Tortilla-Wrapped Fish

Name: Tortilla-Wrapped Fish
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cups diced, peeled Yukon Gold potatoes; 2 medium yellow onions, diced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced; 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped; 1 cup chopped pitted green olives; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 Juice of 2 limes; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 18 small corn tortillas; 6 ounces red snapper or sea bass fillet, about 1-inch thick; Salt to taste; 2 limes, cut in wedges for garnish; 4 cups finely ground masa harina; 2 3/4 cups cold water; 1 teaspoon salt for dough

Recipe GLPR852b8268027193

Mexican

Main Course

45 min

Oven

Stovetop

Grill

SNAP eligible

A beautiful Mexican-inspired dish featuring fresh fish fillets wrapped in warm corn tortillas with a savory potato, tomato, and olive filling. The fish is cooked gently in foil to seal in moisture and flavor, served with lime wedges and presented with tortillas fanned like flower petals. This recipe feeds 6 people with 1 fillet per serving, or 12 if serving half-portions as an appetizer.

Save recipes you love

Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.

Create free account Sign in

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups diced, peeled Yukon Gold potatoes

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 cup chopped pitted green olives

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup vegetable oil

18 small corn tortillas

6 ounces red snapper or sea bass fillet, about 1-inch thick

Salt to taste

2 limes, cut in wedges for garnish

4 cups finely ground masa harina

2 3/4 cups cold water

1 teaspoon salt for dough

Directions

Prepare the potato filling: Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the diced potatoes and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown on the edges, about 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl. In the same skillet, sauté the diced onions for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Stir in the diced tomatoes and fresh oregano, cooking for 1 minute. Remove from heat and mix in the chopped green olives. Add this mixture to the bowl with the potatoes, season with black pepper and lime juice, stir well to combine, and set aside to cool slightly.
Prepare the corn tortilla dough: In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, cold water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and resembles slightly moist, uniform dough that forms a ball when pressed together. To check consistency, flatten a small piece of dough between your palms—if the edges crack, add water one tablespoon at a time until a test piece holds its shape without cracking. Cover the dough with a damp towel while you prepare the remaining components.
Shape and cook the tortillas: Divide the dough into 18 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Using a tortilla press lined with plastic wrap or a sheet of plastic, flatten each ball into a thin disk about 6 inches wide. Heat the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a shallow skillet over medium heat until it shimmers but does not smoke. Using tongs, carefully place each tortilla in the hot oil and fry for about 30 seconds on each side until just cooked through but still pliable. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool slightly.
Prepare the fish packets: Preheat the grill to moderate heat or your oven to 450°F. Lightly season the fish fillet on both sides with salt and a pinch of black pepper. Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil and arrange 3 cooked tortillas in the center so they overlap and form a triangle. Place the fish fillet in the center of the tortilla triangle. Mound one-sixth of the potato filling evenly over the fillet. Fold the tortilla edges up and over the filling to create a triangle package that encloses the fish. Wrap the entire bundle securely in the foil. Repeat to create 6 individual fish packets.
Cook the fish packets: To grill: place each foil packet on a moderately hot part of the grill and cook for about 9 minutes on the first side, then carefully flip and cook for another 9 minutes. To bake: place the packets directly on the oven rack and bake for 20–25 minutes until the fish is cooked through and flakes gently with a fork (internal temperature should reach 145°F). The foil will trap steam and cook the fish gently while keeping it moist.
Plate and serve: Carefully unwrap each foil packet and discard the foil. Using a wide spatula, transfer the fish to individual serving plates. Gently open the tortillas around the fish so they fan out like the petals of a flower. The tortillas add moisture and flavor to the dish. Garnish each plate with lime wedges on the side and serve immediately.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

This is a strong weeknight choice if you're comfortable with fish cookery: all ingredients stock easily at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Kroger, and the cost per serving lands around $3.50–$4.00 depending on your fillet choice, with the stuffed potato as the budget anchor. The stated 45 minutes is honest for the full cook, though prep—dicing potato, onion, garlic, and tomato—adds about 10 minutes upfront; the tortilla wrapping goes fast once you've made the masa mixture. This is a same-night dish that does not reheat well once assembled, and it demands your attention at the stovetop, so it's best for a dinner where everyone eats together rather than a make-ahead. The flavor profile is straightforward Latin American—lime, oregano, olives, and fresh tomato—and it fits North Carolina's coastal access to good fish without requiring any specialty stops.