How to Make Easy Salmon Tacos

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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.

01 The Best Fish Tacos with Salmon

02 Ingredients for Salmon Tacos

03 How to Make Salmon Tacos

04 Salmon Taco Toppings

05 What to Serve with Salmon Tacos

06 Salmon Tacos FAQs

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.

Prep – preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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.
Bake – bake for 15 minutes or until easily flaked with a fork.
Make the pineapple salsa – while the salmon is baking, add the chopped ingredients for the pineapple salsa to a bowl and mix to combine.
Flake the salmon – after 15 minutes, remove the salmon from the oven and use a fork to flake the salmon into chunks.
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!

Salmon Tacos FAQs

Q Can salmon be used for fish tacos?

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?

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?

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.