Baja Barramundi
with Turmeric Quinoa, Salsa Fresca & Lime Crema
- Milk
- Fish
Salsa fresca is our favorite way to channel warm-weather vibes all year round. It’s juicy and tangy with a touch of heat, making it the perfect complement to crispy, turmeric-and-cumin-spiced barramundi. The fillets are served on top of steamy quinoa and blanketed in lime crema and said salsa. No matter the temperature, one bite of this delicious dish will make everything feel a whole lot sunnier
Ingredients
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
½ cup
Quinoa
1 teaspoon
Cumin
1 teaspoon
Turmeric
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
10 ounce
Barramundi
(Contains: Fish)
1 unit
Mushroom Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Lime
2 unit
Scallions
¼ ounce
Cilantro
1 unit
Chili Pepper
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Halve tomatoes. Mince cilantro. Zest and quarter lime (for 4 servings, zest one lime and quarter both). Mince chili.
• Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add half the scallion whites and ¼ tsp turmeric (½ tsp for 4 servings); cook until fragrant, 1 minute (you’ll use more turmeric later). • Add 1 cup water, stock concentrate, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then stir in quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until quinoa is tender, 15-20 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While quinoa cooks, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cilantro, remaining scallion whites, and juice from half the lime. Season with salt and pepper. If you like your salsa spicy, stir in chili to taste.
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream, a big squeeze of lime juice, and as much lime zest as you like. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a second small bowl, combine cumin and ¼ tsp remaining turmeric (½ tsp for 4 servings). (Be sure to measure the turmeric—we sent more.) • Pat barramundi* dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Season flesh sides with spice mixture. • Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add barramundi skin sides down and cook until skin is crispy, 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook until fish is opaque and cooked through, 2-3 minutes more.
• Fluff quinoa with a fork; stir in scallion greens and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and season with salt and pepper. • Divide between plates. Top quinoa with barramundi; garnish with salsa fresca and crema. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.
Barramundi is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145º.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The barramundi wins fans for its firm, flaky texture and well-seasoned spice crust, and the salsa fresca and lime crema add a bright, fresh finish 🌶️. Opinions on the quinoa are split — some loved its savory depth, others found it bland or preferred rice or couscous.
- Ease of prep: The dish comes together fairly quickly, though cooking the fish skin-side down to get it truly crispy takes a little patience.
- Suggestions: The quinoa water ratio in the recipe card appears to be missing the 4-serving adjustment — double the water (2 cups) for 4 servings to avoid undercooked or burnt quinoa. Add more vegetables to round out the meal; reviewers suggested zucchini, arugula, or avocado slices as easy additions.
- Leftovers: The dish tastes even better the next day as the salsa softens and the flavors meld, though the fish skin loses its crispiness — peel it off before reheating.
- Portions: Several reviewers found the quinoa and fish portions on the small side, especially for 4 servings; consider supplementing with an extra vegetable side to make it feel like a complete meal.
Reviews from our home cooks
The flavor profile of the quinoa, crema, and salsa Fresca was spot on. The barramundi was a bit strong and I think this dish would benefit from a milder fish. It really needs a vegetable - it's kind of lame that you count the tomatoes in the salsa as the vegetable side. We paired ours with some avocado slices and that really went well with it.
The flavors were amazing! I really loved the combination and the freshness of the salsa Fresca.. the crema was the best addition for sure! I wanted moreeeee!! Just a note though- the recipe card doesn't have the complete 4 serving instructions for cooking the quinoa.. I realized before and doubled it on my own, but if I hadn't it could have really made for some terribly undercooked quinoa.
First time trying Quinoa. I have determined that I am not a fan (it is a texture thing for me). But everything else was spot on, even the flavor of the Quinoa with this meal. I had also not heard of Barramundi prior to Hello Fresh, this is not the first we have ordered, but is really good! We have actually sought Barramundi out at local stores because of this.
Delicious flavors and tomato topping with lime flavored sauce and quinoa paired great with barramundi, fresh and light meal!
Love barramundi and that it's sustainable. Very tasty preparation. Was quick and easy to prepare.
The fish was really good and fresh. I liked the flavors. Seemed more East Indian than "Baja" with all the cumin and turmeric though.
Very good recipe! The fish was fresh and flaky. The directions for four servings of quinoa were not clear so we made the two servings instead. Please look in to the printable for this dish. Another favorite in the books and flavors we wouldn't necessarily be cooking with! Love it, Hello Fresh!
Fan-freaking-tastic! Even my "meat & potatoes" mom loved it. We're really enjoying trying new things -- Barramundi was it for me. Firm and flaky, it reminded me of cod.
This was a great dish! But need a substitute for the turmeric. I had a allergic reaction. But it was so good!!
Portions felt somewhat small. Perhaps just slightly more quinoa could be included in the dish. The fish was a good portion size.
