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These Blackened Salmon Tacos are bursting with flavor—spicy, smoky, and perfectly balanced with creamy lime crema and crisp toppings.
Fresh salmon is pan-seared to perfection, tucked into warm tortillas, and topped with colorful veggies for a dinner that’s both healthy and delicious.
If you love fresh, flavor-packed meals like these fish tacos, you might also enjoy my French Onion Meatballs, Chili Cornbread Casserole, or Rotisserie Chicken Tacos — all easy weeknight favorites that make healthy eating simple and satisfying.
Why You’ll Love Blackened Salmon Tacos
- Big Bold Flavor: Smoky paprika, cayenne, and lime crema create the perfect blackened seasoning flavor combo, perfect for Taco Tuesdays.
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just over 30 minutes (like these ground beef sheet pan quesadillas) for a restaurant-worthy dinner at home.
- Fresh and Colorful: Crunchy cabbage, sweet corn, and creamy toppings make every bite amazing. You could also serve with mango black bean salsa or homemade pico de gallo.
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Salmon: Fresh, skinless salmon fillets form the flavorful base of these tacos. You can also use skin-on fillets.
- Blackening Seasoning: A bold blend of paprika, cayenne, garlic, and thyme for that signature spicy crust.
- Tortillas: Soft street taco tortillas hold everything together.
- Red Cabbage: Adds crisp texture and vibrant color.
- Lime Crema: Sour cream mixed with lime juice for a cool, tangy finish.
- Cotija Cheese: A salty, crumbly topping that perfectly complements the spice.
How to Make Blackened Salmon Tacos
Here are the step-by-step directions for making these easy salmon tacos:
Step 1: Combine the spices for the seasoning in a small bowl (Photos 1 and 2). Rub the salmon with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (Photo 3), then pat the seasoning mixture onto both sides of the salmon (Photo 4).
Step 2: Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once very hot, add the salmon (Photo 5). Cook for 3–4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes until cooked through.
Step 3: Transfer the salmon to a cutting board and lightly shred it into smaller pieces (Photo 6). Optional: Warm the tortillas in the same skillet until heated.
Step 4: Mix the juice of half a lime with sour cream until combined to make lime crema (Photo 7).
Step 5: Prepare the toppings by chopping the cabbage and cilantro, and slicing the jalapeño (Photo 8).
Step 6: Assemble the tacos by layering chopped cabbage (Photo 9), corn (Photo 10), and salmon (Photo 11). Top with lime crema (Photo 12).
Garnish with jalapeño slices (Photo 13), chopped cilantro (Photo 14), cotija cheese (Photo 15) and optional lime wedges (Photo 16). Enjoy!
These are best eaten fresh (or individual components stored separately), but if you have leftover blackened salmon tacos, store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe calls for skinless salmon. If using skin-on salmon, the cooking time may vary.
- This recipe calls for street taco tortillas. You can use wheat or corn tortillas.
- Optional toppings include black beans, hot sauce, and mango salsa.
More Savory Dinner Recipes
- Ground Beef Sheet Pan Quesadillas
- Chicken Chili With Sweet Potatoes
- Skillet Lasagna
- Crockpot Taco Chicken Chili
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
If you make this easy salmon tacos recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Blackened Salmon Tacos
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
Taco Ingredients
- 1.5 lb salmon, skin removed
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 6 street taco tortillas
- 1/2 lime
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup red cabbage
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese
Instructions
- Combine the spices for the seasoning in a bowl. Rub the salmon with 1 tbsp of olive oil, then pat the seasoning mixture onto both sides of the salmon.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once very hot, add the salmon. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes until cooked through.
- Transfer the salmon to a cutting board and lightly shred it into smaller pieces. Optional: Warm the tortillas in the same skillet until heated.
- Mix the juice of half a lime with sour cream until combined to make lime crema.
- Prepare the toppings by chopping the cabbage and cilantro, and slicing the jalapeño.
- Assemble the tacos by layering chopped cabbage, corn, and salmon. Top with lime crema and garnish with jalapeño slices, chopped cilantro, and cotija cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe calls for skinless salmon. If using skin-on salmon, the cooking time may vary.
- This recipe calls for street taco tortillas. You can use wheat or corn tortillas.
- Optional toppings include black beans, hot sauce, and mango salsa.
- This recipe makes 6 small tacos, which is enough for 2 servings, if each serving includes 3 tacos. It’s easy to double or triple the recipe to make a larger amount. We triple this recipe for our family.
- These are best eaten fresh (or individual components stored separately), but if you have leftover blackened salmon tacos, store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
