Banh Mi Fish Tacos

Banh Mi Fish Tacos are a delicious twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich.  Pan grilled tilapia topped with homemade Asian slaw and spicy aioli wrapped in a corn tortilla.  Weight Watchers friendly recipe- 5 SmartPoints!

Tacos are one of my favorite foods to make.  I love being creative with the ingredients and trying new combinations.   Sometimes I really like to push the limits and make unique taco creations.  My Banh Mi Fish Tacos are a delicious twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich.  Pan grilled tilapia topped with homemade Asian slaw and spicy aioli wrapped in a corn tortilla.  This is a Weight Watchers friendly recipe two tacos are 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints.

Have you ever had a traditional Banh Mi sandwich?  This classic Asian sandwich is a baguette stuffed with pork belly (or any kind of pork), fresh jalapenos, fresh cilantro, cucumber and carrots, and a sauce.  The first time I had a Banh Mi was from an Asian sandwich shop in California.  I was traveling there for a job and my co-worker swore by these sandwiches.  It was amazing.  I had never had these flavors mixed together and it was a flavor explosion in my mouth!

To keep things on the lighter side, I decided I wanted to turn a Banh Mi sandwich into fish tacos.  The flavors are perfect for a taco!  This recipe calls for tilapia filets; you can use frozen or fresh.  If you use frozen tilapia, make sure to defrost beforehand.  To start, pat tilapia filets dry then place into a casserole dish.  In a small bowl, mix lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and mirin together then pour over fish and let fish marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While the tilapia is marinating in the refrigerator, make the Asian slaw.  Cut cucumber in half then scoop out the seeds.  Slice cucumber into thin slices and add to a large bowl. Thinly slice jalapeno and carrots and add to the bowl with the cucumbers, along with cole slaw mix (or shredded red and green cabbage).  In a small bowl, whisk together honey, vinegar, salt, and lime juice.  Add liquid to the large bowl with the vegetables and mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Next, it’s time to make the delicious sauce!  Every taco needs a sauce 🙂  In a small bowl, mix ingredients together for mayo and let sit in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

Now it’s time to grill the fish!  Heat large skillet over medium high heat and add oil.  Add tilapia fillets and cook on each side for 5 minutes, gently flipping over.  Remove from skillet and let rest.  Slice into strips.

Heat corn tortilla in a skillet, or directly on a gas stove, for a few minutes to heat up.  To assemble the tacos, lay tortilla on flat surface, add a few pieces of fish, top with a handful of Asian slaw mix, drizzle with spicy aioli, garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedge.

These tacos are a delicious twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich.  Pan grilled tilapia topped with homemade Asian slaw and spicy aioli wrapped in a corn tortilla.  Taco Tuesday turned Asian!  Less than 6 grams of fat and 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints for two tacos!

I hope you enjoy these bites of flavor!

Banh Mi Fish Tacos

A delicious twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich.  Pan grilled tilapia topped with homemade Asian slaw and spicy aioli wrapped in a corn tortilla. 

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Prep Time 1 hr 20 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 1 Pound Tilapia (3 Medium Tilapia Fillets)
• 2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
• 8 Corn Tortillas (I use Mission Ultra Thin)
• Cilantro, for garnish
• Lime Wedges, for garnish

Fish Marinade:

• ¼ Cup Lime Juice
• 2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Mirin

Spicy Aioli:

• ½ Cup Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons Light Mayo
• 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 Tablespoon Mirin
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• 2 Teaspoons Cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Asian Slaw:

• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• ¼ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 Cup Packaged Cole Slaw Mix (Or Shredded Red and Green Cabbage)
• ¼ Seedless Cucumber, Thinly sliced
• 1 Jalapeno, Seeds removed, thinly sliced
• ½ Cup Carrots, Thinly sliced
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Instructions

 

Fish Marinade Directions:

• Pat tilapia filets dry then place into a casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix fish marinade ingredients together then pour over fish and let fish marinade in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Asian Slaw Directions:

• Cut cucumber in half then scoop out the seeds. Slice cucumber into thin slices and add to a large bowl. Thinly slice jalapeno and carrots and add to the bowl with the cucumbers, along with cole slaw mix (or shredded red and green cabbage). In a small bowl, whisk together honey, vinegar, salt, and lime juice. Add liquid to the large bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Spicy Aioli Directions:

• In a small bowl, mix ingredients together for mayo and let sit in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

To grill fish:

• Heat large skillet over medium high heat and add oil. Add tilapia fillets and cook on each side for 5 minutes, gently flipping over. Remove from skillet and let rest. Slice into strips.

To assemble tacos:

• Heat corn tortilla in a skillet, or directly on a gas stove, for a few minutes to heat up. Lay tortilla on flat surface, add a few pieces of fish, top with a handful of Asian slaw mix, drizzle with spicy aioli, garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedge.

Notes

Nutrition is based on the Weight Watchers Freestyle Program guidelines. Nutrition calculated using Weight Watchers calculator.

NUTRITION: Makes 8 Tacos, 2 Tacos Per Serving- (5 SmartPoints Per Serving) CALORIES: 141 FAT: 5.8 SATURATED FAT: 0.3 CARBS: 16.5 FIBER: 2.7 SUGARS: 6.3 PROTEIN: 2

Looking for more Asian Inspired Recipes?  Click here to find all the delicious-ness!

Helpful kitchen tools to make this recipe:

• Cutting Board
• Knives
• Mixing Bowls
• Large Skillet