Fish Taco Salad with a Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Holy man, do I adore fish tacos.

The tender, flaky fish, crunchy greens, flavorful sauce…the flavors and textures are just so perfect together.

I’ll admit…I prefer mine fried with extra sauce. If it’s made right, it can be better than a perfectly grilled rib-eye (sorta close, anyway).

But we all know we can’t eat that way every day or we’ll all become chubby, obese, unhealthy. And no one wants that. But we do all want killer flavor and to enjoy our food.

I had some fish in the freezer and was craving fish tacos. Badly. To my horror, there wasn’t a tortilla in sight and not enough ingredients to make them. Sure, I could run to the store, but…what else might I have that would satisfy my craving?

That’s when I came up with the idea for a fish taco salad. One that was healthy as well as delicious. The key is marinating and grilling the fish, using greek yogurt in the dressing (and just a little mayo to keep it creamy) and lettuce instead of tortillas. Add some fresh corn (no canned or frozen…the texture just will not be the same! Are you tired of me preaching that yet? 😉

Healthy and sooo tasty! Add more veggies if you’d like, even if they’re not typical “fish taco” veggies. Diced red bell pepper would be good or freshly diced tomatoes. Pile up the cilantro on it, too. You’re going to love this one!

I used my George Foreman grill to cook the fish. It’s perfect for recipes like this! I use it to grill all kinds of things: rib-eyes, fish, chicken…even my Grilled Pound Cakes with Nutella & Strawberries! I love that it cuts down on the fat (up to 42%!) and that I can just throw the grill grates into the dishwasher. I gave one to my mom and she’s really excited about trying it out. It’s perfect since it’s just her and my dad now; they can make full meals just for them without having to heat up their outdoor grill all the time. And, since they’re trying to eat healthier, it’s really just perfect for them. (I’m also sending one to my best friend’s daughter who just started college, it will be perfect for her, too)!

However you want to make this salad your own, I know you’ll definitely love it. Would love to hear some ideas for more healthy things we could add to this. Thanks & Happy {almost} Memorial Day, all!

Fish Taco Salad with a Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Cook time includes time to marinate the fish while you prep the other ingredients.

FISH

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• juice and zest of a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound white flaky fish fillet (I used halibut)

CHIPOTLE DRESSING

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (puree the entire can, measure out 2 teaspoons and store the rest in the fridge or freezer. Can also finely chop 2 teaspoons of the chipotle peppers with a little of the sauce)
• tiny squeeze of lime
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

SALAD ASSEMBLY

• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce (or a mixture of shredded cabbage & lettuce)
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1-2 avocados (chopped)
• chopped cilantro (green onion & lime wedges, to garnish)

1. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade (olive oil through salt & pepper). Place fish on a large plate and drizzle marinade over, taking care to lift each filet to get marinade both over and under fish. Marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix all dressing ingredients together and allow to sit at room temperature.
3. Grill fish until just cooked through. Pull fish apart (if it’s cooked properly it should come apart fairly easily) and set aside briefly.
4. Assemble the salad: Fill four bowls with chopped romaine lettuce. Top with fish, fresh corn kernels, chopped avocado and garnishes. Drizzle the creamy chipotle dressing over the top of each salad and serve.

 

• Author
• Recent Posts

Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

Latest posts by Kristy Bernardo (see all)

• Smoked Cream Cheese - May 14, 2024
• Caprese Bites Appetizer Recipe - March 10, 2024
• Bruschetta Caprese Recipe - March 6, 2024