Behind the Seasoning: Honey Sriracha Lime Fish Taco

Whether you're celebrating Taco Tuesday or having fish on Fridays, Honey Sriracha Lime Fish Taco is the Spice 'n Easy recipe mix you need. We're taking a deeper dive into this returning favorite and giving you a few ideas for a fish taco fiesta.  

Sriracha, the starring flavor, makes these tacos bright, tangy, and sweet with a touch of spice. The mild heat in this dish (about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10) builds but is easily tamed with the addition of crema, avocado, or a dressed slaw, making this fish taco feast very family-friendly.

What are the flavors in Honey Sriracha Lime Fish Taco seasoning?

We make this seasoning by blending three ingredients. It sounds simple, but each element is essential. Some are more complicated than others; sriracha powder is a blend of many ingredients, so there's a lot going on in there.

Masa Harina: Even if the name doesn't immediately sound familiar, you probably already know this ingredient. Masa Harina is dried powdered cornmeal. This was key in giving the fish tacos a crucial crispy coating.

Sriracha Powder: When you turn a hot sauce into a powder, you have to use some interesting ingredients to help round out and balance the flavors. Sriracha powder has a lot of components, but let's highlight the key flavors: dried hot sauce, vinegar powder, and pineapple juice powder. Dried hot sauce has the spicy, tangy flavor you'd expect - which is the base flavor for this complex ingredient. Vinegar powder adds that tangy, mouthwatering quality. Pineapple juice powder adds both sweet and tart notes that balance the other spices and flavors in the sriracha powder.

Citric Acid: The potency of citric acid is almost magical. A tiny bit adds a tart punch that puts the flavor over the top and helps accent the flavors in the sriracha powder. It also boosts the fresh lime zest that you add to the recipe.

How do you make fish tacos?

You might be shocked to learn the helpful trick we used to make these fish tacos. The secret is to start with milk. Yup, you heard that correctly. Soaking the fish pieces in milk maximizes the good, clean flavor associated with fresh fish. It also helps the spices stick to the fish. It may also help minimize fishy odors during the cooking process.

Our favorite test-kitchen-approved tip for breading and frying is to designate a "wet" hand for picking up fish from the milk and a "dry" hand for coating fish in the spice blend. That will keep you from getting doughy fingertips that result when you repeatedly switch from wet to dry ingredients.

One of the best things about fish tacos is how quick and easy it is to fry them. The pieces only take about a minute to cook, so you'll want a good mise en place—prep everything before you start frying or make sure you have an extra set of hands!

But don't stop there. While we created this for fish tacos, it is fantastic on other types of seafood too...especially shrimp. This versatile, spicy-sweet blend makes the perfect coating for these summery shrimp skewers that are grilled instead of fried.

Honey Sriracha Lime Shrimp Skewers

What do you serve with fish tacos?

Fish tacos are great. These fish tacos are amazing. But let's go ahead and make them even better by adding some sides, a drink or two, and a sweet finish. This is a feast where the fish tacos can be the star.

Bacon-Wrapped Bajan Jalapeno Poppers - Start with a south of the border twist on a tasty appetizer. We guarantee you won't be able to have just one of these flavor bombs.

You're definitely going to want to add salsa or guacamole (or both!) so here are two tropical favorites.

Fiesta Guacamole is loaded with party ready flavor. Don't forget add-ins like fresh cilantro, corn, diced bell pepper or jalapenos, diced red onion or tomato, and even chopped steak!

Mango Urfa Salsa pulls double duty as a topping for your fish taco or a side that is perfect with crunchy tortilla chips.

Wash it down with a tasty twisted margarita or, if you'd prefer non-alcoholic, a tropical mocktail.

Hibiscus Margaritas - Inspired by popular Hibiscus Tea or Agua de Jamaica, this flavorful margarita is sweet, tangy, and refreshing.

Tingly Pineapple Mocktail - Fun, non-alcoholic drinks have become increasingly popular. The tropical, tangy flavors of this drink pair perfectly with this flavor-forward menu.

Don't forget a sweet finish!

Salted Watermelon - If you want something super simple, grab a watermelon, choose your favorite salt and give a little sprinkle. Go ahead and get creative if you want to swap in other melons or other salts!

Whiskey Sugar Churros - If you're feeling adventurous and want a show-stopping treat, we have just the recipe for you. Is there any dessert better than fried dough dusted in spiced sugar? We think not!

Try our other Spice 'n Easy recipe mixes

If you enjoy a tropical flavor twist, try Hawaiian-inspired, sticky and sweet Huli Huli Chicken. If you're looking for another fun spin on traditional tacos, try Tikka Tacos—a fusion of one of our best-selling curries one of our most popular family-friendly seasonings. 

If you make these fish tacos, tag us on Instagram (@savoryspiceshop).