The white sauce commonly found on fish tacos is usually a creamy, tangy sauce made from ingredients like sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, and spices. This sauce adds a cool, creamy contrast to the hot, crispy fish in the taco. The exact ingredients and preparation vary, but the basic white sauce is easy to make at home.
Quick Answers
Here are quick answers to some common questions about white sauce on fish tacos:
- The main ingredients are usually sour cream and mayonnaise.
- Lime juice adds tanginess and flavor.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne are common spices.
- The sauce has a creamy, cool texture to contrast with the hot fish.
- It can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
- Vegan versions use vegan mayo and sour cream alternatives.
- The sauce complements the flavors of crispy battered fish.
- It’s quick and easy to make at home with basic ingredients.
The Role of White Sauce on Fish Tacos
So why is the white sauce such an integral part of fish tacos? Here are some of the key reasons:
- It provides a cooling contrast to the hot, crispy battered fish. This contrast in temperatures and textures is an essential part of the fish taco experience.
- The creaminess balances out the crunch of the fried fish and other taco fillings like cabbage slaw. It adds richness.
- It has a tangy, citrusy flavor from ingredients like lime juice and orange juice that cut through the heavy fried components.
- The sauce helps bring all the taco components together, enhancing the other flavors without overpowering them.
- It adds moisture and prevents the tacos from being too dry.
- Its bright white color is visually appealing next to the other colorful ingredients.
By adding a cooling, creamy sauce, the fish taco gains a more complex and cohesive flavor profile as well as varied textures.
Common Ingredients
While specific recipes can vary, these are some of the core ingredients commonly found in Baja-style white sauce for fish tacos:
- Mayonnaise – Forms the base of the sauce and adds richness and creaminess. Plain mayo works well, but flavored varieties like chipotle mayo can also be used.
- Sour cream – Contributes more tangy creaminess and viscosity to the sauce.
- Lime juice – Adds bright, citrusy acidity to balance out the richness of the mayo and sour cream.
- Onion powder – Provides sutble onion flavor without overpowering other ingredients.
- Garlic powder – Gives the sauce an aromatic garlicky undertone.
- Cumin – A bit of earthy, warm cumin spice complements the Mexican flavors.
- Cayenne pepper – Depending on taste preferences, a small amount of cayenne can give the sauce a mild kick.
- Hot sauce – Optional, but a dash of hot sauce amps up the heat level a bit.
- Salt – A pinch of salt enhances overall flavor.
Making the White Sauce
Here is a basic step-by-step method for making this versatile white sauce at home:
- In a small bowl, combine approximately 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt. Whisk together until fully blended.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add more lime juice for tanginess, cayenne for heat, or salt to enhance flavors. The sauce can also be made creamier with extra sour cream or thicker with extra mayo.
- For best flavor, refrigerate sauce for about 30 minutes before using to allow time for the flavors to meld. The sauce will also thicken up slightly in the fridge.
- When ready to serve, transfer sauce to small ramekins or bowls alongside the prepared fish tacos. Drizzle or dollop the sauce onto tacos.
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Feel free to double or triple the sauce recipe as needed for larger portions. You can also easily tweak it by adding extras like freshly chopped cilantro, a dash of hot sauce, a squeeze of orange juice, or other Mexican spices.
Variations
This basic white sauce recipe for fish tacos can be varied in any number of ways to put your own spin on it:
- Chipotle version: Use chipotle mayonnaise and adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo. Great smoky flavor.
- Avocado: Add mashed avocado for even more creaminess and richness.
- Citrus flavors: For more citrus kick, add extra lime juice or add orange juice.
- Herbs and spices: Experiment with cilantro, oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic, cayenne, etc.
- Hot sauce: Stir in your favorite hot sauce like Tapatio, Cholula, or Valentina.
- Greek yogurt: For a tangy twist, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- Vegan: Swap in vegan mayo and sour cream for dairy-free version.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile white sauce for fish tacos can be used in a variety of ways when serving and eating the tacos:
- Drizzle or dollop the sauce over the top of the fish and other taco fillings.
- Serve the sauce on the side for dipping the tacos into.
- Use the sauce as a dressing for the cabbage slaw topping.
- Spread some sauce on the taco shells before adding fillings.
- Mix a bit of sauce right into the fish and slaw mixture.
- Garnish the plated tacos with a drizzle of sauce over the top.
- Let guests customize by adding sauce themselves with ramekins on the table.
The creamy white sauce pairs perfectly with beer or Mexican sodas like Jarritos when enjoying fish tacos!
Storing and Freezing
Properly stored, the white sauce for fish tacos will keep for 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Make sure the container has a tight seal to prevent the sauce from absorbing fridge odors.
For longer term storage, the sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze:
- Transfer sauce to freezable containers or bags, leaving 1/2 inch headspace for expansion.
- Seal containers and label with date and contents.
- Freeze sauce for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in refrigerator before using.
The sauce may separate slightly after thawing but can be easily re-mixed with a whisk or fork before using. Add a splash of milk or water to thin out if needed after thawing.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition facts for this white fish taco sauce will vary somewhat depending on the exact ingredients and amounts used. However, the following provides an estimate per 2 tablespoon serving:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 110 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 10 mg |
| Sodium | 125 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 1 g |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
As with any sauce or condiment, be mindful of portion sizes. Two tablespoons per taco is usually sufficient. The sauce adds a creamy complement to the crispy fish without weighing down the taco.
Cost Effectiveness
One of the great aspects of this white fish taco sauce is that is very budget-friendly to make at home. Store-bought mayonnaise and sour cream are relatively inexpensive. The spices used are purchased once and will last a long time through many batches.
The only perishable item is the lime juice. Buying larger bags of limes when on sale and juicing them yourself will yield the most affordable lime juice. Pre-bottled juices are more costly. Take advantage of coupons, sales, and store brands when purchasing the main ingredients to keep costs minimal.
Making your own sauce avoids the markup of buying ready-made sauces. Restaurants will charge much higher prices for a small drizzle of their house white sauce too. You can easily whip up a large batch for what it might cost to buy a couple servings out.
Get creative with ingredients on hand to save even more. Use up sour cream or Greek yogurt approaching its expiration date. Opened jars of mayo can be used up before they go bad as well. Stale tortillas can be cut up for thickening in place ofcornstarch or flour.
Troubleshooting
While fairly simple to prepare, here are some tips for troubleshooting less than ideal results:
- Too thin: If the sauce is too thin, whisk in a bit of flour, cornstarch slurry, mashed avocado, or extra sour cream to thicken it up.
- Too thick: If too thick, thin it out with a splash of milk or water until desired consistency is reached.
- Bland flavor: Punch up the flavors with more lime juice, spices, hot sauce, or salt and pepper.
- Too sour: Balance out tartness by stirring in a bit more mayonnaise or olive oil if needed.
- Curdled: If the heat or acidity made the sauce curdle, use an immersion blender to smooth it out again.
- Watery separation: Drain off any watery liquid on top and re-blend the solids for a creamy sauce.
It may take some trial and error to get the balance of creaminess and flavor just right to your liking. The great thing about homemade sauce is that it’s easy to adjust until you achieve your desired consistency and taste!
Substitutions
Don’t have all the ingredients on hand or want to adapt the recipe to your dietary needs? Here are some simple substitutions to use in place of main ingredients:
- Mayonnaise: Greek yogurt, vegan mayo, avocado, silken tofu
- Sour cream: plain yogurt, vegan yogurt, crema, cottage cheese
- Lime juice: lemon juice, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar
- Onion powder: minced onion, shallot, chives
- Garlic powder: minced garlic, garlic paste
- Cumin: chili powder, paprika, coriander
- Cayenne: ground chipotle, ancho chile, hot sauce
Make sure to adjust other seasonings to compensate for any flavor differences from substitutions. The mayonnaise andsour cream provide the creamy base, so stick with options close in texture for best results.
Flavor Pairings
The cool, tangy white sauce complements the ingredients in fish tacos beautifully. Here are some of the best flavor combinations:
- Fish: Fried cod, mahi mahi, halibut, salmon, snapper, tilapia
- Shellfish: Shrimp, lobster, crab
- Cabbage slaw: Red or green cabbage, carrots, cilantro
- Salsa: Pico de gallo, pineapple salsa, mango salsa
- Garnishes: Avocado, radish, jalapeño, cilantro, lime wedge
- Tortillas/shells: Corn tortillas, flour tortillas, taco shells
The mild flavor of the white sauce works well with grilled or fried fish. It also pairs nicely with grilled shrimp or vegetables for vegetarian tacos. Get creative with your own favorite fillings!
Make it Vegan
To make a vegan version of this sauce, simply swap the mayonnaise and sour cream for vegan alternatives:
- Vegan mayo (Just Mayo, Vegenaise, homemade)
- Vegan sour cream (Tofutti, homemade cashew cream)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado
- Cashews, soaked
- Silken tofu
- Coconut cream
- Nutritional yeast
Blend any of the above vegan ingredients together for a smooth, creamy sauce. Add desired seasonings like lime juice, garlic, onion, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Thin with non-dairy milk or water until desired consistency is reached.
Conclusion
Cool, tangy white sauce is the perfect complement to the crispy, hot components in a Baja-style fish taco. While restaurants and food trucks have signature versions, you can easily whip up a quick homemade sauce with common ingredients like mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and spices.
Adjust the flavorings and texture to your taste, and don’t be afraid to get creative and make substitutions. Serve it alongside freshly fried fish, shrimp, or crispy tofu for an easy yet delicious meal the whole family will love. With this handy guide, you’ll be an expert on making the creamy white sauce that brings each fish taco to life.
