Tikin Xic Fish
The most iconic beachside dish from the Yucatán Peninsula: a whole butterflied fish slathered in a fragrant, vibrant red achiote and sour orange marinade, perfectly grilled over fresh banana leaves.
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45 min
Easy
Mexicana (Yucateca)
4 servings
The story behind
You seriously have absolutely no idea what an incredible, deeply rewarding tropical masterpiece this turns out to be—you will literally feel the Caribbean sea breeze in every single bite! The very first time I experienced an authentic Tikin Xic fish was at a rustic palapa shack right in front of the turquoise beach in Isla Mujeres. Watching them butterfly the fresh fish, paint it with that bright fiery-red achiote paste, and set it over open embers wrapped in banana leaves was an absolute joy. The cook proudly shared with me that in Mayan, 'Tikin Xic' means 'dry fin' because of how the fish dehydrates subtly over the fire, and that the ultimate golden secret to success is using genuine sour orange juice to dissolve the achiote so it never turns bitter. Personally, I absolutely love grilling this on hot summer weekends to bring a gorgeous coastal vibe into my backyard. It looks phenomenal when you let the edges turn deep golden-brown and crisp, serving it directly over the green banana leaves with a spicy chili dipping sauce on the side, exactly like the stunning arrangement displayed in Tikin xic.jpg. To drink, an ice-cold light beer or a chilled pineapple water matches it flawlessly. You are going to love it completely!
Instructions
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1Thoroughly clean the butterflied fish, pat it bone-dry with paper towels, and season the flesh side generously with coarse sea salt and black pepper.
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2In a blender or a medium bowl, thoroughly dissolve the achiote paste into the sour orange juice along with the dried oregano, ground cumin, and a touch of salt until a smooth, fluid red marinade forms.
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3Slather this red achiote marinade evenly over the entire flesh side of the fish, ensuring it is heavily painted; let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
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4Lay the softened banana leaves flat over a fish grilling basket, a baking tray, or directly onto a medium-low charcoal grill.
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5Place the marinated fish skin-side down directly on top of the banana leaves. Arrange the red onion rings and tomato slices decoratively over the flesh.
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6Close the grill hood (or place into a preheated oven at 180°C) and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the outer edges develop that gorgeous, blistered, intensely crispy golden-brown texture shown in Tikin xic.jpg.
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7Serve piping hot on the banana leaves, accompanied by a rich dark chili dipping sauce, fresh lime wedges, and warm tortillas.
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