Salsa Verde Flounder with Cilantro Lime Rice

Roasted tomatillos, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice and zest, olive oil, and a few seasonings combine in perfect harmony for this fish dinner served family-style! Salsa Verde Flounder with Cilantro Lime Rice upgrades flaky flounder, then pairs it with rice “brightened up” with fresh cilantro and lime. It doesn’t get any fresher than this dish.

In Houston, we call it “green sauce.” It is typically served as an appetizer at many Mexican restaurants, and it is prime for dipping (ex., tortilla chips). But its bold and bright flavor makes it perfect as a delicious sauce for fish, too.

Unlike other European variations of salsa verde based mostly on parsley, this green sauce uses tomatillos. A tomato at heart, tomatillos are less sweet than your average tomatoes and less watery. The homemade salsa verde will be the core of this recipe and brings all the other ingredients together.

And our main course wouldn’t be complete without a side dish. The cilantro lime rice complements the flavors of the fish by bringing in more herbs and citrus notes.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

• For the rice, you’ll need cooked rice (1 cup of uncooked rice equal approximately 3 cups of cooked rice), minced garlic, melted butter, fresh lime zest, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, oregano, Himalayan pink salt, and black pepper.
• For the fish, you’ll need fresh flounder filets, black pepper, cilantro flakes, paprika, chili powder, Himalayan pink salt, and Abodo seasoning.
• For the salsa verde, you’ll blend roasted tomatillos with fresh cilantro, onion, Abodo seasoning, garlic powder, fresh lime juice, fresh lime zest, and olive oil.

This family-style meal is perfect for those seafood lovers in your life. You can also prepare your salsa verde in advance, store it in a jar, and use it on/with just about anything — especially seafood; and other options like Tex-Mex dishes, eggs, and much more. This recipe is light and easy to prepare and you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

If you’re looking for a few more seafood recipes, don’t miss my Creamy Tuscan Steelhead Trout, Creole Fish Etouffee, Foil Baked Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon Parmesan Cream Sauce, and Pan Seared Salmon with Succotash!

Salsa Verde Flounder with Cilantro Lime Rice

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• Author: Eric Jones
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Roasted tomatillos, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice and zest, olive oil, and a few seasonings combine in perfect harmony for this fish dinner served family-style! Salsa Verde Flounder with Cilantro Lime Rice upgrades flaky flounder and pairs it with rice “brightened up” with fresh cilantro and lime.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cilantro Lime Rice:

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Salsa Verde:

• 7 whole tomatillos
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp Abodo seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp lime zest

For the Fish:

• 2 lb flounder filets
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cilantro flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp Abodo seasoning

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Instructions

For the Cilantro Lime Rice:

1. Add cooked rice to large bowl, then fold in minced garlic, melted butter, lime zest, lime juice, freshly chopped cilantro, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
2. Set the rice to the side to serve with flounder.

For the Salsa Verde:

1. Remove the stem and husk from the tomatillo and cut them in half.
2. Place each half on a baking sheet (paid link) and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees.
3. Place baked tomatillo halves, freshly chopped cilantro, olive oil, chopped onion, Abodo seasoning, garlic powder, lime juice, and lime zest into a food processor (paid link) and blend until smooth.

For the Fish: 

1. Place fish on a non-stick baking sheet (paid link) and season with black pepper, cilantro flakes, paprika, chili powder, sea salt, and Abodo seasoning.
2. Pour a spoonful of salsa verde onto the seasoned fish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. Serve immediately with cilantro lime rice.

Equipment

Glass Bowls

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(paid link)

Notes

1 cup of uncooked rice equal approximately 3 cups of cooked rice

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Comfort Food
• Method: Oven Baked
• Cuisine: Spanish

Nutrition

• Calories: 736
• Sugar: 0.7g
• Sodium: 431mg
• Fat: 20.2g
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Fiber: 2.8g
• Protein: 84.7g
• Cholesterol: 231mg