Zesty chili-rubbed salmon meets fresh orange avocado salsa to make the absolute best salmon tacos! They’re easy to make, naturally gluten-free, and ready to go in less than 30 minutes.
¡Feliz año, friends! ♡
We’re kicking off the new year here with this crazy-delicious, nice-and-healthy, super-simple salmon tacos recipe that Barclay and I have been making on absolute repeat lately. Seriously, we cannot get enough of these tacos. And once you take a bite, I’m pretty certain that you’re going to be on board too.
Why?
Well first off, the title says it all. These salmon tacos are fabulously easy to make and can be ready to go in less than 30 minutes, making them perfect for anything from busy school nights to fuss-free entertaining on the weekend. They’re also wonderfully hearty and filling, while still made with fresh and healthy ingredients you can feel great about. (They’re also naturally gluten-free if you use corn tortillas.) Thanks to a stellar quick seasoning blend and my best tips on how to perfectly cook salmon, the fish in these tacos is bound to steal the show. And when paired with a juicy orange avocado salsa, your choice of tortillas, and a good final sprinkling of cilantro — well, let’s just say I’m sold that these are the tacos we all need in our lives this year.
So pop some salmon on your grocery list this week, and let’s make some tacos together!
Salmon Tacos Ingredients:
Alright, let’s talk about more about this grocery list. To make these salmon tacos, you will need:
- Salmon: Any variety of salmon filets will do here, with or without the skin.
- Seasonings: We will sprinkle a quick mixture of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt and pepper on the salmon — and lots of it! If you would like a spicier seasoning, feel free to also add in 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
- Tortillas: Corn or flour, you choose!
- Juicy Citrus Salsa: Made with fresh oranges, avocado, red onion, jalapeño, lots of fresh cilantro, and some freshly-squeezed lime juice.
How To Make Tacos:
To make these tacos quickly, we’re going to do a bit of simple multi-tasking. Here’s the order of steps I recommend.
- Mix together the dry seasoning. While your oven heats, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper until combined. Then lightly pat the salmon filets dry with paper towels, lay them out on a foil-covered baking sheet, brush on all sides with oil, and sprinkle evenly with the seasoning mixture.
- Roast the salmon. Pop the salmon in the oven and cook at 450°F until it reaches your desired internal temperature. (I always cook mine to 135°F, but the FDA recommends 145°F, measured in the thickest part of the salmon.) You’ve heard me preach this before, but I highly, highly, highly recommend using a meat thermometer (affiliate link) when cooking salmon. It’s the easiest thing in the world to use, and guarantees perfectly cooked salmon every time. Meanwhile…
- Make the salsa. While your salmon is cooking, chop up the oranges, avocado, red onion, jalapeño and cilantro. Toss together in a bowl with some lime juice, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Assemble the tacos. Then once the salmon is ready to go, use a fork to roughly shred it into some large pieces. Add the salmon to your tortillas, top with a few spoonfuls of salsa, maybe sprinkle on some extra cilantro, and voila! You’re good to go!
Possible Variations:
Want to change things up? Feel free to:
- Use a different kind of fish. If salmon isn’t your thing, feel free to sub in a different kind of fish. Or shrimp would also be delicious!
- Use a different kind of citrus. In place of oranges, fresh mango, pineapple or peaches would all be delicious too.
- Make these spicier. As mentioned above, feel free to add some extra cayenne to your fish seasoning if you would like. Or just double the amount of jalapeño peppers in the salsa (and/or include the jalapeño seeds, for extra heat).
- Make these milder. If you don’t like any spice in your food, just omit the jalapeños entirely from the recipe.
What To Serve With These Tacos:
Looking for some side dish ideas? Any of these classics would be delicious:
- Chips and salsa (Restaurant-Style Salsa and/or Salsa Verde)
- Mexican Caesar Salad
- Margaritas
Enjoy, everyone!
Super-Simple Salmon Tacos with Juicy Citrus Salsa
Ingredients
Salmon Taco Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless salmon filets
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- small corn or flour tortillas
Juicy Citrus Salsa Ingredients:
- 2 medium oranges, peeled and diced
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 jalapeño, cored and finely diced
- half of a small red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 1 lime, juiced (plus extras for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or grease with cooking spray; set aside.
- Prepare the salmon. Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl until combined. Lightly pat the salmon filets dry with paper towels. Then place them in a single layer on the baking sheet, brush on all sides with oil, and sprinkle evenly with the seasoning mixture. Bake until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 135-145°F*, about 4-6 minutes per half inch of thickness (measured by the thickest part of the filet). You can also test for doneness by inserting a fork or knife in the salmon and twisting it a bit; the fish should be opaque and flake easily.
- Make the salsa. While your salmon is cooking, toss together the oranges, avocado, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice in a medium bowl until combined.
- Assemble the tacos. Once the salmon is cooked, use a fork to roughly shred it into large pieces. Add the salmon to your tortillas, top with a few spoonfuls of salsa (plus some extra cilantro if you would like)...and enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This recipe contains affiliate links.
I made this meal tonight and I’m blown away! This will be one of my regular meals from this point on. Thank you ?
I rarely write reviews but these are so darn delicious! This has become my go-to for taco night, and I love the salsa on everything!! Thank you for this recipe :)
Made this last night. It was easy and delicious! I added some shredded cabbage for crunch. Perfection.
This was so yummy! Thank you for sharing a great recipe! I added feta, avacado and tomatoes to my taco with lime. I wish I made more!
Really tasty and although the salad of
Course is citrusy it really balance out with the taste of the salmon seasoning
I never comment on recipes or reviews and I had to come on and give a 5 star review. Tried the recipe last night but ommited oranges and used a dash of orange juice for the sauce (was out of oranges and thought it was just flavor for the onions) and it was SO good, and got such rave reviews, I decided to use the seasoning for tonight’s dinner (mashed potatoes instead of tacos) and boneless chicken breast in place of the salmon… omg… it’s been the best two nights at my house! Thank you!
My family and I said this was good but not amazing…thus the 4 not 5-star rating. Admittedly, however, I inadvertantly forgot the cilantro and I used crushed canned pineapple instead of diced oranges. Still, I liked it enough to make it again and see if I can improve on the experience for my diners. I definitely will use cilantro next time (we like cilantro) and I will probably try some fresh mango. If I were to use pineapple again, it would be chunks. I also used farmed Atlantic salmon instead of wild caught, thinking that I did not to buy “premium” salmon given all the different flavors in this recipe. Any thoughts/experience on this? Lastly, I would give your presentation of this recipe 5 stars. I like the description details and the various tips, including alternatives for seasoning and the salsa. Much better than many other online recipes I have read and used. Keep doing what you are doing! :-)
My husband loves fish tacos so this was a hit! I did do some variations on it. I omitted the jalapeños, used pre made store bought pico de gallo and topped it with Briana’s creamy cilantro dressing which really made this recipe a showstopper! I found this recipe to be very tasty, and a very easy summertime dinner you can pit together quickly. And the spices used on the salmon along with the marriage of oranges and avocado wrapped in a corn tortilla made this particularly yummy. Would make again :)
Very easy and very delicious!! Had to make a few substitutions because I did not have all the ingredients in my home. I had made a double recipe and I substituted jalapenos with some cayenne pepper, used one avocado in the salsa instead of 2 and added some sliced pineapple. Will probably add in some mango next time as well. Made quinoa as a side dish, but family liked adding it into the taco. Again, very good!!
These were fantastic!
Though I must admit I played loose and fast with the recipe, based on what I had on hand – grapefruit, and some canned corn. And liberally fajita spices for the salmon rub, pan-fried (because I was in a hurry) until medium-rare in the middle w/ deliciously crispy skin (which I ate separately). I find I like strong flavors to balance salmon, and this delivered wonderfully. Delicious!