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!

 

Fish tacos flavored like a bahni mi sandwich

 

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.

 

Fish marinade for Banh Mi Fish Tacos

   

 

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.

 

Homemade Asian Slaw for Banh Mi Fish Tacos

 

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.

 

Delicious homemade spicy aioli for Banh Mi Fish Tacos!

 

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.

 

Pan grilled tilapia for Banh Mi Fish Tacos

 

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!

 

Grilled tilapia, Asian slaw, & spicy aioli wrapped in a corn tortilla.

 

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. 
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:

 

 

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15 Comments

  • Reply
    Marta Rivera
    November 1, 2017 at 10:42 am I love bahn mi and these tacos sound divine! I'll sub out the tilapia though as the hubby won't let me bring it in the house. LOL!!
    • Reply
      Kristine
      November 5, 2017 at 8:54 am Oh you could totally sub the tilapia for any protein, or tofu! Thanks Marta :)
  • Reply
    Lori | Choosing Wisdom
    November 1, 2017 at 1:13 pm I love fish tacos! I'm super excited to give this recipe a try. We found the cutest little corn tortilla street taco size the other day. This will be perfect to try with them. Lori | Choosing Wisdom recently posted...You Are What You LoveMy Profile
    • Reply
      Kristine
      November 5, 2017 at 8:53 am Ohhh street corn tortillas are perfect for this!
  • Reply
    Jenna Urben
    November 1, 2017 at 5:44 pm Tilapia tacos are my fave!! These look great :) Jenna Urben recently posted...Oh Mommy Umami Lettuce Wraps from Fuss Free VeganMy Profile
    • Reply
      Kristine
      November 5, 2017 at 8:53 am Thank you so much Jenna :)!
  • Reply
    Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade
    November 1, 2017 at 7:18 pm Oh yum, that grilled fish looks so delicious. I'm definitely saving this recipe, because I love me some fish tacos
    • Reply
      Kristine
      November 5, 2017 at 8:52 am Fish tacos are a great dish to change things up! Thanks Karyl :)
  • Reply
    Heather
    November 2, 2017 at 1:52 pm This sounds fabulous! I love tacos but have never made fish tacos. I definitely want to give it a try now. Heather recently posted...Menu Monday – Freezer Challenge RecapMy Profile
    • Reply
      Kristine
      November 5, 2017 at 8:52 am Oh you will love fish tacos!!
  • Reply
    Rachel Catherine
    November 2, 2017 at 7:15 pm These look so delicious! I'm totally pinning this for later.
    • Reply
      Kristine
      November 5, 2017 at 8:52 am Thank you for pinning!
  • Reply
    Sheila
    January 1, 2018 at 10:56 am This is definitely a great twist on the usual Vietnamese sandwich. It is so good. I can't wait to make this again next weekend to share with my family. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
    • Reply
      Kristine
      January 3, 2018 at 9:21 am I'm so glad you like these tacos Sheila!!
  • Reply
    luis parsons
    February 7, 2018 at 4:16 am woah!this is a super refreshing take on a fish dish...super new to me!will definitely try it out!thank you so much!
  • Leave a Reply

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