Fried Salmon Tacos Recipe

We all want to serve meals that look good enough to be shared on social media and taste good enough that your diners will clamor for seconds and thirds. But given that more often than not said diners are kids or partners who probably dislike waiting around for an hour as you prep your masterpiece meal, all too often, we end up serving dinners that are just average. But not tonight, oh no! Provided you have less than 30 minutes of free time before those diners arrive at the table, then you have just enough time to prep, cook, and plate these gorgeous-looking and delectable salmon tacos, thanks to this recipe from chef and recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating. 

Because the fish is fried, it cooks fast and tastes great. And because the only other prep is some mixing, slicing, and dicing, you can multitask and whip dinner up fast. "I don't think they're particularly complex," says Brookes. "The only cooking step is frying the salmon. Otherwise it's just chopping the other taco components and assembling them." You might even sneak in a few minutes to check your phone, have a glass of wine or tea, or just take a seat and breathe a bit before the gang realizes there's food to be savored.

Aside from the fresh cilantro, because salmon freezes well (And in fact, so do tortillas!), you may well have all of the ingredients for these tacos on hand already, or at least you can keep them all handy going forward. All told, you'll need a couple of salmon fillets with the skin on one side, olive oil, a garlic clove, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt, a diced avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes, finely sliced red onion, the aforementioned cilantro (aka coriander in some places, FYI), lime juice, and the also noted tortillas.

Start the recipe off by making the spice blend that will take this entire meal to the next level. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and salt together, stirring the ingredients well.

Next, pour the mixture over the salmon fillets, and rub it into the meat, coating all sides of the salmon. Now, in a nonstick pan over a medium-high heat, fry the salmon for about five minutes on each side, until it is crispy and blackened on the outside.

While the salmon is frying, you can prep all the other ingredients. That means juicing the lime, thinly slicing the red onion, cutting the cherry tomatoes into quarters, roughly chopping the cilantro, and then opening up and dicing the avocado.

Once the fish is finished cooking, flake the salmon off the skin with a fork, breaking it into small chunks. Then, warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or for two to three minutes in the oven.

You're almost done! Assemble the tacos by adding the salmon, diced avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes, red onion pieces, and fresh coriander to each tortilla, and then finish with a drizzle (or a squeeze) of lime juice. And by all means add sour cream and hot sauce to each taco, if you'd like, although these are optional. Resist the temptation to add lots of other ingredients, though, as the flavors here are beautifully balanced as-is. This dish is delightfully colorful!

Made a bit too much? You have a bit of a grace period here. Brookes says, "I would store the salmon and fillings separate from the tortillas, and they should keep for a couple of days covered in the fridge. Leftover salmon can be reheated once in the oven." But for now, kick back, and enjoy this fun and tasty meal!