Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa

This recipe is absolutely delicious and definitely one of my new favorite dishes! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, I will definitely be making it again and again. Keep up the good work!

Notes

These tacos are THE dinner for me right now!

A few nights ago, I made them (again), and I set the sheet pan of salmon down on the table and my whole family literally descended upon it and started grabbing at the salmon with their hands and forks as I stood by watching in half shock, half pride. It was a feeding frenzy.

Of course, we love salmon. It’s a great source of nutrition and protein and, when cooked well, it gently slides apart into buttery, juicy, delightful little flakes.

But I’m not going to lie to you: the main event here is that mango corn salsa.

The salmon itself is completely SOS (taco seasoning and THAT’S IT), which is why I think it makes sense to put all your effort and energy into the salsa. This salsa is also the thing that’s going to keep you sitting at the table long after you’re done eating tacos, just scooping some extra salsa bites all on its own and suddenly thinking of it as more of a salad? It can be a salad, right? I would totally eat this salsa on its own as a salad.

Each bite is extra crispy and unexpected from the raw sweet corn and cucumber with a little burst of juicy flavor. But it’s also mainstream enough with the mango that my two young kids are usually happy to devour it right along with us.

I love a million sauces on my tacos (okay, fine, on every recipe). But with this one, all it needs is a bit of extra lime and honey to finish it off. Simple, minimal effort, max deliciousness.

INGREDIENTS

Salmon Tacos:

• 1 lb. salmon fillet (see notes)
• 2–3 teaspoons taco seasoning
• 2 teaspoons avocado oil

Mango Corn Salsa:

• 1 large mango, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon honey
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Extras:

• one 14-ounce can refried beans, or regular black beans, or 2 avocados
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup avocado oil for softening

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Season the Salmon: Toss the salmon with the taco seasoning and avocado oil until well-coated – you can do this in a bowl or directly on the baking sheet. If your taco seasoning does not have salt, add some salt to the salmon.
3. Bake the Salmon: Bake the salmon for 8 minutes, close to the top of the oven, or until it slips apart easily when pressed with a fork. 
4. Make the Salsa: While the salmon is baking, chop up your salsa ingredients and toss together in a bowl. Season to taste.
5. Soften the Tortillas: To soften the corn tortillas, I usually heat up some oil in a large skillet and then give the tortilla a very quick one-sided dip into the hot oil and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. I stack them up as I go so the heat and oil kind of distributes between all the tortillas. You can also wrap the tortillas in a few damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds to steam them so they become more pliable and yummy to eat. 
6. Assemble the Tacos: Mash avocado or spread refried beans on the bottom of the tortilla. Add a couple pieces of salmon; press to gently smash them. Top with a big scoop of the salsa. I often finish these with lime squeezes and a drizzle of honey!

NOTES

Purchasing Salmon: For this recipe, I look for salmon fillets that are nice and thick so you can cube it! I usually cut the skin off and then cut into large cubes; I love the cube shape because they cook nice and evenly and make for a fun shape to squish apart in the taco. It’s also totally fine to just sprinkle your seasonings onto a thinner fillet and flake the fish apart to put into the tacos.

Salmon Doneness: People cook salmon to varying degrees of doneness depending on your preferences and the quality of the salmon. I like to cook it to medium well, where everything is almost totally cooked through but it’s nice and soft and slips apart easily when you press it with a fork. Here’s a guide with more info on cooking salmon and how to tell when it’s done.
Example Text

Salsa Spiciness: As written, this salsa is not spicy at all, but a jalapeño would be a great addition! I keep it mild for my kids, but if that is not your journey, go for the heat!

Tortillas: In the photos, I was using a thicker type of tortilla (corn and flour blend) that I charred in a dry cast iron skillet. When I usually make this, I use regular corn tortillas and I follow the recipe directions for softening them.

Taco Seasoning: All brands are different, but if you’re using a mild one and you want more going on with your salmon, sprinkle it with some extra chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. *chef’s kiss*

• PREP TIME: 15 minutes
• COOK TIME: 10 minutes
• CATEGORY: Tacos
• METHOD: Bake
• CUISINE: Caribbean-Inspired

What Taco Seasoning Do You Like?

Lately I’ve been using the one from Kowalski’s (a local grocery store) – that’s my favorite in this recipe right now.

I also like the Siete brand mild taco seasoning (affiliate link) – the spicy one is a bit much for my kids, but the mild is great. 

What Tortillas Do You Like?

In these photos, I’m using the La Tortilla Factory corn and flour blend tortillas! They are a bit thicker than your average tortillas and they hold up well, which is why I picked them for the photos.

If I’m making these at home, no photos necessary, I usually use just a standard yellow corn tortilla. 

Can I Use Something Else Besides Salmon?

Yes, this would be delicious with chicken or shrimp! Just adjust your baking time a bit – chicken needs more like 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of your pieces) and shrimp would be about 8 minutes. 

Can I Make This Vegetarian?

I would roast up some cauliflower in place of the salmon, following the same method of coating it with the taco seasoning and increasing the roasting time to 25-30 minutes.

If you’re looking for extra protein, tofu would also be good. Here’s our guide to cooking tofu – I would recommend the crispy baked method! 

Can I Make This Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free?

It should be both gluten-free and dairy free as written!

Double-check your taco seasoning and your corn tortillas for any added wheat or dairy; otherwise, all the other ingredients are good to go! 

How Does This Keep As Leftovers?

I wouldn’t recommend this as a leftovers meal. The salsa gets a bit soggy and the salmon doesn’t do great reheated (everyone is different, but this is just my personal opinion).

If you are cooking for one or two people, I would just keep the salsa ingredients separate and toss them before serving, and maybe even keep the extra salmon un-baked until right before serving.