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Smoked Marlin Tacos

Name: Smoked Marlin Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 White onion; 300 g Smoked marlin; 1 to taste Salt; 2 Tomato; 100 g Red cabbage; 2 Jalapeño chilli; 2 Lime; 12 Corn tortillas; 100 ml Soured cream; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil

30 min (15 prep + 15 cook) Easy 4 servings Baja California

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 26 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Shredded smoked marlin with chillies and tomato in a corn tortilla.

About this recipe

Smoked marlin shredded and stir-fried with chillies, tomato and onion, served in a corn tortilla with avocado and soured cream. The speciality of the seafood stalls in Mazatlán, Los Mochis, and Baja California.

History & Origin

Smoked marlin is one of the most distinctive ingredients in the cuisine of Mexico's Pacific coast. In the ports of Mazatlán, Los Mochis, Guaymas, and along the Baja California peninsula, blue marlin - a highly prized billfish - is artisanally smoked in family workshops that have spent decades perfecting the technique. The smoking process is slow: the fish is first cured with salt, then smoked for hours over mesquite or apple wood until dry on the outside but moist and flakeable within. The result is a product of intense, smoky, lightly salted flavour that is sold in the markets and street fairs of the Mexican coast in ready-to-cook portions. Smoked marlin tacos are an institution in the marisquerías of Mazatlán. The preparation is quick: the marlin is sautéed with tomato, green chilli and onion - a simple sofrito that balances the intense smokiness - and served in corn or flour tortillas (flour tortillas are common in northern Mexico) with sliced avocado, soured cream, and a habanero or árbol chilli salsa. It is a taco that constantly reminds you of the sea.

Estimated cost

£11.35

Total cost

£2.84

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

360

Calories

30g

Protein

28g

Carbohydrates

16g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
If the smoked marlin is very salty, soak it in cold water for 15 minutes, drain, and pat dry. Shred it by hand into medium pieces.
💡 Smoked marlin sold in Mexican markets comes ready to cook, but in the UK you can use smoked haddock or smoked mackerel as a substitute with excellent results.
2
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the chopped chilli and tomato, cook for 4 minutes until the tomato releases its juices.
3
Add the shredded marlin. Mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes over a medium heat. Taste for seasoning - the marlin is already salty, so extra salt is probably not needed. Adjust with lime.
💡 Do not overcook the marlin: it is already smoked and cooked. It just needs to heat through and absorb the flavours of the sofrito.
4
Heat the tortillas. Serve the marlin over the tortillas, add avocado slices, soured cream, coriander, and squeeze lime generously.