These blackened salmon tacos are packed with bold, fresh flavors: spiced fish, pineapple pico, and a creamy avocado sauce that comes together in just 30 minutes! The perfect dinner for a weeknight or parties.
If there’s one dinner that always goes over well in my house, it’s tacos. Here’s my new favorite tacos recipe: these salmon tacos with creamy avocado sauce! They’re bursting with fresh, zingy flavor, pairing blackened salmon with pineapple pico and a bright green creamy sauce.
This easy healthy dinner actually tastes like a restaurant (that is, according to one reader who loved them!). And even better, you can whip it up in about 30 minutes. It’s a dinnertime win that pleases everyone in my house.
5 Star Reader Review
“These are INCREDIBLY delicious! My husband and I are still talking about them. They are restaurant good. Plan to make these as a go to meal for guests.” -Melissa
What You Need for Salmon Tacos
Tacos are a traditional Mexican food that’s been around for centuries, but the modern fish taco was invented in the 1950s in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The cities of Ensenada and San Felipe both claim to have invented them, then craze then quickly spread across the border to San Diego. A man named Ralph Rubio became smitten with the tacos and his Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill has sold over 50 million fish tacos since opening in the 1980’s.
These salmon tacos are a spin on the idea of a fish taco, but the fish is blackened instead of battered. They’re nestled in a tortilla with a bright green avocado lime sauce that’s the epitome of tangy, creamy flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Salmon fillets: Skin-on works best for searing; use wild-caught if you can
- Spice rub: All you need is cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder
- Olive oil, butter, and lime juice: These are used for searing the salmon
- Avocado sauce: It’s a simple avocado sauce made with ripe avocado, Greek yogurt, lime, and cilantro
- Pineapple pico: Use chopped fresh pineapple mixed with store-bought pico de gallo
- Flour or corn tortillas: I usually like flour tortillas but corn are great for gluten-free diets
- Red onion and cilantro: Just for garnish
Tips for Perfect Blackened Salmon
The fish in this salmon tacos recipe is pan seared in a skillet, which makes the best exterior blackened crust of spices! Here are a few tips for blackened salmon:
- A cast iron or stainless steel skillet makes the best sear. The best way to get the blackened look to the outside of the fish is with a cast iron or stainless surface, which makes the best Maillard reaction (browning or caramelization of the outside of the fish). Don’t worry if all you have is a non-stick skillet: it will still taste great! You just won’t get that lovely char.
- Bring the salmon to room temperature first. This sounds like a skippable step for impatient cooks (like me!), but don’t be tempted! If you sear it right from the refrigerator, the inside will be cold while the outside of the fish will be cooked.
- A food thermometer is helpful. It’s easiest to cook the salmon perfectly by checking the internal temperature. It should be 125 to 130°F when measured at the thickest part.
- If the fish is not up to temp, finish in the oven. If the fish is not quite to temperature but the outsides are cooked, set your oven to 400°F and finish it in the oven.
Highlight: The Avocado Sauce
This easy avocado sauce is the crown jewel of this salmon tacos recipe. It’s quick and easy to make, and leftovers stay green in the fridge for days. Here are a few notes on the sauce prep:
- It’s only 4 ingredients! All you need are avocado, Greek yogurt, lime, and cilantro. (Well and salt, which we don’t count as an ingredient!) Using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream makes it taste light and fresh, and cuts a few calories too.
- Use a food processor or small blender. It’s not enough for a large blender, but you could try a double recipe in a standard-sized one.
- It stays green without special storage needs! You don’t have to worry about it turning brown like guacamole. The acidity in the lime juice naturally makes the avocado stay green.
Want some other sauce options? Try this Easy Avocado Crema, Fish Taco Sauce, Cilantro Lime Ranch, or Cilantro Sauce (dairy-free).
Topping Ideas for Salmon Tacos
The avocado sauce for these salmon tacos is required, or at least another creamy sauce! The zingy flavor is just the right contrast to the spiced blackened fish. Otherwise, you can get creative with your toppings! We’ll share a few ideas of what we did, and some alternative options:
- Pineapple pico: Make a quick pineapple pico by chopping up fresh pineapple rings and combining them with purchased pico de gallo. The result is a burst of tropical flavor without too much extra effort!
- Pico de gallo: Feeling rushed? Use purchased pico de gallo from the refrigerated section of your local grocery.
- Mango salsa or pineapple salsa: If you’ve got more time, make homemade Mango Salsa or Pineapple Salsa (or grab it at the store).
- Slaw: Salmon tacos are also great with Fish Taco Slaw or Mexican Coleslaw.
How to Warm Tortillas
The last thing about salmon tacos: make sure to warm the tortillas! You just can’t make a good taco with a cold, leathery tortilla. Here’s how to warm tortillas like a pro:
- Place them over the flame of a gas burner. Place each tortilla directly on a gas burner for a few seconds per side, turning with tongs. This lightly chars the edges and warms the tortillas. Then throw them into a tortilla warmer!
- Warm them in the oven. Go to How to Warm Tortillas. You can also char them with a kitchen torch, if you’re a stickler for a charred tortilla like I am.
Storage and Leftovers
Store the components separately for the best results. Leftover salmon keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container: you can flake it cold into salads, grain bowls, or reheat gently in a skillet. (Or use it in one of my leftover salmon recipes!)
The avocado sauce stays bright green in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days. Tortillas can be re-warmed over the burner or in a dry skillet.
Dietary Notes
This salmon tacos recipe is pescatarian. For dairy-free, use Cilantro Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but make sure it is high quality. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight, then pat it very dry before applying the spice rub.
Both flour and corn tortillas work well. Flour tortillas are softer and more pliable; corn tortillas have more flavor and keep things gluten-free. A homemade corn tortilla is worth the effort if you have an extra 20 minutes.
Absolutely. The spice rub works great on the grill: check out my grilled fish tacos for details.
Salmon Tacos with Avocado Sauce
Pin RecipeThese salmon tacos are bursting with flavor, pairing blackened fish with pineapple pico and a creamy green avocado sauce. Dinnertime win!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 tacos (4 servings) 1x
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 1 pound wild caught salmon fillets, skin on
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon each chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus one drizzle
- 1 tablespoon butter (or more olive oil for dairy free)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For the tacos
- 1 recipe Avocado Sauce (or Avocado Crema or Cilantro Sauce)
- ½ cup pico de gallo (aka fresh salsa, available in the refrigerated section)
- 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple rings, optional (see Step 6)
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
- Red onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring the salmon to room temperature. (This is important so that the fish cooks properly. You can also brine it, which helps to make sure there is no “white stuff” that oozes when cooked. In a large shallow dish, whisk 4 cups room temperature water and 3 tablespoons kosher salt until dissolved. Place the salmon in the water and wait for 15 minutes.)
- Mix the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl. Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub it with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle it with the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided between the filets, then the mix of seasoning.
- Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet (not non-stick*) over medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted, add the salmon skin side up and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until cooked about halfway to the center of the thick part of the salmon.
- Flip the salmon. Tilt the pan down slightly and quickly spoon the pan juices over the top of the fish a few times. Drizzle with the lime juice and spoon the pan juices a few times again. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F in the center)**. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Then flake the salmon into large pieces with a fork. Taste and add additional pinches of salt if necessary.
- Make the Avocado Sauce.
- Make the pineapple pico (optional): Finely chop 1 cup pineapple rings. Then mix it with ½ cup pico de gallo, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt. (Or, use 1 cup pico de gallo to keep it simple!)
- Warm the tortillas: Warm and char the tortillas by placing them on an open gas flame on medium for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. (See How to Warm Tortillas.)
- Serve: Layer the tacos with salmon, salsa and avocado sauce. Top with minced red onion and chopped cilantro and serve.
Notes
*You’ll get the best sear from a stainless steel or cast iron skillet.
**If the salmon is not up to temperature by the time the outside is cooked, set your oven to 400°F and finish it in the oven until the temperature is reached.
More Taco Recipes to Try
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