Ancho Chile Mahi Tacos with Grilled Street Corn Salad and Jalapeno Cilantro Lime Sauce

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This one's a mashup of three Saalf Life recipes in a single dish: smoky-sweet ancho chile mahi, grilled street corn salad with feta and pickled jalapeño, and a bright, garlicky jalapeño cilantro lime sauce. 

Ancho Chile Mahi Tacos with Grilled Street Corn Salad and Jalapeno Cilantro Lime Sauce

Ingredients

For the mahi:

For the street corn salad:

  • 4 ears of corn, shucked
  • 2 oz feta cheese
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • Olive oil (or olive oil spray)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeños
  • 3/4 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling

For the jalapeño cilantro lime sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp chopped pickled jalapeños
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1-2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. Preheat your grill to 400°F for direct grilling.
  2. Make the sauce: Whisk(or blend) together the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lime juice. Stir in the chopped pickled jalapeños and cilantro. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Grill the corn: Brush the corn with olive oil and grill 10–15 minutes, rotating every couple of minutes, until charred on all sides. Let cool 5 minutes, then cut the kernels off the cob. If using fresh lime juice, grill the lime for 3-5 minutes too. Adds a nice smokiness to the lime juice and makes it a lot easier to squeeze.
  4. Make the corn salad: In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, and garlic. Add the corn, cilantro, red onion, pickled jalapeños, feta, and smoked paprika. Mix well and sprinkle extra smoked paprika on top. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  5. Season the mahi: Pat the fillets dry then coat evenly on both sides with the Ancho Chile Taco Seasoning.
  6. Grill the fish: Grill over direct medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until it flakes easily and reaches 130°F internal. While the fish cooks, grill the lime half for 3 minutes then remove and save to squeeze over cooked mahi.
  7. Squeeze lime over the mahi while it rests 2–3 minutes, then flake into large chunks with a fork.
  8. Warm the tortillas on the grill grates, 20–30 seconds per side.
  9. Assemble: Layer romaine on each tortilla, top with flaked mahi, a scoop of street corn salad, and a drizzle of jalapeño cilantro lime sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes & Tips

  • Mahi is lean and cooks fast — pull it right at 130°F so it doesn't dry out.
  • This is amazing over Cilantro Lime Jasmine Rice and also works great with shrimp, chicken, scallops and other fish. 
  • Want more heat? Add a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce, or try our Cayenne Garlic hot sauce for a sweet-heat finish.
  • The corn salad and sauce both make more than you'll need for one batch of tacos — leftovers are great on their own as a side or dip for the next few days.
  • A hand blender like this one works great to blend the sauce. If you make a lot of sauces a hand blender is very handy.
  • Plastic squeeze bottles like these are great for sauce dispensing.
  • No grill? A hot cast iron skillet or grill pan works for both the corn and the fish but the charcoal flavor really takes the corn salad to the next level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different fish?
Yes — mahi mahi is a great match because it's mild and holds up on the grill, but grouper, snapper, or even shrimp would work well with this same seasoning and topping combo.

Can I make this ahead for a party?
The corn salad and sauce can both be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated. Grill the fish just before serving so it stays warm and doesn't dry out, then let guests build their own tacos.

Is this recipe spicy?
It's mild-to-medium. The ancho seasoning is more smoky than hot, and the heat comes mostly from the pickled jalapeños in the sauce and corn salad, so it's easy to adjust up or down.

Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour?
Absolutely — corn tortillas work great here and are a common choice for fish tacos. Just warm them the same way on the grill.

More Saalf Life recipes:

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