Cinco de Mayo is coming up on Friday so what better way to celebrate than this healthy, spicy dish? I don’t know if it’s the simplicity of ingredients with big, bold flavors, or the fact that they’re so easy to prepare, however, I have absolutely fallen in love with the whole concept of street tacos. You can fill them with just about anything and top them with an unlimited number of garnishes and they taste amazing.

The grilled tilapia in this recipe is light, flaky, and picks up the flavors of the cilantro lime marinade beautifully. And there are two schools of thought when it comes to salsa verde. You can either roast the veggies first then puree them for a smokier flavor, or you can prepare them raw and fresh like I did here. The clean, boldness of the tomatillos, peppers, and cilantro marry so well together, they’re absolutely addictive. In fact, several spoonfuls of this salsa verde were eaten all by themselves without the tacos!

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas
6 fresh tilapia filets
6 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons and a splash of olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Juice of two limes

Optional garnishes:
Sliced avocado
Sliced red onion
Crumbled cotija cheese
Cilantro leaves

Directions:

1) Finely chop one-half cup of the cilantro leaves and place them in an elongated baking dish along with the minced garlic, juice from one of the limes, and the olive oil. Whisk the ingredients together until combined.

2) Place the tilapia fillets in the marinade, coating both sides and then season the fish with salt and pepper.

3) Put the tomatillos, garlic, peppers, onions, remaining cilantro, lime juice and a splash of the olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

4) Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees. Using a large sheet of aluminum foil, create a pouch, sealing three of the four sides and place the tortillas in the pouch. Seal the open end and place the tortillas in the oven to warm.

5) Preheat your grill to medium heat and place the tilapia fillets on the grill. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once until the fish is cooked through.

6) To serve, place a portion of the tilapia in a warmed corn tortilla, topped with the salsa verde and optional garnishes of your choice.