These charred salmon tacos are filled with vibrant, fresh tastes: seasoned fish, pineapple pico, and a rich avocado sauce that comes together in merely 30 minutes! An ideal dinner for a weeknight or gatherings.
If there’s one meal that always goes over well in my home, it’s tacos. Here’s my latest favorite taco recipe: these salmon tacos with smooth avocado sauce! They’re overflowing with fresh, zesty flavor, combining blackened salmon with pineapple pico and a lively green creamy sauce.
This simple, healthy dinner truly tastes like it’s from a restaurant (at least, according to one reader who adored them!). And best of all, you can prepare it in about 30 minutes. It’s a dinnertime victory that satisfies everyone in my household.
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “These are ABSOLUTELY delicious! My husband and I can’t stop talking about them. They are restaurant quality. Plan to make these a regular meal for entertaining.” -Melissa
What You Need for Salmon Tacos
Tacos are a classic Mexican dish that has existed for centuries, but the contemporary fish taco originated in the 1950s in Mexico’s Baja California region. The towns of Ensenada and San Felipe both assert they created them, and the trend quickly spread across the border to San Diego. A man named Ralph Rubio fell in love with the tacos, and his Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill has sold over 50 million fish tacos since its inception in the 1980s.
These salmon tacos are a variation on the traditional fish taco, but the fish is blackened rather than battered. They’re wrapped in a tortilla with a vibrant avocado lime sauce that embodies tangy, creamy goodness. Here’s what you’ll require:
- Salmon fillets: Skin-on works best for searing; opt for wild-caught if possible
- Spice rub: Simply use cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder
- Olive oil, butter, and lime juice: These are used for searing the salmon
- Avocado sauce: A straightforward avocado sauce made with ripe avocado, Greek yogurt, lime, and cilantro
- Pineapple pico: Chopped fresh pineapple combined with store-bought pico de gallo
- Flour or corn tortillas: I generally prefer flour tortillas, but corn are excellent 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, creating the best outer blackened layer of spices! Here are several tips for achieving blackened salmon:
- A cast iron or stainless steel skillet provides the best sear. The optimal way to achieve the blackened appearance on the exterior of the fish is with a cast iron or stainless surface, which enhances the Maillard reaction (browning or caramelization of the outer fish). Don’t fret if you only have a non-stick skillet: it will still deliver great flavor! You just won’t achieve that delightful char.
- First, allow the salmon to reach room temperature. This may seem like a step that can be overlooked by impatient cooks (like myself!), but resist the urge! If you sear it straight from the fridge, the inner part will remain cold while the outer side cooks.
- A food thermometer is beneficial. The simplest way to cook the salmon perfectly is by checking its internal temperature. It should read 125 to 130°F when measured at its thickest point.
- If the fish is not…