Salmon Tacos

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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!

Grilled salmon tacos on two plates

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!

Ingredients for 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.

Seasoning salmon fillets

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.

Grilled salmon on a grill

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.

Prepping salmon tacos on a plate

Assemble the tacos. Drizzle with salsa verde and chipotle sauce. Top with shredded cabbage. Then squeeze some fresh lime juice on top before serving!

Assembling salmon tacos

Common Questions

What to serve with salmon tacos?

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!

What type of salmon is best for salmon tacos?

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!

Close up of salmon tacos

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!

Two salmon tacos on a plate.

Best Ever Salmon Tacos

5 from 4 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 22 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

These salmon tacos will be the star of Taco Tuesday! Grilled salmon is topped with salsa verde and chipotle sauce for the best flavor-packed tacos. Best of all, this dinner can be made in under 30 minutes!

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

For the grilled salmon

To assemble the tacos

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.
    Grilling salmon fillets on a grill
  • Flake the salmon. Flake the salmon from each fillet into two tortillas.
    Assembling salmon tacos on a white plate
  • 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.
    Grilled salmon tacos

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 244IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dinner
Keyword: grilled salmon tacos, Salmon Tacos
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




10 Comments

  1. 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.5 stars

  2. 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.

  3. 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.5 stars

    1. 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. :)

  4. 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!5 stars

    1. 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!