Alright, so I decided on fish tacos the other night. Love ’em. But then I thought, what am I gonna serve with them? Just tacos alone feels a bit… incomplete, you know? Gotta have some sides to round things out.
Thinking About the Sides
My first thought always goes to texture and balance. Fish tacos can be soft, maybe a little creamy depending on the sauce, so you definitely need some crunch. That immediately made me think of some kind of slaw. It’s classic for a reason. Crisp, tangy, cuts through the richness.
Then I considered something a bit more filling, something easy. Beans are always a good shout with Mexican-inspired food. Black beans seemed like the obvious choice. Simple, hearty, and they take like, five minutes to prepare if you’re using canned ones, which I totally did. No shame in that game.
I felt like I needed one more thing. Maybe something with a bit of sweetness or a different flavor profile. I remembered I had some corn. Grilling it gives that nice smoky char which I figured would pair really well with the fish. So, slaw, black beans, and grilled corn it was. Seemed like a solid lineup.
Getting Things Done
First up, I tackled the slaw because it benefits from sitting a bit, lets the flavors hang out together.
- Grabbed a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix. Yeah, I took the shortcut. Chopping cabbage is messy sometimes.
- Dumped it in a bowl.
- For the dressing, I kept it super basic: spooned in some mayonnaise, splashed in a bit of apple cider vinegar, added a small pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Mixed it all up really well until the cabbage mix was coated. Popped it in the fridge. Done.
Next, the corn.
- I had a couple of ears of corn. Shucked them, pulled off all the silky stuff.
- Brushed them lightly with some olive oil, sprinkled a little salt and chili powder on there.
- Fired up my cast iron grill pan on the stove because it was easier than going outside. Got it nice and hot.
- Threw the corn on there. Turned it every few minutes until it got nice charred spots all around. Took maybe 10 minutes?
- Once it cooled down just enough to handle, I stood each cob up in a bowl and carefully sliced the kernels off. Easy.
Last was the beans, the easiest part.
- Opened a can of black beans. Poured them into a strainer and gave them a good rinse under cold water. Gets rid of that goopy stuff.
- Tossed them into a small saucepan.
- Added a tiny splash of water, a shake of cumin, and another pinch of chili powder. Just enough to warm them through and give them a little extra flavor.
- Stirred them over low heat for just a few minutes until they were hot. That’s it.
The Final Spread
So by the time the fish was cooked and the tortillas were warm, the sides were ready to go. I just put each one in a separate bowl. The cool, crunchy slaw, the warm, smoky corn, and the simple, hearty black beans. They looked good next to the tacos and tasted even better. It really made the meal feel complete. Nothing too fancy, just good, simple sides that worked. That’s how I handled the sides for fish taco night.
