How to Make San Diego Fish Tacos | Cook's Country

These delightfully complex tacos are a family affair at Karina’s Cantina.
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[@suzannes5888]

Having been to Baja California hundreds of times, this recipe looks great. The only thing you forgot was a squeeze of lime and some grilled/charred scallions on the side.

[@carolaguilera6911]

Great idea

[@karenefthemes9817]

Yesss!!!!!

[@marysharvey]

I was born in San Diego. I now live in Northern California. I love California.

[@mariocooke5463]

When i was in College we would go surfing in Baja. These tacos are, originally from Ensenada, where several food carts sold them near the port. At the time, mid to late '70s. you could not find these tacos in San Diego anywhere. Credit for this wonderful culinary creation belongs to the street vendors in Baja California.

[@glucosina]

This is the comment I came looking for 👌 and zarandeado isn’t even a Baja thing it’s Nayarit, but it’s served as a whole fish

[@glennkennedy441]

My very first taco was a street taco I had in Tijuana while in the Navy in 1970. This taco changed my life, I've been addicted to them since !

[@craig0769]

I left San Diego for what I thought were greener pastures. I quickly learned that the food even north of Fresno begins to suffer. Grew up in Spring Valley my first 39 years of life and it definitely was/is a food paradise.

[@L.Spencer]

La Posta, Casa de Oro!

[@susanolsen7248]

Made these last night! Used Wahoo as I love it and it was available. Added a few more chiles as we like it spicy! Used white corn tortillas locally made! Delicious and the key is adding the sauce to the fish while cooking! Bravo 👏! 🐟 🌮

[@maryschiff9580]

Oh man, thanks for this recipe! I miss great fish tacos. I haven’t found a good substitute here in the Midwest but this California girl is definitely going to make these. 👏😁

[@kristinmeyer489]

I grew up in the midwest and lived in California. I live Baja fish tacos too! I would think you could substitute a beer batter if you made good pico de gallo.

[@Jean-yf7dg]

Gather Your Ingredients Pickled Red Onion 1 red onion, halved and sliced thin 1 cup distilled white vinegar ⅓ cup sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt Zarandeado Sauce ⅔ cup mayonnaise ⅓ cup sour cream 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce 1 arbol chile, seeded 1 tablespoon Tapatío hot sauce 1 tablespoon beer 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1 garlic clove, chopped ¾ teaspoon soy sauce ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Fish 4 (6- to 8-ounce) cod fillets, each cut lengthwise into 3 pieces 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided Tacos 1½ cups finely shredded red cabbage 1½ cups finely shredded green cabbage 12 corn tortillas, warmed 1 large tomato, chopped fine ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems 1 avocado, sliced thin Before You Begin * This recipe was inspired by the fish tacos served at Karina’s Cantina in San Diego, California. Make sure to prepare your taco fixings before cooking the fish. Use a mandoline to slice the cabbage as thin as possible. The combination of red and green cabbage is for aesthetic reasons; if preferred, you can use a single variety of cabbage. Other varieties of fish, such as snapper, bass, haddock, and halibut, can be substituted for the cod. Other varieties of Mexican hot sauces, such as Cholula or Valentina, can be substituted for the Tapatío. Instructions 1. FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION: Place onion in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture over onion, pressing onion below surface of liquid. Let onion cool completely, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Pickled onion can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.) 2. FOR THE ZARANDEADO SAUCE: Process all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. Reserve 6 tablespoons sauce for cooking cod. Sauce can be prepared and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. 3. FOR THE FISH: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cod with salt and pepper. Place flour in shallow dish. Dredge cod in flour, shaking to remove excess, and transfer to large plate. 4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 1 tablespoon butter and cook until foaming subsides. Add 6 pieces cod to skillet and cook, without moving them, for 2 minutes. 5. Drizzle cod with 3 tablespoons reserved sauce and then, using fish spatula, gently flip pieces. Shake skillet gently to distribute sauce and let cod continue to cook until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove skillet from heat and, using spatula, transfer cod to prepared wire rack. 6. Transfer cod to oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 6 pieces cod, and 3 tablespoons reserved sauce. 7. FOR THE TACOS: Combine red and green cabbage in bowl. Build tacos by placing 1 piece of cod in center of each tortilla, followed by cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, sauce, pickled onions, and avocado. Serve immediately.

[@jonplatz2929]

Going to make this. Julia and Bridget are my idea of a Sunday well spent by the way. Lounging and entertained by the work the have put in. Thanks.

[@gribble2979]

I want Bryan's job - traveling the country eating the best food!

[@RobertFlynn-hl2td]

The only thing the tacos are missing is a wedge of lime for the finish.

[@tommypain]

Yes, the missing squeeze of lime really surprised me!

[@L.Spencer]

@@tommypain I'm also surprised at the avocado and tomato and cilantro, have never seen all that on a local San Diego fish taco. But I haven't eaten at Karina's.

[@goshiamhandsome]

Exactly. It’s not the same without the lime!

[@paulsnyc]

Have been to San Diego in a long time, but when I have visited I have tried a lot of fish tacos at a lot of places - I settled on The Brigantine as the best place for fish tacos and the view is fantastic

[@scottmacaluso8881]

Julia never disappoints with her mmmm after her first bite 🤣🤣🤣

[@matthewolszewski3286]

As a San Diegan who frequently visits Baja, I was fully prepared to unsub ATK after watching this. But I'm still here and very impressed 👍! The only thing I'd change is making a pico de gallo instead of doing the cilantro/tomato by itself. Also, more sauce and more avocado. That said, I know these would be delicious as is!

[@dirtperson4221slash2]

Don't be afraid to try the mariscos trucks in San Diego.. going to try that sauce

[@paulinedudley9656]

I grew up on the border of Calif/Mexico/Arizona and these look delicious...my kind of fish tacos!

[@diamondstud322]

I’m just a home cook, and I love fish tacos! I’ve been using a kind of similar sauce for my fish tacos, but mine is mayo, sour cream, chili powder, hot sauce, lime juice and salt/pepper.. I don’t use pickled onions on fish tacos, so for that nice tang, I dress the cabbage (to which I add grated carrot and diced fresh jalapeño) with a bit of salt, pepper, and lime juice or white wine vinegar. Then I also add crumbled cotija cheese which i think really adds a great salty pop and nice texture. The tomatoes and avocado I include if I have them. Definitely going to try this sauce though, and I never thought to try adding it to the fish while cooking (but I usually fry in beer batter).

[@joannaedwards6325]

Wow that all sounds fabulous. Please invite me to your place for fish tacos. 😋 😋 😄 I'll bring the fixins for margaritas 🍷🍷ha!

[@diamondstud322]

@@joannaedwards6325 Margaritas! Heck yeah! Fiesta at my house! 🌮🍹🪇

[@joannaedwards6325]

@@diamondstud322 See you in my food dreams tonite 😊.

[@danlearned6199]

Perhaps you should include the back story of how fish tacos became such a favorite here in the San Diego/So. Calif. area. Ralph Rubio surfing/camping on the beach in San Felipe, Mexico, during spring break. Rubio became infatuated with the makeshift stands selling beer-battered fried fish served in a warm tortilla topped with diced cabbage, Mexican crema, salsa, and lime. He returned to San Diego, opened a small one man fish taco stand near the Mission Beach pier, a favorite surf spot. I remember this, serving the tacos from a window in a nearby building. Cheap, fast and filling. This grew into Rubio's Coastal Grill, 160+ restaurants now serving several types of fish, shrimp, and even grilled steak tacos with several sides and salsas/sauces all influenced by the 'street tacos' of Ensenada and Tijuana. Everything is prepared on the spot, ensuring freshness. For a real taste treat, try making these with thresher shark. (if you can find it) A little bit more toothsome and a taste somewhere between steak and fish. Guaranteed, you'll love it!!

[@kenmore01]

I guess you just did lol! Rubio's are great! I also loved the ones at the Brigantine along with oyster shooters. Yum!! 😋

[@sunsets619]

I ❤ Brigantine’s fish tacos! 😋

[@kenmore01]

@@sunsets619 Are they still there? I moved away nine years ago, sadly.

[@sunsets619]

@@kenmore01 bummer you moved! We go to their locations in Point Loma, Escondido and Poway. And I think Del Mar is still there.

[@joannaedwards6325]

Danlearnedo Thank you for telling that story.

[@myillumination5054]

We made these tonight and absolutely a game changer! Thank you so much for this recipe

[@kurzhaarguy]

I can practically taste these. What a great, simple technique. And, what a gorgeous restaurant. Thank you!

[@rjjeffreys]

This looks so delicious, Julia! I hope that you had a very relaxing and most enjoyable holiday weekend. It's too bad that the rain made it difficult to have a cookout here on Monday. We don't need any more rain!

[@opwave79]

Lived in San Diego for 8 years and honestly haven’t had a fish taco quite like they make it there. Baja style seafood is my favorite.

[@staycool163]

Dang, my mouth is watering! I LOVE Fish Tacos!

[@deborahpirman3479]

I’ve been to Karina’s! Best ceviche I’ve ever had!

[@Mikomido5]

Looks great but I would grill the tortillas a little bit on the pan too

[@dalededen]

Yes, please. They looked a little light for my taste

[@christeenprice5637]

Awesome video, thanks

[@wikionthisfreestyle]

Wait, u guys are in my backyard !🤙🏽🌮

[@cathylynn57]

Thanks for this one! Not only am I going to try the recipe I’m heading to this restaurant when in San Diego!

[@L.Spencer]

I suggest City Tacos for any taco and El Pollo Grill for fish tacos, if you're near them.

[@lauraecarrera7322]

Those tacos are actually from Ensenada, brought by Ralph Rubio for his chain Rubio’s. They are just delicious!

[@beavaness8742]

I love,love, love fish tacos.

[@wa2k99]

Looks so good

[@hasna6096]

These fish tacos are making me drool🤤

[@ruthm8931]

My mouth is watering! SD has the best seafood and Mexican food ever! So happy to see Bryan taking us along for the ride- yummy!

[@musicgirl8152]

Yum! 😋♥️

[@RamonaAnne]

My home town! Best Mexican food in the country.

[@L.Spencer]

rolled tacos baby

[@RamonaAnne]

@@L.Spencer Exactly!

[@DryHeaveSteve]

San Diego native I’ve eaten fish tacos all over SoCal AND the coast of Baja. Fancy places and not so much and I’ll tell you what. You’ll find the best from a food truck behind a gas station or a liquor store in San Ysrido. Maybe there might be some place to sit…..maybe not

[@jorgeg528]

I appreciate this video and this looks tasty, but any San Diegan will tell you that our traditional fish tacos are deep fried not pan fried.

[@sandrah7512]

And if you time travel back about a decade of Cook’s Country TV episodes (and more than a decade of CC magazine recipes), you'll find the Rubio story and CC's recipe for those deep fried fish tacos.

[@L.Spencer]

@@sandrah7512 that's almost adding salt to the wound...

[@neonxfirefly]

As someone who lives in San Diego. Pickled onions are NOT common in fish tacos. That is a fancy addition. These look very tasty but real "everyday" San Diego fish tacos don't have that. I have seen diced white onion before but that is it.

[@L.Spencer]

I got excited when I saw the title, but then when they made them I'm left shaking my head.

[@DugDug_SD]

As many have already shared, these are Ensenada Fish Tacos, brought to San Diego.

[@sdnyslng]

This guy tacos ❤

[@DoughboyGod]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@JoJo-JoJo-JoJo]

We moved to San Diego back in the late 80's. Went I back to visit family in the LA area I raved about the fish tacos 🤤I got some eww's 😂

[@L.Spencer]

I'm from San Diego, but lived where my husband is from in Tamaulipas. Once we made fish tacos Baja style for our friends there, they had never heard of them and were kind of surprised, but loved them. The next time we made them, they came out mushy, so we didn't try again.

[@user-bh5zg2bn9p]

Been To SanDiego once from NJ for a wedding. loved it and wish I could live there.

[@AdamBechtol]

Ah Bryan still my hidden favorite. :p

[@misstee101]

Avocados are optional for me, but I would make this!

[@Mattanimus]

9 days ago: this video showing how to make these tacos. Today: Rubio’s Coastal Grill filed for bankruptcy. Coincidence? I think not!

[@davidtompkins385]

Been surfing in Baja since the 70's All fish tacos were battered...

[@myillumination5054]

Thank you so much for typing this out. 🙏

[@SavedTraveler-1975]

Not cooking the tortillas and pretending that it's good is funny as hell. Everything looked so good, then the raw corn tortillas!!!

[@AdamBechtol]

Heh, saw those as well, all stiff looking like cardboard.

[@evgenykhamlov8423]

Да там умеют готовить вкусные TACOS

[@GreyRockOne]

OMG so good! Unfortunately I'm the only one in my house that would eat them.. I'm stuck trying to find them in a local restaurant. 😐

[@snitox]

I'd suggest grilling any and all seafood.

[@sociopathmercenary]

They really should bottle and sell that sauce so we don't have to go buy 30 ingredients to make it 😂

[@Mystichandworks]

I have the book, but the pages were cut incorrectly by the press so some of the pages have the recipes cut off at the bottom or side. Great book, but disappointing at the same time.

[@rossmoffitt7364]

Hi, it’s hard to find fresh chili arbol. Is it okay to use dried, or worth reconstituting the dried?

[@jm9565]

The one in the video is dried from the looks of it.

[@v2gbob]

Looks yummy. Will give it a try. HOWEVER--where's the limes! Fish tacos without limes are not fish tacos! Good grief!

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

I miss San Diego so very much.😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭Cali-Mex is far superior to Tex-Mex. I miss everything about home.

[@calfolk7381]

I’m a Rubio’s guy with an open mind

[@kenmore01]

I grew up in San Diego and while I love the fish tacos, it would be great if Bryan checked out shredded beef tacos, taquitos and burritos in some of the taquerias there like Oscar's in San Marcos, El Nopalito in Solana beach / Encinitas etc, as well as the Carne Asada versions of tacos and burritos. Even just as far north as L.A., something is lost. I suppose by the time this was published 5 hours ago, he was probably already well on his way to the next destination, but I have never found comparable Mexican food anywhere else!

[@sandrah7512]

Bryan's been many places, but only recently have they been filming those visits and of those places in the videos, many of them have been revisits of places he went to a few years ago. This is likely due to the length of time it took for the concept of filming the on-the-road segments to come to fruition and in part due to the pandemic. This segment was possibly one of the more recent ones to be posted, however it was still likely recorded over a year ago. The recipe was published in their Cook's Country magazine about two years ago and the recipe portion of the video was shot in October/November 2022.

[@kenmore01]

@@sandrah7512 Yeah, I figured as much. Thanks for the insight!

[@NaturesChild]

Very worthy of a try, but i do prefer batter deep fried fish in a taco 😋

[@luisalbertocastro5940]

If you add a fresh cucumber as well as tomatoes. ufff!

[@MrBornfisher]

Try them with fried tortillas (tacos dorado). Mission white tortillas fried in olive oil are great!

[@L.Spencer]

No, these aren't "San Diego" fish tacos. I don't mind variations, but you can't call them that. Unless you're calling them that because they're so different than the Baja fish tacos. But most people in San Diego don't eat fish tacos like this.

[@huitzilopochtli10]

*Ensenada…

[@theathejtheg9834]

I’m a biiiiiig ATK fan, only wish their videos were a little shorter and to the point. Spoke too soon, love the family coming to live the American dream.

[@AdamBechtol]

Eh I'm with your original point. Really no idea why that family story was mentioned. It's not like they invented tacos.

[@JeffreyTheTaylor]

Points off for no fresh lime juice.

[@aeonsnarfus]

And though it may be traditional, no me gusta cilantro, as it tastes to me like metallic dishsoap.

[@JeffreyTheTaylor]

@@aeonsnarfus It does to some people, there is no denying it.

[@BrightOne444]

Obviously from East Coast… using unripe avocado!

[@kenmore01]

Just once, I'd love to see the taster take a bite and go that's awful!

[@sandrah7512]

🙄It's TV (you did know this was originally recorded for TV?), it's not going to happen. The closest I recall is outtakes used in the closing credits of ATK TV Season 21 where Lan asked if she had to eat her Lyonnaise Salad.

[@kenmore01]

@@sandrah7512 Yeah, I know. Even if it was horrible, they are going to say mmmm!

[@sandrah7512]

@@kenmore01 They also know their cast which is why you're not likely to ever see Bridget dive into a helping of beets or kale.🤷🏼‍♀

[@AdamBechtol]

Same lol. That's why I like Bryan the most, he responds to their empty patter the most non-fakey of the bunch.

[@victoriastone8432]

"Humble tacos". That's an interesting comment, Julia, about a culture you obviously know nothing about. And Bryan... they taught you how to prep the corn tortillas and you made these simply warmed? Sigh... I'm in agreement with the comments about the missing squeeze of fresh lime juice.

[@davidlawson4281]

Too much work.

[@jamesjacks9169]

Brian is stingy as hell. We make the fat tacos in San Diego.

[@mariasiburt1755]

THOSE ARE MEXICAN FISH TACOS!....NOT SAN DIEGO TACOS!

[@joannaedwards6325]

No longer a fan of Julia C. D. since she has been using Chef Jacques Pepin's tag phrase of HAPPY COOKING. He has been saying that catch phrase longer than Ms.Chub has been on TV. Jacques Pepin has EARNED the right to have a personal catch phrase. SHE HAS NOT. imo, SHE IS A THIEF!😝 thumbs downJCD!

[@AdamBechtol]

Oh I didn't notice, but I'll join your crusade haha. He blows her out of the water.

[@joannaedwards6325]

@@AdamBechtol ✌

[@scottlathrop66]

Why does she "MMMMMM" after everything he says?

[@joannaedwards6325]

Bc she is just ANNOYING 😝

[@danfry1669]

As long as you don't mind poop on the streets.

[@jonnyfendi2003]

The city has fallen.

[@floydblandston108]

I thought 'Mexican Seafood' was just slang for hepatitis C....

[@kevinangus4848]

Is that what you call Hispanic sailors? 😏

[@JohnCipriano-nl8cp]

TOO MUCH TALK !!! Too much talking about the Restaurant, it made me turn off this video 😞😞😞🫡🫡🫡👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿

[@kimberleyg4657]

You know you can fast forward the video.

[@NareshKitchen]

Hi friend nice sharing Pls help me Thanks 🙏