Pescado a la Talla (Acapulco Style Grilled Fish with Adobo)
Whole sea bream slathered in guajillo adobo and grilled until the skin crisps, a beach shack classic from Acapulco.
Made with Pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas) and Guajillo adobo paste and Corn tortillas from masa harina. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.05 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Pat the fish dry. Cut 3 diagonal slashes into each side, down to the bone. Rub the cavity and slashes with salt and half the lime juice. Leave for 10 minutes.
10 min - 2
Mix your ready made guajillo adobo paste (see the base recipe) with the oil and the other half of the lime juice. Rub it all over the fish, inside the slashes and cavity. Rest for 15 minutes.
15 min - 3
Heat the grill to its highest setting, or light the barbecue and wait until the coals are ash white. Oil the grill rack well.
- 4
Grill the fish for 7 to 8 minutes on each side, turning once with a wide fish slice, until the skin is crisp, the paste has darkened and the flesh flakes easily at the thickest point.
16 min - 5
Rest the fish on a platter for 3 minutes. Warm the corn tortillas (see the base recipe) in a dry pan.
- 6
Serve the fish whole with your ready made pickled red onions (see the base recipe), tomato, avocado, coriander and lime wedges, with tortillas to wrap bites.
Tips
- Slash the fish deeply so the adobo gets into the flesh and the thick part cooks through.
- Oil the rack well and do not move the fish for the first 5 minutes, or the skin tears.
- Use sea bass or two large red snappers if bream is hard to find. Ask the fishmonger to gut and scale.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten fresh. Remove any bones, cool leftovers within 1 hour and keep in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I cook this in the oven?
Yes. Bake on a lined tray at {t220} for 20 to 25 minutes, until the flesh flakes. For crisper skin finish under a hot grill for 3 minutes.
How do I know the fish is cooked?
The flesh should be opaque and flake easily at the thickest part by the backbone, and the eye turns white. The skin should be crisp.
What does a la talla mean?
It refers to a style from Zihuatanejo and Acapulco where the fish is split or slashed, coated in a chilli paste and grilled. Recipes vary from place to place.
More made with pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas)
Tostadas de Carnitas con Lechuga y Aguacate
EFNFTacos de Pollo en Salsa Verde (Green Sauce Chicken Tacos)
DFEFNFTacos de Pollo con Piña y Chipotle (Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Tacos)
DFEFNFEmpanadas de Frijoles Refritos y Queso (Refried Bean Empanadas)
NFSee every dish made with pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.