Seafood Tacos on the Grill
Everyone loves tacos and what better way to salute the warm weather than by grilling up the fan favorite al fresco… In this article we’ll lay out the ultimate grilled seafood taco feast, from the best seafood to use to the best sides and toppings to adorn. So fire up that grill my friends and get the crew together, even if it’s not taco Tuesday there’s always reason to celebrate with Cameron’s Seafood.
The perfect seafood for tacos…
We’ve got a number of seafood options to choose from but my all-time taco filling favs would have to be fresh shrimp, scallops or white fish (catfish, cod or tilapia). Shrimp and scallops, especially, are grill-hearty and easy to cook over the open flame. While white fish marinates exceptionally well giving a full range of flavors to your final dish.
Depending on your party, I would plan on making tacos with 1, 2 or all seafood options, to fulfill everyones taste and to show a range of seafood diversity for your taco spread.
The shrimp, scallops and whitefish will all grill up quickly, 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness and should rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. I also thoroughly recommend marinating your seafood before grilling and I have just the trick to accomplish that task…
The best quick and easy marinade…
This marinade can be made in no time at all and is universal for whichever seafood you pick, be it one or all…
Quick and easy marinade
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo minced (canned)
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 orange juiced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
Instructions
- Whisk together marinade ingredients in a medium bowl until blended.
- Place seafood in a plastic zipper bag or casserole dish and coat seafood with 3/4 cup marinade. Cover and refrigerate.
- Refrigerate seafood for 1 hour before grilling. After seafood has been grilled and cooked brush with reserved 1/4 cup of marinade before serving.
The sides
Second in importance to your seafood tacos would be the side dishes! Everyone loves a good grilled side and my most-liked recipes would have to be for charro beans, grilled corn (elote), grilled vegetables and a tangy slaw.
Charro beans are simply pinto beans simmered with some bacon (or chorizo), tomatoes, broth and Mexican spices (cumin, coriander, chipotle pepper and oregano). If you have a large heat-proof pot, I use my cast iron dutch oven, you can even simmer these guys right on your grill. Think of charro beans as a Mexican version of BBQ baked beans, super delicious.
Grilled corn and grilled vegetables are a perfect accompaniment to your taco bar. Season with a little bit of taco or fajita seasoning before brushing with oil and grilling…perfecto!
Seafood tacos love a bit of tang and a nice vinegar based slaw is a great addition to this table. Try adding a little cilantro and thinly sliced red onion to your basic vinegar slaw recipe for some authentic flavors.
Toppings
You can’t have a suitable taco feast without having a wide selection of taco toppings. The following list is my top-notch topping ideas that will partner perfectly with your seafood tacos.
- Quick Pickled Red Onions- this one may need a day or two prepping ahead of time but are very easy-peasy to make and well worth the effort
- Grilled Pineapple- always great on seafood tacos! Just slice and grill until slightly charred, chill and dice…voila!
- Cilantro- just rough chop some fresh cilantro for folks to top their tacos with
- Limes- A few wedges of limes will add a lovely touch of acid to your taco.
- Avocado- either slices, chunked or guacamole’d, avocados are a must have taco bar topping.
- Jalapeños- for those that love the heat a couple slice jalapeños will make everyone’s day.
- Queso Fresco Crumbles- this is a moderately tangy white cheese (similar to feta) that has the perfect balance of creaminess and twang-a great authentic topping option.
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese- I love the touch of sharpness with monterey jack cheese, great taco topper.
- Sour Cream- to cool off the heat, sour cream or authentic Mexican crema is necessary.
- Pico de Gallo or Fresh Salsa- either homemade or purchased, this is a refreshing topping for all kinds of seafood taco combinations.
- Hot Sauce (optional)- more fuel to the fire! And why not!
Buy Seafood Online
You can buy all of the delicious seafood listed in this article from our online store. All of Cameron’s Seafood comes straight from the sea to your door with guaranteed freshness.
Show us how you use Cameron’s Seafood in your taco bar. Whether you follow these grilled taco tips or have one of your own that you would like to share-we’d love to hear from you. Post your own Cameron’s Seafood dish on Instagram and tag us @cameronsseafoodonline. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter, we look forward seeing your creations.
About the author
Patterson Watkins is a professional chef with over 17 years of experience. With a robust career in restaurants, contract dining and catering (including 4 Summer Olympic posts preparing food for the athletes!) Patterson joined the Cameron’s Seafood team at the end of 2018 to concoct some delicious recipes with our premium seafood items as the centerpiece.
