Traditional

Tikin Xic

Name: Tikin Xic
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 33 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Achiote paste; 1/2 cup Sour orange juice (or half orange, half lime); 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Mexican oregano; 1/4 tsp Ground allspice; 1 tsp Sea salt; 1 1/2 lb Firm white fish fillets (grouper or snapper); 2 large Banana leaves; 1/2 White onion, in thin rounds; 2 Roma tomatoes, in thin rounds; 1 Güero chile, sliced; 2 tbsp Butter, in thin pats; 8 Corn tortillas; 1 cup Pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas); 2 limes Lime wedges; to taste Habanero salsa (optional)

Isla Mujeres' signature fish — fillets stained brick-red with recado rojo and sour orange, wrapped in flame-softened banana leaves, and baked until they flake into their own achiote-scented juices. Earthy, citrusy, and gently spiced, never hot.

Time: 50 min
Heat
Yield: 8 tacos
Region: Yucatán

Ingredients

Recado rojo marinade

Fish and wrap

To build

Per-100g nutrition (7 ingredients verified)

Ingredient	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Achiote paste	0	0 g	0 g	90.9 g
Garlic	167	0 g	0 g	33.3 g
Mexican oregano	0	0 g	0 g	0 g
Ground allspice	0	0 g	0 g	0 g
Sea salt	500	25 g	25 g	25 g
Corn tortillas	188	3.1 g	1.6 g	40.6 g
Pickled red onions (cebollas encurtidas)	71	0 g	0 g	—

Values are per 100 g of the listed ingredient. Nutrition data: USDA FoodData Central (snapshot 2026-09-11). Ingredients without a verified match are omitted.

Method

Blend the achiote paste with the sour orange juice, garlic, oregano, allspice, and salt into a smooth, brick-red marinade.
Coat the fillets on all sides and let them marinate while the oven heats to 400°F.
Pass the banana leaves over a flame until they turn glossy and pliable, then line a baking dish with them, leaving long overhang.
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Lay the fish on the leaves, pour over the remaining marinade, and shingle the onion, tomato, güero chile, and butter on top. Fold the leaves over into a snug packet.
Bake until the fish flakes at the touch of a fork, about 20 minutes.
Rest the packet unopened so the juices settle back into the fish.
Open the leaves, flake the fish into big pieces through its juices, and serve on warm tortillas with pickled red onions, lime, and habanero salsa for those who want it.