This post was sponsored by Alaska Seafood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Hey! Who here is ready to mix up taco night with a different twist on the traditional? Check out these super flavorful and kid-friendly Alaska Pollock Mini Fish Tacos! This is a fun recipe to cook up with the kids on a quiet afternoon; they’ll love helping to make the little wonton cups, and there are plenty of things they can help safely cut and stir along the way. You know that when they help make it, they’re always more likely to want to help eat it. 🙂
I used a package of delicious wild-caught Alaska pollock and a pack of wonton wrappers to create this cute mini fish tacos recipe. You can find both fresh and frozen Alaska whitefish year-round, but being in the Midwest, I most often use frozen — and that’s fine; it thaws out so nicely! I’m always trying to find more ways to incorporate seafood into my family’s diet, and here you’ll find that the soft & flavorful Alaska pollock goes so well with the crunchy mini taco cups, cabbage slaw, and creamy chipotle sour cream.
I’m always happier using sustainably sourced seafood harvested in the U.S., and nearly 60% of that comes from the cold waters of Alaska’s wild fisheries. “Ask for Alaska” everywhere from your local grocer’s seafood counter to your local restaurants as an easy way to help your family eat more U.S. caught seafood.
Alaska Pollock Mini Fish Tacos
Ingredients
– for the chipotle sour cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo
1 Tbsp chipotle sauce
Sea salt, to taste
– for the cabbage slaw
Juice of half a small lime
1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo
1 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 of a medium red cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped into slaw-sized pieces
1 medium carrot, shredded
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
– for the wonton cups
24 wonton wrappers
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
– for the fish
1 pound Alaska pollock
Juice from 1 small lime
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
Black pepper, to taste
1 tsp Kosher salt
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
– for assembling
1 avocado, diced
Directions
First, make your chipotle sour cream and cabbage slaw toppings
First we’ll make the chipotle sour cream and cabbage slaw, so you’ll be all ready to get assembling when the seasoned Alaska pollock and the wonton taco cups are done.
To make your chipotle sour cream: Mix 1/2 cup sour cream with 1 minced chipotle pepper and 1 Tbsp of chipotle sauce, along with a little sea salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the cabbage slaw: Combine lime juice, chipotle, sour cream, olive oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in cabbage and carrot until nicely coated, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Now, let’s make the cute little wonton cups!
Once the toppings are done, let’s start the wonton cups baking and get the fish going. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and spray the bottom of each cup of a 24 ct mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
Brush each wonton wrapper lightly with olive oil, using just about 1/2 a Tbsp across all 24, give them the very tiniest sprinkle of sea salt (optional), then press each wrapper (oil side up) into one cup of the prepared mini muffin tin. Bake the wonton taco cups at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown and crisped up. Remove from oven and let them cool in the pan while you finish the fish. (Note: You can also prepare these a day in advance and keep them in a tightly sealed container until ready to use.)
And now on to the main event, your seasoned Alaska pollock!
While the wonton cups are in the oven, place your Alaska pollock in a baking dish. Combine the lime juice with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic, and Kosher salt, then cover both sides of the fish with the lime/spice marinade and let it sit for about ten minutes.
When fish is done marinating, heat an empty 12″ cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes so that it’s nice and hot when you add the fish. Add the marinated Alaska pollock to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness), until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork. (Mine here was done after three minutes on the first side, plus another two minutes after flipping over.)
Break the cooked Alaska pollock into small pieces with a fork.
Let’s get assembling!
Arrange your empty baked wonton taco cups on a large platter or tray. Fill each cup with the sauteed seasoned Alaska pollock and a little diced avocado, then top them with the optional cabbage slaw & chipotle sour cream.
Note: It’s easy to make this kid-friendly mini fish tacos recipe fit different tastes, just by omitting the chipotle sour cream and/or cabbage slaw. Most of the heat in this recipe is in the toppings, making these super customizable to tiny taste buds.
Have you tried Alaska pollock yet?
Are you an Alaska pollock fan, or is another type of Alaska seafood your favorite? Ponder that question as you visit the Alaska Seafood site for many more recipes, cooking techniques, and more info on why it’s important to “Ask for Alaska!”
And here’s one way to get your family to eat more seafood: Make. It. Mini! (Mr. 11 was a huge fan, and put away an inordinate number of these…) Print the entire fun mini fish tacos recipe below, and let me know how your family enjoys theirs.
Alaska Pollock Mini Fish Tacos, printable recipe
Alaska Pollock Mini Fish Tacos
Ingredients
- for the chipotle sour cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo
- 1 Tbsp chipotle sauce
- Sea salt, to taste
- for the cabbage slaw
- Juice of half a small lime
- 1 minced chipotle pepper in adobo
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 of a medium red cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped into slaw-sized pieces
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- Sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- for the wonton cups
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- for the fish
- 1 pound Alaska pollock
- Juice from 1 small lime
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- for assembling
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
First, make your chipotle sour cream and cabbage slaw toppings
- First we'll make the chipotle sour cream and cabbage slaw, so you'll be all ready to get assembling when the seasoned Alaska pollock and the wonton taco cups are done.
- To make your chipotle sour cream: Mix 1/2 cup sour cream with 1 minced chipotle pepper and 1 Tbsp of chipotle sauce, along with a little sea salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- To make the cabbage slaw: Combine lime juice, chipotle, sour cream, olive oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in cabbage and carrot until nicely coated, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Now, let's make the cute little wonton cups!
- Once the toppings are done, let's start the wonton cups baking and get the fish going. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and spray the bottom of each cup of a 24 ct mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Brush each wonton wrapper lightly with olive oil, using just about 1/2 a Tbsp across all 24, give them the very tiniest sprinkle of sea salt (optional), then press each wrapper (oil side up) into one cup of the prepared mini muffin tin. Bake the wonton taco cups at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown and crisped up. Remove from oven and let them cool in the pan while you finish the fish. (Note: You can also prepare these a day in advance and keep them in a tightly sealed container until ready to use.)
And now on to the main event, your seasoned Alaska pollock!
- While the wonton cups are in the oven, place your Alaska pollock in a baking dish. Combine the lime juice with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic, and Kosher salt, then cover both sides of the fish with the lime/spice marinade and let it sit for about ten minutes.
- When fish is done marinating, heat an empty 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes so that it's nice and hot when you add the fish. Add the marinated Alaska pollock to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness), until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork. (Mine here was done after three minutes on the first side, plus another two minutes after flipping over.)
- Break the cooked Alaska pollock into small pieces with a fork.
Let's get assembling!
- Arrange your empty baked wonton taco cups on a large platter or tray. Fill each cup with the sauteed seasoned Alaska pollock and a little diced avocado, then top them with the optional cabbage slaw & chipotle sour cream.
