Pescado a la Talla (Guerrero Style Guajillo Grilled Fish)
Sea bream fillets coated in a fruity red guajillo adobo and grilled until the edges char, served with tortillas and pico.
Made with Fresh pico de gallo 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
- Time35 min plus marinating
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.78 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
Make your guajillo adobo paste first (see the base recipe). Mix 80 g of it with the lime juice and 1 tbsp of the oil to make a loose paste. Keep 2 tbsp aside in a clean bowl for basting.
- 2
Pat the fish dry and score the skin 3 times with a sharp knife. Spread the rest of the paste over the flesh side and the skin. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- 3
Heat a grill, griddle pan or barbecue to high. Brush the grid with the remaining oil.
- 4
Cook the fish skin side down first for 4 to 5 minutes without moving it, until the skin is crisp. Turn carefully and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes easily.
7 min - 5
Brush with the reserved clean paste for the last minute. Do not use any paste that touched the raw fish.
- 6
Warm your ready made corn tortillas (see the base recipe) in a dry pan. Serve the fish with the pico de gallo, onion rings, lime wedges and the tortillas for wrapping.
Tips
- Oil the grill well and do not move the fish until the skin lifts easily, or it sticks.
- Keep a little adobo back before it touches raw fish, so you can use it safely as a baste at the end.
- Sea bass, red snapper or trout fillets also work.
- Serve with arroz verde and a lime wedge for a fuller meal.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten fresh. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 day. Cool within 1 to 2 hours and reheat gently until steaming hot all the way through. Do not freeze.
Questions
What is a la talla?
A la talla is a style from Guerrero, particularly Zihuatanejo, in which fish is coated in a red guajillo adobo and often a green herb paste and grilled.
Can I cook it in the oven?
Yes. Roast skin side up at 220C (200C fan) for 10 to 12 minutes, then finish under a hot grill for 2 minutes to crisp the skin.
Is this recipe gluten free and dairy free?
Yes. Fish, guajillo adobo, pico de gallo and masa harina tortillas contain no gluten, dairy, egg or nuts.
More made with fresh pico de gallo
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.