These tacos are like gold, topped with pickled daikon, carrots, and a dab of sriracha crema. This is a great way to make tilapia exciting and flavorful.
By Tian Lee
Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches are pretty much my favorite in the whole world. I often food-dream of different ways I can consume this sandwich – maybe on a pizza? On a crostini? My latest creation was inspired by some leftover pickled daikon and carrots I had after making banh mi sandwiches for a friend. Behold: the cornmeal crusted banh mi fish taco. 
This recipe features a wonderfully cornmeal and panko crusted tilapia – which is perfect for this dish because it is an affordable meaty white fish that doesn’t fall apart when you’re pan searing it. Then you have the banh mi trifecta of jalapenos, pickled daikon/carrots and cilantro. To be honest though, my magic touch here really is the sriracha crema – a simple but important element that brings all of these amazing ingredients together.
Cornmeal Crusted Banh Mi Fish Tacos
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
These tacos are like gold, topped with pickled daikon, carrots, and a dab of sriracha crema. A perfect twist on the fish taco.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 lb tilapia fillets
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 6 corn & wheat tortillas (I love the Sonoma brand wheat & corn mini tortillas).
- Toppings & Garnishes:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced green jalapenos
- Pickled daikon and carrots (*I bought mine at a local Vietnamese restaurant. Or you can make them at home via this easy recipe from White on Rice.)
- Sirracha crema: 1/2 cup sour cream + 1 tablespoon sirracha
Instructions
- Cut each tilapia fillet into 3 small pieces (1 fillet should yield 3 tacos)
- Crack & beat egg into a mixing bowl. Dip fish pieces into egg wash. Dredge fish into mixture of cornmeal and panko.
- Pan fry the fish fillets with 3 tablespoons of canola oil until golden and crunchy. Place onto paper towel to absorb extra oil.
- Place tortillas into microwave for 15-20 seconds to warm them. Place fish on top of tortillas. Assemble with garnishes and toppings: sirracha crema, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro and jalapenos.
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Thank you for the recipe, I love these tacos. I also make the same dish with crabcakes – I make crabcakes and serve them with the sriracha sour cream sauce, daikon, and cilantro.