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Super-Simple Salmon Tacos (with Juicy Citrus Salsa)

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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.

Super-Simple Salmon Tacos with Juicy Orange Avocado Salsa

¡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!

Easy Zesty Roasted Salmon

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.

Fresh Orange Avocado Salsa

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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…
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

Salmon Tacos with Orange Avocado Salsa

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.

The Best Salmon Tacos

What To Serve With These Tacos:

Looking for some side dish ideas? Any of these classics would be delicious:

Enjoy, everyone!

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Super-Simple Salmon Tacos with Juicy Orange Avocado Salsa

Super-Simple Salmon Tacos with Juicy Citrus Salsa

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 35 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 0 About 8-10 tacos 1x

Description

Zesty chili-rubbed salmon meets fresh orange avocado salsa to make the absolute best salmon tacos!  See notes above for possible ingredient substitutions.


Ingredients

Scale

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

  1. Heat the oven.  Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or grease with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

*The FDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F, measured in the thickest part of the salmon filets.  The salmon will continue to cook a bit more once it has been removed from the oven, so I would pull it out of the oven once it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F.  Or if you like your salmon a bit less cooked (as I do), I would recommend pulling it out at 135°F.

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The Best Salmon Tacos Recipe

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45 comments on “Super-Simple Salmon Tacos (with Juicy Citrus Salsa)”

  1. Looks great but I hate cilantro. What would you sub in instead?

  2. Omg, THESE WERE AMAZING. I have to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of salmon, so I was a little iffy about these…but all of the flavors together were fantastic. We really loved the salsa!






  3. This looks phenomenal and as you said, crazy-delicious! Huge salmon lover here so definitely trying out this recipe! Just to confirm, when you say sprinkle salmon with seasoning evenly, do you mean all sides of each piece or distribute the seasoning evenly between all the fillets but sprinkle only the top part?

    • It probably depends if your salmon has the skin or not. I wouldn’t bother seasoning the skin but I would season any exposed flesh for sure.

  4. These were amazing. One Jalepino was too spicy for me (sensitive but enjoy spice), perfect for the other eater. If you’re sensitive I’d cut the amount in half since the chili powder gives a good kick as well. I actually loved the orange in the salsa and I almost went for mango before giving it a try, glad I did!






  5. This was super easy and crazy delicious. The salmon and salsa were great on soft flour shells or on a bed of shredded Napa cabbage.






  6. I must say this is going to be an interesting one to try out this weekend. Although I’m not a big fan of salmon, I’ll definitely give it a try. Thank you so much.






  7. Oh-em-gee!!!!! I just made these and sooooo good! Very quick and easy and the salmon rub is perfect! I made the salsa and added more citrus, I had a very ripe mango so threw that in with the oranges. I could easily eat the salsa by itself. I also quickly shook up some of the cumin lime dressing per your recipe which was the perfect addition along with a few drips of hot sauce and topped with extra cilantro, voila! YUM!!!!






  8. Amazing recipe! Have made it couple times. For some reason I thought the salsa recipe had 1 orange and 1 mango so been making it with mango and it works really well!






  9. Salmon was great as was the salsa (I made with pineapple as I’m not a big fan of oranges once the season is over). Just didn’t work as a taco; I ended up eating the salmon with the salsa without the taco. Not certain why it didn’t work for me.






  10. This looks absolutely delightful! I am bookmarking for the weekend!

  11. Genial… sencillamente delicioso






  12. This recipe has been a hit with many of our friends and family, even the ones who are much better cooks than I am! Everyone who has tried it asks for the recipe and we frequently hear that they end up passing the recipe along as well. The salsa by itself is delicious. We tend to make extra because everyone sits around the table after the tacos are finished to munch on chips and salsa. Highly recommend!






  13. So easy and so delicious. We live in San Diego and eat a lot of really good fish tacos and my husband said they were the best he has ever had!!!!






  14. Made these with a little cojita cheese and some smoked tobasco on fried corn tortillas. Amazing.






  15. Just made it. Came out perfectly. Used both orange and mango (added some chopped fresh tomato, which was nice). Also, a bit of EVO in the salsa kind of held it together. Lots of lime!






  16. This is a great recipe! I added a bit of red pepper flakes and a couple splashes of Tabasco to the salsa instead of jalapeno.






  17. How many servings does this recipe make?

  18. Nice and easy dinner! I made it during the pandemic so I was short on ingredients. Used frozen salmon that was sub-par, didn’t have cilantro or jalapeño, used a shallot instead of red onion, and it was still good! I’ll try again when I can get all the ingredients, but I’m sure it’s even better!






  19. I have made this five times so far. It is so amazing and so delicious. I always use pineapple in the salsa but other than that, no changes. Easy to make, easy cleanup. Fresh and delicious.






  20. Ali-
    I made these last night with some salmon burger meat I received in a fish share order. Basically the salmon is in small pieces, so I cooked it similar to ground beef. We ended up with tostadas and these were amazing! The citrus salsa is the perfect pairing. I’ve had this recipe printed for over a year and finally made it. Thanks for another quick and delicious meal!






  21. 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!






  22. 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!!






  23. 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 :)






  24. 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! :-)






  25. 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!






  26. Really tasty and although the salad of
    Course is citrusy it really balance out with the taste of the salmon seasoning






  27. 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!






  28. Made this last night. It was easy and delicious! I added some shredded cabbage for crunch. Perfection.






  29. 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 :)






  30. I made this meal tonight and I’m blown away! This will be one of my regular meals from this point on. Thank you ?






  31. This was delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!

  32. This was delicious and converted my son. He had a small sample of it fresh from the oven and turned up his nose. An hour later I returned to the kitchen to put things away and he was hovering over it claiming the stuffed cat had been eating it. He loved it so much he asked me to leave it at home for him instead of packing it for my work lunch.

    The ingredients are pantry staples and the spice blend comes together in just a few minutes. I added a little garlic powder and smoked paprika to the blend and it was scrumptious.






  33. Very good ! Had some salmon leftover from lastnight so I improvised just a little and made the salsa and tortillas, but sprinkled the warmed salmon with Elote seasoning and it turned out great! Your recipes never disappoint!!!
    Thanks-Maureen






  34. very easy and tasty tacos






  35. So delicious! I try but I’m just not a huge fan of salmon. Everything is better as a taco so I had high hopes for this recipe, and I wasn’t disappointed! The real star of this show is the salsa. We used oranges and a slightly underripe avocado, which was perfect because that way it held together great. Unfortunately our jalapeno was ridiculously mild so I did wish for a bit more spice to the salsa, but that’s the fault of the ingredients not the recipe! Other than that it was perfection. Thanks for a great new way this non-salmon lover can eat some healthy fish!






  36. Wow, amazing! I made a hash of skinning my salmon filet, but I think the extra surface area for the rub is important. I’ll probably use 2 jalapeños, or some cayenne next time, as I felt like it wasn’t quite hot enough, but still, an amazingly flavorful dish that will sure to be an addition to my meal rotation.






  37. Just made this tonight and it has got to be the best salsa ever. Thanks for putting up recipes for people like me trying to make new things to eat






  38. do i use mexican oregano or italian oregano ?

  39. These were AH-MAZING! And so healthy, I did not feel like I was blowing my food plan by eating these

  40. Fantastic! This was my first time making salmon tacos and they did not disappoint! Will definitely make again.






  41. I was skeptical of the oranges- kept wanting to substitute mango- but glad I stuck to the recipe- so so perfect! I used thinly sliced jicama as my tortillas, which was a perfect combination, & you’re with a little micro greens. I love it. Sharing recipe with friends.






  42. Made these with shrimp. Delicious!

  43. I just made the salmon but it was super easy and delicious. Paired it with a simple slaw recipe I found and it was delicious. Probably even better with the salsa described here. Gimme some oven is so reliable for recipes!