Blackened salmon tacos may be my favorite taco yet. I’ve probably said this about 6 times before but my god are these delicious. Savory blackened salmon, pan-seared until golden, and served in warm tortillas with mango salsa and creamy lime sauce. It’s bursting with flavor and incredibly refreshing. If you love salmon, you’re going to love this recipe.
I especially love making summer-inspired recipes in the dead of winter because I’m a firm believer that it helps me deal with the cold weather and dwindling hours of daylight.
How to Blacken Salmon
Blackening is a Cajun-style technique involving heavily seasoning meat with a blend of spicy, smokey spices and pan searing or grilling. It renders the salmon darker due to the rub of spices. Not to be confused with burning or charring. If your salmon is actually black, you’ve gone too far…
There are a handful of pre-made blackening spices out there, Old Bay with Lemon & Herb is my favorite for this recipe! You can also make your own with a combo of paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Basically, it’s a simple way to add a lot of spice and flavor to any kind of meat.
Rub both sides of the salmon (you’ll want skinless filets) liberally with blackening seasoning and fresh lime juice. The more seasoning, the more flavor. Some blackening seasoning can be a little spicy, so be sure to taste a little before using.
Mango Jalapeno Salsa
My simple homemade salsa is made with fresh mango, diced Roma tomato, diced jalapeno, fresh cilantro, red onion, and plenty of lime juice. The only point to really hit home is finely diced ingredients. It makes for better salsa. Add jalapeno to taste, as some are much hotter than others! This is all this recipe needs for toppings as it adds so much flavor.
Creamy Lime Sauce
If you’ve made any of my tacos in the past you’re well aware of my obsession with creamy lime sauce. Creamy lime sauce is an easy way to add a subtly creamy texture to tacos that really helps balance the dry ingredients.
My creamy lime sauce is essentially a watered-down sour cream that you can drizzle over the tacos. My special touch is fresh lime juice for a little extra zest. The trick is to slowly add water, a splash at a time, and stir well in between until the desired consistency is reached. It’s simple and makes for the perfect finish.
Blackened salmon tacos also pair well with creamy avocado sauce.
More Tacos
- Pork carnitas tacos
- Spicy shrimp tacos
- Sesame beef tacos
- Carne asada tacos
- blackened fish tacos
- Skillet fajitas
Blackened Salmon Tacos Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
Savory blackened salmon, pan-seared until golden, and served in warm tortillas with mango salsa and creamy lime sauce.
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 pounds salmon filet, cut into 6–8 ounce portions and skin removed
- 1–2 teaspoons blackening seasoning ( I like Old Bay Lemon & Herb)
- 10–12 flour or corn small taco-sized tortillas
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
jalapeno mango salsa
- 1 diced mango (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1 lime, juice squeezed
- 4–5 slices fresh jalapeno, diced *see note*
creamy lime sauce
- 2 heaping tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 lime, juice squeezed
- splash of water, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and bake for 7-10 minutes before serving to warm/steam.
- Combine mango jalapeno salsa ingredients in a small bowl, stir to mix, and set aside.
- Combine the creamy lime sauce in a small bowl, mix until smooth, and set aside. This along with the salsa can be made in advance.
- Season salmon all over with blackening seasoning (sides, bottom, top). This should be done to taste but I like a healthy dose that completely covers the salmon.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, sear salmon until golden and fully cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side for medium.
- Use the tip of a spatula to break the salmon into bite-sized chunks for easy taco assembly.
- Serve salmon tacos topped with jalapeno salsa and creamy lime sauce.
Notes
TEST your jalapenos before adding. Some tend to be very spicy, while others are more mild. The salsa is mild overall, however add more or less jalapeno depending on preference (I left out the seeds).
Corn tortillas tend to be more brittle than flour tortillas. I prefer to briefly toast my corn tortillas in a pan with cooking spray. It works much better than microwave steaming and tastes phenomenal. Sear in a large pan on medium heat with cooking spray. 1 minute per side should do the trick. You can of course use the simple oven method as suggested.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: 671
- Sugar: 16.3
- Sodium: 880mg
- Fat: 24.6g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Carbohydrates: 70.4g
- Fiber: 5.1g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 93mg
Keywords: fish tacos, salmon tacos, blackened salmon
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