Grilled Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa
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Grilled Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa are an absolutely mouthwatering way to shake up your Taco Tuesday. Crispy tortillas are layered with crunchy cabbage slaw, tender grilled salmon, creamy avocado salsa, and creamy cotija cheese for an explosion of flavors that help you meet all of your diet and protein goals! Try swapping your beef or chicken tacos for grilled salmon for a fresh and healthy new weeknight dinner.
This is the third taco recipe I’ve shared in a week and I still have one more to share next week! So basically this is Taco Week on Cooking Classy. Tacos are one of my favorite foods and they are incredibly versatile. My mom always just did the classic American ground beef tacos growing up but they were always one of my favorite dinners she made. Now, I like to remix my ingredients to keep things interesting and to vary our diets. Salmon fillets are a great way to get in omega-3s and more heart-healthy protein, so give them a try.
I recommend serving these tacos with a side of grilled corn on the cob (which you can serve up street style and use up some more of that Cotija), or you can even add it to your tacos for a little more southwestern flair. Add the corn or don’t, either way, these are totally irresistible! The salmon is enhanced with all the right spices, the cabbage gives it the perfect little crunch and the fresh avocado salsa just takes them over the top!
And don’t forget the Cotija, what’s a taco without cheese? Okay technically a street taco or a fajita, but I think tacos always need cheese. I even sneak it on both of those just listed. You can serve these in flour tortillas if you’d prefer, I think the majority of the time though tacos were made for corn tortillas. Corn tortillas also make this a gluten-free dish. My favorite way to cook corn shells is the brush them with a little canola or vegetable oil, then cook them in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown spots start to appear then flip and cook opposite side until golden. I’ve also seen people shape them around grill grates! But do what you prefer or what your package instructions say, I just don’t like a plain, dry taco shell even when they’re warmed (and even though that’s what’s pictured here).
It’s definitely that time of year to get out and start grilling and what better to start with than these tacos? Start by seasoning the flesh side (I like garlic powder and a little taco seasoning),
As far as toppings go, you can go beyond the grilled corn I mentioned earlier. A crema sauce, spritz from lime wedges or lime zest, mango salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, fajita-style bell peppers, or beans.
Here are some of my other taco recipes if you want these out too:
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos
Breakfast Tacos with Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa
Honey-Lime Sweet Potato Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Tacos
Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Grilled Fish Tacos with Lime Cabbage Slaw
Slow Cooker Sweet Pork Barbacoa Tacos
Blackened Salmon Tacos with Corn Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Ranch
Slow Cooker Fajitas (not a taco but close)
Navajo Tacos and Indian Fry Bread (different kind of taco. I just made them again last weekend. So good!)
See I really love tacos! And I’m sure they won’t stop coming in the future.
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Grilled Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
Salmon
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless salmon , skinned and sliced into 3 equal portions
- 1 Tbsp olive oil , plus more for grill
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt , then more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Avocado Salsa
- 2 medium avocados (ripe but semi-firm), peeled, cored and diced
- 1/3 cup small diced red onion , run under cool water to remove harsh bite and drain
- 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno , seeded and minced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- 8 6- inch corn tortillas , warmed
- 2 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
- 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
Instructions
- For the salmon:
- Preheat a gas grill over medium-high heat. In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lime juice, ancho chili powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, coriander, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Evenly rub mixture over both sides of salmon (I placed the first one on the plate then began to stack the rest over it so the rub didn't all just end up left behind on the plate). Brush grill lightly with oil, place salmon on grill and cook, rotating once halfway through cooking, until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, prepare avocado salsa.
- For the avocado salsa:
- In a mixing bowl gently toss together diced avocado, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble tacos:
- Break salmon into small portions and layer over center of tacos, add cabbage, avocado salsa and Cotija cheese. Serve warm.
- Recipe source: inspired by Laylita's Salmon