Creamy fish taco sauce

One of my favorite ways to add acid to sauces or salad dressings is with the liquid brine from fridge pickles like banana peppers or jalapeños: it’s a little sour, a little sweet, and reliably available in my fridge. I use this trick in recipes that call for fresh citrus when I’m out but the reverse is also true: if you don’t have jarred pickley things, distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or fresh lime juice all work great.

The resulting sauce is great with fish (or cauliflower) tacos but also makes a great dip for vegetables.

photo of completed recipe: One of my favorite ways to add acid to sauces or salad dressings is with the liquid brine from fridge pickles like banana peppers or jalapeños: it’s a…
  • You'll be eating in: 3 minutes

  • Active time: 3 minutes

  • Yield: 1/2 cup sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/4

    cup mayonnaise

  • 1/4

    cup sour cream (or greek yogurt)

  • zest of one lime

  • 2-3

    tablespoons liquid from jarred banana peppers, pickled jalapeños, distilled white vinegar, or lime juice

  • pinch salt

  • 1/2

    teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1/2

    teaspoon cumin

  • 1/2

    teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2

    teaspoon onion powder

  • hot sauce like Cholula or Tapatio to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk everything together. Adjust seasoning and spices to taste and enjoy!

Print this recipe

Substitutions

You can substitute any combination of mayonnaise, vegan mayonnaise, sour cream, or greek yogurt for the base depending on what you have on hand. Plain yogurt works too but your sauce will be thinner. If you use all mayo I would recommend adding additional briny liquid to add more sour flavor.

Leave a review

Will never be shared, only used to respond.
Optional. Displayed in public comments.
Describe what worked! What didn't? What did you change (if anything)?
cancel

If you have a non-review question about the recipe or anything else, you can send me a message here.

© 2023 Kelley Cooks. Built with ❤️ by Kelley