Baja Yellowtail Tostadas

Any sushi fans out there? Any ceviche fans? I have a great combination for you. These Baja Yellowtail Tostadas may be small, bite size appetizers, but the flavor is big time and out of this world good. These crispy, hand held mini Baja Yellowtail Tostadas are made with fresh yellowtail fish tossed in lime juice, a spicy sauce, radishes, avocado mousse and cilantro.

I wanted to share this one with you early in the week to get you thinking of this weekend and possible appetizer ideas for any up coming party. These are a game changer appetizer. Trust.

After going to one of our favorite restaurants here in San Diego, Juniper & Ivy, four times last month, it was high time I tried my hand at re-creating one of their signature, tantalizing eats. From the start, these Baja Yellowtail Tostadas floored us. In presentation, to taste, to textures.

At the restaurant they get served four up on a wooden plank, and while we made ours a little bigger, they were spot on in flavor after several taste tests on the sauces.

I could eat one order, forget it, two orders, easily by myself. The restaurant’s menu is always changing, but these are staples and we ordered them every time we were there. When we had an out of town guest visit (you know who you are), we had to take her there. When out with friends who wanted a new experience, we had to go back.

What was even more amazing was the consistency in preparation, styling and flavors. And each time we ordered these Baja Yellowtail Tostadas. Two or three times. You pop one of these in your mouth and you’ll know what I mean. That’s the fun part of their restaurant too, these are all bite size, which of course makes you want to order more. Tricky devils…

The ingredients are easy enough, but it’s the combination of flavors and who doesn’t love a little hand held, fresh, crunchy tostada?

How to describe this treat? Let’s start with the crunch from the pan fried corn tortilla chip, the subtle heat from the spicy “shark sauce” as they call it, to the fresh citrus tossed yellowtail, all amazing in texture and flavor. Then, this gets topped with some crunchy, bright, slivered radishes, a creamy and delicious avocado mousse that gets a finishing touch from a sprig of cilantro. Amazingly delicious, all in one bite!

The thinly sliced, fresh yellowtail tuna is tossed in lime juice and topped with amazing fresh ingredients on a spiced up, crispy corn tortilla round for a show stopper party appetizer.

I took a cookie cutter and stamped out three tostada shells per corn tortilla and pan fried them. Fresh makes all the difference and it took no time at all.

The avocado mousse was agreed to be spot on after three attempts, but the first layered sauce took a bit to figure out and finally we all agreed that the mayonnaise Sriracha mix was the best.

With some crunchy radishes tossed in lime juice and some cilantro to top it off we were all in heaven. We made about about 24 total, and with a guest over, sat back and watched Game of Thrones’ second to last episode, Battle of the Bastards. Seeing it for a second time, it’s probably THE BEST battle scene ever filmed for television or the movies, but I digress…

These Baja Yellowtail Tostadas may look like you spent all day on them, but in reality, they took little time to make and assemble. The trick was trying to replicate, and I did all the hard work for you.

So grab some fresh yellowtail or ahi tuna, sushi grade best, and try these for your next weekend party, or make them into an entire meal like we did. You will not be disappointed.

Hand model preferred to be nameless. 🙂 If you like this appetizer try my Bacon Wrapped Tots or my Feta Spinach Stuffed French Bread.

Enjoy!

Baja Yellowtail Tostadas

These crispy, hand held mini Baja Yellowtail Tostadas are made with fresh yellowtail fish tossed in lime juice, a spicy sauce, radishes, avocado mousse and cilantro.  Recipe adapted from the Baja Yellowtail Tostadas from Juniper & Ivy restaurant in San Diego.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Western

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 897kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

Yellowtail

• 1 lb yellowtail tuna sushi grade
• 2 limes juiced

Avocado Mousse

• 2 avocados
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp salt

Spicy Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 6 tbsp Sriracha

Radish Topping

• 6-8 radishes thinly sliced
• 1 lime juiced

Tostadas

• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• salt

Garnish

• cilantro sprigs

Instructions

• In a blender or food processor add the avocados, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, oil and salt. Puree and set aside in refrigerator until assembly.
• In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise and Sriracha hot sauce. Set aside in refrigerator until assembly. (See Note 1)
• Using a mandolin or kitchen knife, thinly cut the radishes to matchstick shapes and toss with lime juice. Set aside in refrigerator until assembly.
• Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, stamp out 3 per corn tortilla. Set aside. In a frying pan heat the oil and fry corn tortillas until crispy and golden, about 2 minutes per side. (See Note 2)
• Slice fish 1/8 inch thin and toss with lime juice in a bowl to coat thoroughly. (See Note 3)

Assembly:

• On each tostada shell divide the spicy sauce. Top with some of the fish, pinch of radishes and a squirt of the avocado mousse. Top with cilantro (See Note 4) and serve immediately.

Notes

1. The restaurant calls their sauce “Shark Sauce” and while I did find a brand labeled that online, Sriracha sauce is a great substitute.
2. You want to completely crisp these up, but be careful not to burn them. You want them crunchy and not chewy. If you don’t want them fried: cut out the tortilla circles, place on a lined baking sheet. Spray both sides with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake @350°F for 12-15 minutes, turning half way through.
3. Yellowtail or ahi tuna is fantastic, we’ve used both. I’ve been told it doesn’t need to be sushi grade because it’s cut thin and the lime juice “cooks” the fish similar to ceviche. It’s up to you.
4. The cilantro they use on theirs at the restaurant are micro cilantro greens. A little hard to find and I used the tiniest, baby sprigs of fresh cilantro I could find.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 897kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.1g | Protein: 22.9g | Fat: 80.7g | Cholesterol: 46.1mg | Sodium: 862.4mg | Sugar: 2.3g

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!