Salmon Tacos
12 Comments
Sep 13, 2023
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These salmon tacos will instantly elevate your next taco night! Grilled salmon is flaked into a tortilla and topped with two sauces – homemade salsa verde and creamy chipotle sauce – for the most amazing flavor. Then they’re topped with shredded cabbage and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. They’re simple, but oh so good!
To say I’m obsessed with these salmon tacos would be an understatement. I enjoyed these tacos several days in a row with fresh coho grilled salmon while in Alaska, and knew I just had to recreate the recipe as soon as I got home!
I’m a big fan of seafood taco recipes, from shrimp tacos to grilled fish tacos, but these salmon tacos are a true standout recipe, thanks to the use of two different sauces. Salsa verde adds a pop of green color and kick of heat, while the chipotle sauce adds creaminess and mild spicy flavor.
Not much else is needed after that. You don’t even need avocado! Just add a small handful of thinly shredded cabbage, along with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. That’s it! The fresh, wild-caught salmon really shines through in these wow-worthy grilled salmon tacos!
Easy Salmon Tacos Ingredients
- Salmon Fillets: Fresh or frozen salmon fillets will work for this recipe! If using frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight so they’re ready for grilling come dinner time.
- Salsa Verde: Trust me when I say it’s best to make your salsa verde at home. It’s incredibly easy to make, plus you can tweak the heat level to your liking. But, there’s no judgement from me if you use store-bought sauce either.
- Chipotle Sauce: Besides the salsa verde, the homemade chipotle sauce is what makes these tacos SO good. And if you make a bigger batch of this sauce, you can also use it as a dipping sauce for a tasty appetizer!
- Tortillas: Use any tortilla you like, whether corn or flour. But if you’re gluten-free like me, I highly recommend making my cassava flour tortillas. They’re soft, chewy, and taste just like a regular flour tortilla.
- Cabbage: Shredded cabbage is a classic for fish tacos, especially for a “Baja” style fish taco. And to get those thinly shredded pieces, use a mandoline to make the process a lot more efficient.
- Fresh limes: I like to serve these salmon tacos with fresh lime wedges, to be squeezed on top right before enjoying!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Salmon Tacos
Prep the salmon: Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the salmon so that the salmon is fully coated on both sides. Season the top side of the salmon with salt and pepper.
Grill the salmon. Grill for about 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. You’ll know when it’s done when you can flake it easily with a fork.
Flake the salmon. Flake the salmon from each filet into two tortillas. Alternatively, you can flake the salmon into a large serving bowl for an “assemble-your-own-taco” type of night.
Assemble the tacos. Drizzle with salsa verde and chipotle sauce. Top with shredded cabbage. Then squeeze some fresh lime juice on top before serving!
Common Questions
Round out the perfect salmon taco plate with a side of cilantro lime rice and beans (whether that’s cooked pinto beans or black beans). And if you want to add more toppings, you can add diced red onion or dollops of guacamole, mango salsa, or pico de gallo. You could also swap the chipotle sauce for lime crema instead!
I’m using coho salmon in this recipe (as that’s what I had in Alaska). But you could also use sockeye or king salmon. Any type of salmon works. And if you’d like to learn more, you can read all about the different species of salmon!
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Before taco night, it’s always a good idea to prep as many components as you can the day before. Here are a few recommendations to make dinner as efficient as possible.
- Make the sauces ahead of time. The salsa verde and chipotle sauce are super easy to make the day of. But you can also blend them ahead of time and store them in the fridge for a few days
- Make the cassava flour tortillas in the morning. Make sure to let them cool before storing them in a sealed bag with parchment paper in between to prevent sticking. Come dinner time, just microwave them for a few seconds to heat them up.
- Shred the cabbage ahead of time. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
- Storing leftover salmon: If you have leftover salmon, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Salmon Recipes
- Best Baked Salmon: This is your foolproof recipe for perfect oven-baked salmon fillets.
- Air Fryer Salmon: If you have an air fryer, this is a must-make recipe (you could also make these air fryer salmon bites).
- Salmon Salad: With the flaked salmon in this recipe, you can also make this fresh and tasty salmon salad! Plus, it’s perfect for meal prep.
- Poached Salmon: Don’t forget about poached salmon! This simple and healthy recipe infuses tender salmon with an herb, wine, and shallot poaching liquid.
I hope you love these salmon tacos as much as I do! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment below with how they turned out. Your review will help other readers!
Best Ever Salmon Tacos
Description
Equipment
- Indoor Grill Pan My favorite grill pan to use indoors!
Ingredients
For the grilled salmon
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To assemble the tacos
- 8 tortillas
- ½ cup salsa verde
- ½ cup chipotle sauce
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Grill the salmon. Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the salmon, making sure the salmon is fully coated on both sides. Season the top side of the salmon with salt and pepper, then grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Flake the salmon. Flake the salmon from each fillet into two tortillas.
- Assemble the salmon tacos. Drizzle the flaked salmon with salsa verde and chipotle sauce. Top with shredded cabbage, and if you'd like, squeeze fresh lime juice on top before serving.
Nutrition
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These are the best fish tacos I’ve ever made ! So, so good! Gotta make the fresh salsa and chipotle sauce, it totally makes the dish. Thank you Lisa for another winner! I’m just sorry I didn’t make them sooner 🥰🤩
Hi Cindy – I’m so glad you enjoyed these salmon tacos so much!
I just made this last night. Wow!! Fantastic and with the sauces! I never made a salsa verde before that was such an excellent pairing. Definitely will make this again.
The salsa verde sauce is a must for these salmon tacos! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Megan.
Absolutely the best! First time having salmon taco and it is so delicious. If you are looking for quick dinner, this is the best. I will make it again this weekend for the family. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed these salmon tacos, Carole!
I also saw you eating these on IG and couldn’t wait to try. So simple and easy! I made the chipotle sauce and just used store bought salsa verde and it came out sooo delicious. Will 100% be making these again.
Yay, thanks for giving them a try! And that’s a great approach for time savings. It’s easy to find a sub for the salsa verde (though I still think homemade is best, haha). But nothing truly compares to homemade chipotle sauce. Glad you loved them. :)
I watched you eating these salmon tacos on your Instagram stories when you were in Alaska. They looked amazing, and since I’m a big fan of both tacos and salmon I had to whip them up. They do not disappoint. So delicious!
Oh wonderful! I’m so glad you got to follow along on my Alaskan adventures. These salmon tacos were definitely one of the highlights of my trip, haha. Enjoy!
First time having salmon tacos. These were so delicious, they will be on regular rotation at our house.
Yay! Happy you loved the recipe, Karen!