How to Make Salmon Tacos

at a glance
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 Tacos
4.8 — Votes 8 votes

Every item on this page was chosen by The Fed & Fit team. The site may earn a commission on some products (read more here).

Get ready for mess-free fish tacos! Salmon tocos have never been easier or tastier, mark my words. I am about to walk you through every step of the way so that your dinner is a total hit. Pro tip: don’t sleep on that pineapple salsa. It’s worth the cutting board quality time.

Grey tabletop with salmon tacos on charred corn tortillas garnished with pineapple salsa, jalapeno, and cilantro.

The Best Fish Tacos with Salmon

If you’ve ever made fish tacos, you know that the fish is usually fried, either in a pot of oil or on a skillet. Either way, there’s usually a lot of extra cooking fat and (more important to me) a MESS left behind. That’s why I love these so much. Get a nice big piece of salmon, dust it in this no-fail dry rub, and then BAKE the salmon by following our instructions.

Once the salmon is out of the oven, just use a fork to flake the fish into bite-sized pieces.

Load that tasty salmon into a toasted tortilla, top liberally with pineapple salsa, and enjoy!

Ingredients for Salmon Tacos

Below, you’ll find everything you’ll need to season and bake your salmon, make your delicious pineapple salsa, and assemble your ready-to-devour tacos. 

Salmon taco ingredients on a grey and white marble surface.

For the Tacos

  • 1 ½ pounds of salmon
  • 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon of ancho chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon of cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
  • Corn tortillas, for serving
  • Pineapple salsa, for garnish (recipe below)
  • Sliced jalapeno, for garnish
  • Cilantro, for garnish

For the Pineapple Salsa

  • 2 cups of pineapple, diced
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 2 tablespoons of lime juice (about 1 lime)
  • ⅓ cup of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • ¼ of a red onion, diced
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed, diced (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon of salt

Ingredient Modifications and Substitutions

These tacos are incredible as-is, but if you’re looking for some ways to mix them up, our best ideas are below.

  • Use mango salsa – if pineapple isn’t your thing, try swapping the pineapple salsa for mango salsa! They’re both really delicious.
  • Use steelhead trout – if you can’t find salmon, steelhead trout is a GREAT option.
  • Skip the spice – to keep things mild, ditch both the jalapeno in the pineapple salsa and the one used for garnish.

How to Make Salmon Tacos

These salmon tacos are a breeze to whip up (the oven actually does most of the work for you!). Here’s how it’s done:

Hand holding a small saucer with spices and a whisk.
Hand holding a small saucer whisking together spices.
An olive oil dispenser drizzling olive oil over top a salmon filet.
Hand pouring a mixture of spices over top an oil coated salmon filet.
Spiced salmon filet on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Cooked salmon filet flaked with a fork on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  1. Prep – preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Season the salmon – add the salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, and black pepper to a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the salmon on the parchment paper-lined sheet pan, brush the it with olive oil, and sprinkle the seasoning over the top of the olive oil.
  3. Bake – bake for 15 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork.
  4. Make the pineapple salsa – while the salmon is baking, add the chopped ingredients for the pineapple salsa to a bowl and mix to combine.
  5. Flake the salmon – after 15 minutes, remove the salmon from the oven and use a fork to flake the salmon into chunks.
  6. Assemble the tacos, serve, and enjoy – add the salmon to charred corn tortillas, and top with a scoop of pineapple salsa, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro. Enjoy!
Grey tabletop with three salmon tacos on charred corn tortillas garnished with pineapple salsa, jalapeno, and cilantro.

Salmon Taco Toppings

The salmon taco topping possibilities are endless! Stick with recipe and use pineapple salsa, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro as garnish, or choose your own adventure! Some of our best (delicious) topping ideas:

What to Serve with Salmon Tacos

These salmon tacos are a delicious complete meal all on they’re own, but if you’re looking for a simple side, beans and/or rice would be really delicious. If you REALLY want to impress, this Mexican Corn Salad is my side dish recommendation!

Grey tabletop with salmon tacos on charred corn tortillas garnished with pineapple salsa, jalapeno, and cilantro.
Q Can salmon be used for fish tacos?
A

Salmon can absolutely be used for fish tacos! It may have a bit more of a distinct taste than a flaky white fish, but it’s a delicious option nonetheless.

Q What’s the best salmon to buy?
A

Generally speaking, any salmon labeled as “wild-caught” is a good option. You’re more likely to find wild-caught Pacific salmon than wild-caught Atlantic salmon, but either option is great. To stay up-to-date on the BEST (healthiest, most sustainable, etc) fish selections on any given day, check out the _________.

Q Can you use frozen salmon?
A

While you can absolutely use previously frozen salmon for these fish tacos, you will want to make sure that it is completely thawed before seasoning and baking it.

blackened salmon in a white bowl with rice, purple cabbage, mango, avocado and a green sauce sitting on a marble surface

Just for You

Seafood Recipes

Want more recipe ideas like this?

Shop Supplies

Packages of raw meat in front of a shipping box.
ButcherBox Custom Box Meat Delivery Shop Now
Olive Oil Shop Now
Sea Salt Shop Now
Smoked Paprika Shop Now
Garlic Powder Shop Now
Onion Powder Shop Now
Ancho Chili Powder Shop Now
Epicurean Non-Slip Cutting Boards Shop Now
Zwilling 7-Inch Santoku Knife Shop Now
Sheet Pan Shop Now
Parchment Paper Shop Now
Cassy Smiling
More Of Our Favorites Shop Now
Grey tabletop with three salmon tacos on charred corn tortillas garnished with pineapple salsa, jalapeno, and cilantro.

Salmon Tacos Recipe

By: Melissa Guevara
4.8 — Votes 8 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 Tacos
Get ready for mess-free fish tacos! Salmon tocos have never been easier or tastier, mark my words. I am about to walk you through every step of the way so that your dinner is a total hit. 

Ingredients  

For the Tacos

  • pounds salmon
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Corn tortillas for serving
  • Pineapple salsa for serving (ingredients below)
  • Sliced jalapeno for serving
  • Cilantro for serving

For the Pineapple Salsa

  • 2 cups pineapple diced
  • 1 large avocado diced
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 lime
  • cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • ¼ red onion diced
  • 1 small jalapeno seeds removed, diced (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add the salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, and black pepper to a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the salmon on the parchment paper-lined sheet pan, brush the it with olive oil, and sprinkle the seasoning over the top of the olive oil.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork.
  • While the salmon is baking, add the chopped ingredients for the pineapple salsa to a bowl and mix to combine.
  • After 15 minutes, remove the salmon from the oven and use a fork to flake the salmon into chunks.
  • Add the salmon to charred corn tortillas, and top with a scoop of pineapple salsa, sliced jalapeno, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Salmon Tacos Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
315
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
12.3
g
19
%
Saturated Fat
 
1.9
g
12
%
Cholesterol
 
57.9
mg
19
%
Sodium
 
695.6
mg
30
%
Carbohydrates
 
26
g
9
%
Fiber
 
5
g
21
%
Sugar
 
6.4
g
7
%
Protein
 
28.3
g
57
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Notes

Ingredient Modifications and Variations
  • Use mango salsa – if pineapple isn’t your thing, try swapping the pineapple salsa for mango salsa! They’re both really delicious.
  • Use steelhead trout – if you can’t find salmon, steelhead trout is a GREAT option.
  • Skip the spice – to keep things mild, ditch both the jalapeno in the pineapple salsa and the one used for garnish.
Meet the Author
Cassy Headshot

Cassy Joy Garcia

HOWDY! I’m Cassy Joy and I am just so happy you’re here. I’m the founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Nutrition Consultant here at Fed and Fit. What started as a food blog back in 2011 has evolved now into so much more.
Get to know Cassy
copywriter: Brandi Schilhab
photographer: Jess Gaertner

Show us!

Did You Make This Recipe?

Share a photo and tag us! We can’t wait to see what you make!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Maurna Thornton says

    Maurna Thornton —  06/02/2023 At 09:48

    5 stars
    Oooooh these are so good! I saw they were the June recipe of the month, and I got excited because I’ve made these several times and enjoy them tremendously each time. One of my favorite restaurants in town has a salmon with pineapple salsa that I crave, and this recipe gives me the opportunity to make something similar and easy at home!

    Keep up the good work Cassy! I have all your books and subscribe to your newsletter and YouTube channel. You’ve really made my life easier.

  2. Cat says

    Cat —  06/02/2023 At 14:38

    5 stars
    Loved this! Super easy and tasty. Will be making for summer bbqs.

  3. Kelley says

    Kelley —  06/04/2023 At 18:50

    5 stars
    These were delicious! The seasoning for the salmon was perfect in combination with the pineapple salsa. I left the jalapeño out, but will probably add next time.

  4. Megan says

    Megan —  06/04/2023 At 22:08

    5 stars
    My husband and I loved this quick easy dinner! I made a cilantro rice to go with it and it was tasty.

  5. Lizz J says

    Lizz J —  06/05/2023 At 07:50

    5 stars
    YUM! I can’t wait to make this – even my 7 year old will enjoy if i leave out the jalapeno 🙂