15 Minutes Salmon Tacos

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These easy Salmon Tacos are a great make-ahead family meal! Full of flavor, they only take 15 minutes to put together and are easily customizable to suit everyone’s tastes!

Suitable for gluten free diets. Weight Watchers Points included.

 

Salmon tacos on a plate with garnishes

OK fellow foodies – today we are upping our taco game and quick eat game with a fun, yet easy to prep Salmon Tacos recipe. Because juicy flaked salmon, crunchy veggies with all the sauces and served up just 15 minutes!!! Taco lovers, we got this.

I am talking only needs 3 basic ingredients – aka salmon, taco seasoning mix and tortillas. Throw it in a hot skillet, air fryer, or on the grill and they are ready before you know it. The only question is what fun things will you do with that cooking time you have just saved.

Recipe Link : 10 Minute Blackened Salmon.

And you can totally customize these seafood tacos to your taste – Taco Bar anyone??? Top with any veggies you have, your favorite sauce and you are good to go. Oh, and feel free to flavor the fillets with spice blends you have in your store cupboard!

juicy salmon tacos with lettuce, limes and shredded veggies

YOU WILL LOVE THIS BECAUSE

  • Can be made with fresh or defrosted frozen salmon.
  • It is make-ahead and meal prep friendly.
  • So easy to double or triple the recipe.
  • It is gluten-free and super tasty
  • Great for quick weeknight dinners, Mexican nights and seafood night.

Tools Needed

So, let’s grab our everyday ingredients and get to work on these Fish Tacos.

How To Make Salmon Tacos at Home 

  1. Dry the salmon fillets and place on a plate or in a mixing bowl.
  2. Pat the spice on both sides of the fish till evenly coated.
  3. Heat oil a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
  4. Add the fillets skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until salmon is halfway done. You will see the line where it is half cooked and a paler pink shows halfway up the salmon fillet.
  5. Flip the salmon fillets over and cook for another 3-4 minutes till cooked through and a nice brown (but not quite black) crust develops. Flake the salmon. Please note: thicker fillets may need an extra few minutes to cook and you may need to reduce the heat to prevent the salmon from burning before cooked through.
  6. Warm tortillas according to package instructions
  7. Assemble tortillas with cabbage, cooked flaked salmon, desired toppings and the sriracha mayo.
image collage showing the steps for making salmon tacos

How To Make Air Fryer Salmon Tacos

  1. Preheat air fryer to 350F / 180C.
  2. Lightly spray salmon fillets with some cooking spray and sprinkle on the Taco Seasoning.
  3. Place salmon fillets in air fryer basket. Make sure they are not touching.
  4. Cook for 8-12 minutes, to your desired level of doneness Please note: thicker fillets may need an extra few minutes to cook and you may need to reduce the heat to prevent the salmon from burning before cooked through.
  5. Flake the salmon.
  6. Warm tortillas according to package instructions
  7. Assemble tortillas with cabbage, cooked flaked salmon, desired toppings and the sriracha mayo
Two cooked Air Fryer Salmon fillets inside the air fryer basket

Seafood Taco Tips

  • Reduce heat under the skillet a little bit if the fillets start to burn before they are cooked through.
  • Make sure your skillet is hot and don’t overcrowd. If you do the food will start to steam and ***wash off** the seasoning as well as slowing down the cooking process.
  • Don’t keep flipping the salmon back and forth, try and flip it only once.
  • Thicker salmon fillets may need another 1-2 minutes to cook through. You will see the line where it is half cooked and a paler pink shows halfway up the salmon fillet (see pictures below).
  • Do not overcook the salmon, once done, take them out of the skillet or Air fryer, etc.
  • Insert an instant-read digital thermometer into the middle of the fillets. A reading of 120F to 130F for medium-rare or 135°F to 145°F for more cooked.
  • Make sure frozen salmon is fully thawed before cooking to avoid uneven cook times as well as adding water to the pan which boils the salmon instead of frying.

Meal Prep And Prep Ahead

Prep Ahead – That’s another great thing about the salmon folks, it’s amaaaaazing for MEAL PREPPING!!! You can absolutely make this ahead of time and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

How To Use Them For Meals – serve as an appetizer or snack or use them up as suggested below.

  • Salmon Pasta.
  • Salmon Lettuce Wraps.
  • Salmon Quesadillas.
  • Shredded Salmon Burgers.

Variations

Blackened Salmon Tacos

My favorite variation on this recipe is to make blackened salmon tacos. Simply substitute the taco seasoning for 1 1/2 tablespoon of blackening seasoning. And to add even more flavor, top them off with this easy homemade remoulade sauce. Soooooo dang good!

top down view of a jar filled with remoulade sauce with a spoon inside

Spicy Salmon Tacos

To make a spicier version, add a bit of cayenne pepper to the seasoning and add throw in some chopped jalapeños.

FAQ’s

Can You Make Salmon Tacos with Frozen Salmon?

Yep. You can use frozen fish in this easy salmon fish taco recipe. To defrost your frozen salmon, simply follow one of these two methods:

Overnight Defrost Option

  • Add frozen salmon fillets to a bowl.
  • Cover the bowl and put it in your refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
  • Remove from the fridge and drain any water from the salmon before using them.

Quick Defrost Option:

  • Fill a large bowl with cold water.
  • Place the frozen fillets in a resealable ziploc bag.
  • Submerge it in water for up to an hour till the salmon defrosts depending on the size of the fillets.
  • Check a couple of times during the process in case they have defrosted faster.

Serving Suggestions

More Taco Recipes

Weight Watchers Points

There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.

Thank you for reading my easy Salmon Tacos recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans, and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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Salmon tacos on a plate with garnishes
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

15 Minute Salmon Tacos

These flavorful Salmon Tacos are ready to serve in just 15 minutes!
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 299kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

To make the salmon

  • 8 oz salmon two 4-oz fillets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil plus 2 teaspoons extra for frying
  • 1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • Or, make your own taco seasoning by combining: 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp smoked paprika and sea salt flakes, to taste.

To make sriracha mayo

  • ½ cup sriracha sauce
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 minced garlic clove or 1/3 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • sea salt flakes to taste

To make the tacos

  • 2-3 cup shredded lettuce and cabbage can mix in some other greens like spinach
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • lime wedges
  • Optional toppings – avocado, chopped cilantro, jalapeños, shredded cheese

Instructions

  • Dry salmon and place on a plate or in a mixing bowl.
  • Pat the seasoning onto both sides of the salmon until evenly coated.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the fillets skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until salmon is halfway done. You will see the line where it is half cooked and a paler pink shows halfway up the salmon fillet.
  • Flip the salmon fillets over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through and a nice brown (but not quite black) crust develops. Please note: thicker fillets may need an extra few minutes to cook and you may need to reduce the heat to prevent the salmon from burning before cooked through.
  • Warm tortillas according to package instructions.
  • Make the sriracha mayo by adding all ingredients to mixing bowl and stirring until combined
  • Assemble tacos by filling each tortilla with cabbage, cooked salmon, desired toppings, and the sriracha mayo.
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Notes

  • Reduce heat under the skillet a little bit if the fillets start to burn before they are cooked through.
  • Make sure your skillet is hot and don’t overcrowd. If you do the food will start to steam and ***wash off** the seasoning as well as slowing down the cooking process.
  • Don’t keep flipping the salmon back and forth, try and flip it only once.
  • Thicker salmon fillets may need another 1-2 minutes to cook through. You will see the line where it is half cooked and a paler pink shows halfway up the salmon fillet (see pictures below).
  • Do not overcook the salmon. Once done, immediately take them out of the skillet or air fryer.
  • Insert an instant-read digital thermometer into the middle of the fillets. A reading of 120F to 130F for medium-rare or 135°F to 145°F for more cooked.
  • Make sure frozen salmon is fully thawed before cooking to avoid uneven cook times as well as adding water to the pan which boils the salmon instead of frying.
There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of these salmon tacos.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 1126mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love steak tacos, but those usually need a long marinating time to get the biggest flavor possible. This 15 minutes salmon tacos are the perfect solution when I need some taco fix and not having a lot of prep time. 🙂