Quick & Easy Snapper Fish Tacos

Grilling is often associated with large groups and leisurely Saturday afternoons, but your grill can also be perfectly suited for a weeknight meal. After all, almost anyone can get on board with short cooking times and minimal dishes to clean during the busy week. For a casual dinner, try this healthy, fresh tasting recipe, easy to customize and quick to prepare.

 

Snapper Fish Tacos

 

2 jalapeño chiles, quartered lengthwise and seeded

1 Tbs. vegetable oil, plus more for brushing

6 skinless, boneless snapper or other firm white fish fillets, each 4 to 5 oz., thawed if frozen

Salt and ground pepper

12 to 16 corn tortillas, each 6 inches in diameter

2 limes, cut into wedges

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 1/2 cups fresh salsa

Onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh cilantro for serving, chopped (optional)

Hot-pepper sauce

1 handful hardwood chips, soaked for 30 minutes

 

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate.

 

Toss the chiles in a small bowl with the oil. Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the tortillas until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Wrap in foil or a kitchen towel to keep them warm.

 

CHARCOAL: Sprinkle the wood chips over the coals. Place the chiles over the hottest part of the fire. Grill, turning once, until nicely charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Grill the fish over the hottest part of the fire until opaque and nicely charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn the fish and grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

 

GAS: Raise a burner to high. Heat a smoker box half full of wood chips until smoking; reduce heat to medium-low. Place the chiles over the heating elements. Grill, turning once, until nicely charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Grill the fish over the heating elements until opaque and nicely charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn the fish and grill until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

 

Roughly chop the grilled chiles and place them in a small bowl. Squeeze 1 or 2 lime wedges over them and stir to coat.

 

Transfer the fish to a board and flake each fillet into small pieces. To assemble the grilled fish tacos, place several pieces of fish and some grilled chiles atop 2 stacked warm corn tortillas. Top with the lettuce, salsa and other toppings of your choice. Garnish with a few dashes of hot-pepper sauce and serve at once. Serves 6 to 8.