Mediterranean Fish Tacos - DC Girl in Pearls

Yup, it’s officially Cinco de Mayo and, according to my phone, it’s TACO O’ CLOCK. So are the other 23 hours in the day.

Because science.

As I’ve said before, Cinco de Mayo is my Super Bowl. It’s really the best justification I can find for eating my weight in chips, salsa, queso, tacos + margaritas. Which made choosing which recipes to create + post here was like choosing a favorite child or a favorite Karen Walker one-liner.

So I did what any girl could do: took one of my new favorite dinners and transformed it into a taco.

HUZZAH!

P.S. I kinda cheated + will be posting my favorite guac + marg recipes today over on my Instagram, join the fiesta there!

P.P.S. Also HIGHLY recommend you get these pulled chicken + mango pineapple salsa tacos into your life ASAP. And make this adorable cactus DIY. That’s all.

While I was home over Easter, my mom challenged me to make dinner using the mahi mahi she picked up from Trader Joe’s earlier that week. GAME ON!

When in doubt about how to make something taste absolutely out of this world good, always ALWAYS reach for the buttermilk. Now isn’t the time to worry about your waistlines, ladies!

I sliced up the mahi mahi strips in half and placed them in a deep glass dish and made it rain buttermilk all over them until they were completely covered. If you don’t want to buy buttermilk just for one dish (I’m not big on high-maintenance ingredients either), one of my favorite food bloggers Serena from Domesticate Me has a handy tip to DIY buttermilk. Let the buttermilk-covered mahi mahi strips hang out covered in the fridge for about 2 hours. Or overnight if you have the patience of a saint, which I do not. 2 hours it is!

You could also prep the mahi mahi in the morning just before you head to work so BAM, built-in fool-proof self-control.

Once the mahi mahi + buttermilk become BFFs, it’s time to break out the panko. I like to season my panko with just a sprinkle of salt + pepper and the zest of 1 small lime. Mix to combine and plop the mahi mahi into the mixture. Press the panko firmly into the mahi mahi to coat.

Place in the oven on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees until the panko is golden + crispy and the fish is thoroughly cooked.

My family + I had a fun time playing around with different toppings for the panko crusted mahi mahi but the crowning champion? Tzatziki.

Who knew??

When I was thinking of a favorite dish to transform into a taco, it had to be the tzatziki topped mahi mahi.

So let’s get building our Mediterranean Fish Tacos!

On a tortilla, spoon some of Trader Joe’s delicious feta spread right down the center and then top with the golden, crispy mahi mahi. And on top of those pieces of heaven, add chopped tomaotes + creamy tzatziki. Trader Joe’s tzatziki comes loaded with thinly sliced cucumber but feel free to add more if that floats your boat. I also added raw zoodles to the taco (not pictured but happily eaten) for an awesome crunchy slaw and because I can’t not have a kick to a meal, I added sliced jalapeños.

Make this taco your own! Add kalamata olives, load up a white queso made with goat cheese + Greek herbs. You do what you think will taste incredible.

All I ask is that you have a margarita while you’re at it.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!