3 - Place the fish on paper towels to drain the oil.
Step 4 - Mix the coleslaw shredded cabbage with the spicy mayo and prepare the toppings.
Assemble everything together on top of the tostada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baja style refers to deep fried fish so that it’s nice and crispy. Although this is a healthy preparation compared to many other styles, if you don’t want to fry your fish, this is really good on the grill. For a one pound filet we usually put the grill at 425-450 degrees F and grill with the skin down for around 8 minutes, depending on thickness. If you decide to grill this, it's best to just omit the white rice flour and sprinkle the seasonings on a whole fish filet.
Tostadas are pretty much a full meal - like tacos! But if you're looking for a great side I recommend my Mexican Brown Rice or salad with ranch dressing. And for another sauce idea, try my creamy cilantro sauce!
Truth is, there's no proper way to eat a tostada but you'll be in a world of hurt trying to eat with a fork and knife. The best way to do it is cracking into a few large pieces, or eating it like one giant nacho.
Gluten Free Tostadas
To make these gluten free, I like to use white rice flour for the coating. It allows the fish to get kind of crispy, but without an overwhelming, thick batter. Blend in some chili powder and spices to make it super flavorful.
Most corn tortillas are gluten free with fairly simple ingredients. To get them super crispy I’ve tried to pan fry them as well as bake them in the oven and I find the oven route is a lot more fool-proof. Sometimes it can be tough to get that perfect, crispy texture when frying without using a ton of oil. This way you can just brush them with a little oil and throw them in to bake for roughly 10 minutes.
Toppings for Fish Tostadas
Mango pairs really well with the baja fish, especially since the sweet compliments the spicy really nicely. Mix it will shallots, cilantro, and a little radish for a sweet and crunchy topping.
Since I’m always finding an excuse to put spicy mayo on anything, I had to add a little bit of a drizzle on top. It's definitely common with traditional baja fish tacos.
Mexican Inspired Meals
For more recipes like these fish tostadas, see these posts. I especially enjoy the Spicy Shrimp Tacos.
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Fish Tostadas Baja-Style
Ingredients
Baja Fish
- 1 pound firm, white fish like cod, halibut, mahi mahi, or on ono
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground sumac
- 1 tablespoon flour (use white rice flour for gluten free)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 corn or flour tortillas
- high heat oil like canola or avocado
Toppings
- 1 large mango, diced
- ⅓ cup radish, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- finely shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
Spicy Mayo
- 2-3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons sriracha or hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread the tortillas on a large baking sheet and brush or spray them with olive oil on both sides. Bake for 4-5 minutes and flip them, then baking another 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool - they should crisp up more as they cool.
- Cut fish across the filet, about ½ inch thick. In a small bowl, add spices with flour and toss fish strips to coat. Prepare a large plate with paper towels to drain your fish.
- Chop mango, cilantro, and radish for toppings. Stir together mayo and sriracha in another small bowl. Mix the spicy mayo into the coleslaw mix or keep them separate and just drizzle on top of the tostada.
- In a large frying pan, add enough high heat oil to just cover the bottom of your pan. Heat oil over medium high until shimmering. A flick of water that sizzles can tell you if it's ready. Add fish strips and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Top crispy tostadas with a little bit of slaw or cabbage, fish, toppings, and then drizzle with spicy mayo.
Notes
- If grilling, omit the white rice flour and sprinkle seasoning mixture directly on the fish fillet. Preheat grill to 425-450 degrees F and cook approximately 8 minutes for a 1 pound fish filet.
Laura says
Otto’s cassava flour works great for a gluten free substitute for the breading. Also, I make tortillas with it and they taste just like traditional wheat flour tortillas. Love this recipe!
Alicia says
Thanks for sharing that, laura!
Laura says
These are so delicious I made them for lunch the last three days in a row. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Alicia says
Thank you, Laura!
Mari O says
I didn't have ground sumac, but the recipe still came out great using catfish! This was truly delicious.
Katie B. says
These are easy to make and are delicious!