Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema is the perfect twist on the original fish taco recipe and a family favorite! These are super quick and easy to make with deliciously seasoned fillets that are pan-seared, and then flaked over warm tortillas. Serve with cabbage slaw, a drizzle of avocado sauce and other tasty toppings for the most incredible dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!

salmon tacos topped with Avocado Crema and sliced Jalapeño

One bite, and you will be in love with these salmon tacos! All of the fresh, light flavors and contrasting textures will blow you away! You get the spiced flavor from the tender, juicy salmon and the cool, creaminess from the avocado crema. These are so incredible and Taco Tuesday will never be the same!

Even if you’re not in the mood for tacos, this is a salmon recipe that could totally stand on its own. The cooking method highlighted in this recipe gives the fish the most perfect flakiness with irresistible juiciness on the inside and an incredible crust on the outside. The salmon itself would work well paired with a myriad of side dishes or use it as the protein in a salad. If you’ve been trying to find a way to love salmon, give this pan-seared method a try… you WON’T be disappointed!

My husband asks for these all the time! He loves the spice rub blend. I don’t even bother with the avocado crema half the time. So delicious! Also, thank you for the directions for pan searing the salmon.

— Nicole

Why you will love this recipe

  • Perfectly seasoned salmon: The fillets are flavored with a mix of spices like garlic salt, cumin, paprika, onion powder, chili powder and black pepper giving it the most delicious taste.
  • Easy to cook: The salmon is pan-seared to perfection, giving it a crispy exterior and a perfectly juicy center. This is one of the quickest ways to cook fish. No need to heat up the kitchen with the oven and no standing over a hot grill. Less than 10 minutes of cook time on the stovetop is all you need!
  • Flavorful cream sauce: The avocado crema adds a burst of freshness that is a wonderful contrast to the boldly spiced fish.
  • Family-friendly: Tacos are perfect for family dinners, parties and other gathering because everyone can choose their favorite toppings. This taco recipe is always a hit!

Looking to try other fish taco recipes? Try my popular cod fish tacos next!

seared salmon tacos with sliced avocado and sliced jalapeños

Ingredients needed

This salmon taco recipe is so simple to make and totally versatile. The ingredients are simple, and you probably already have all of the spices in your pantry. Add your favorite toppings and leave out whatever you don’t really like or don’t have on hand. Here’s a note on all of the ingredients we use:

  • Spices: The homemade taco seasoning blend is super flavorful! I like making my own to control the ingredients and flavors. It’s a simple mix of garlic salt, cumin, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, and black pepper.
  • Salmon: For the best flavor, texture and more health benefits, use high-quality wild salmon. You can definitely taste the difference!
  • Olive or avocado oil. For cooking the salmon.
  • Avocado crema: This avocado sauce is SO tasty and adds the perfect finishing touch. It’s a simple combination of avocado, lemon or lime juice, Greek yogurt or mayo, hot sauce, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper.
  • For serving: We like to serve our salmon tacos using corn tortillas, but flour tortillas work great too (or use any favorite tortillas). We also add in cabbage slaw, sliced jalapeño, a sprinkle of cotija cheese, avocado cream sauce and a drizzle of fresh lime juice. Feel free to add any favorite toppings that you prefer.

How to make this recipe

To make these salmon tacos quickly, we’re going to do a bit of simple multi-tasking. Here’s the order of steps I recommend:

  1. Mix the spices: In a non-stick skillet, add oil and heat to medium-high. While the pan is heating, whisk together the spices in a small bowl. Lightly pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and evenly rub with the seasoning mixture. Don’t forget the sides!
  2. Cook the salmon: Avoid overcrowding the fish while cooking, working in batches as needed. Add salmon fillets flesh side down, to an already heated pan. Cover pan and sear fish over medium-high heat, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes until crispy and golden, before flipping. If you don’t have a lid for your pan, just use a baking sheet. 
  3. Flip: After 3 minutes, uncover pan, and flip. Cook for about another 5 minutes. You will know it is done when the flesh is flaky, when checked with a fork. It’s important to remember that it will continue to cook even after being removed from the heat and you don’t want to overcook the fish, as it will become dry. Once fully cooked, you’ll easily be able to remove the skin with a fork.
Raw salmon seasoned with spices
Salmon fillets cooking in a large skillet.

Avocado crema & assembly

  1. Make the sauce: While the salmon is cooking, whip up the avocado cream sauce by adding all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blending until smooth. If you don’t want to take time to make the sauce, these tacos are even great topped with guacamole or a store-bought avocado cilantro dressing.
  2. Assemble: Once the salmon is fully cooked, remove it from the skillet to a plate and use a fork to roughly shred it into large pieces. Add slaw and then salmon to warmed tortillas.
  3. Add toppings: Top with other favorites like a few spoonfuls of feta cheese, some diced avocado and sprinkle on fresh cilantro. Finally, add a drizzle of the avocado crema sauce. For easy drizzling, cut off the very end of one corner of a zip-top bag (a very small cut). Add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce to the bag and then squirt the sauce out of the cut as you move back and forth across the tacos. Enjoy!
Avocado Crema sauce mixed in a food processor.

Expert tips

Some helpful tips and tricks, so you have the best fish tacos every time you make them!

  • Taco seasoning: Substitute the homemade seasoning blend with store-bought taco seasoning, if you’d like. You’ll need about 5 teaspoons. Want to make it spicy? Add in a dash or two of cayenne pepper!
  • Best salmon to buy: For the highest quality salmon, you want to purchase wild-caught salmon, which is king, coho or sockeye salmon. You can usually find a great selection at the seafood counter of most grocery stores. This is a great option because you know it’s fresh and you’ll be able to select fillets of similar size.
  • Frozen salmon: If you happen to only have frozen wild salmon available – that works! Just make sure to thaw it before cooking. I often buy frozen wild-caught Alaskan salmon from Costco – it’s priced well and is super tasty.
  • Warm the tortillas: Heat the tortillas to make them more flavorful, pliable and keep them from breaking.
    • Microwave: Wrap a stack of 5 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time until warmed through.
    • Over a flame: Heat a gas stovetop to a medium/low flame. Place the tortilla right on the flame on the stovetop and flip after 10-15 seconds.
    • In a pan: Cook in a hot, dry skillet, griddle, cooktop, or grill grates — flip after 10-15 seconds.

Frequently asked questions

How to know when salmon is done cooking?

This seared salmon requires about 8 minutes in a hot skillet. The cook time will depend on how thick your fillets are and how well done you like your salmon. You can accurately check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the fillet. If you don’t have an instant read thermometer, insert a knife or fork into the thickest part, if done it will flake and look a little translucent in the center, but it will not look red or raw.

What temperature is fully cooked salmon?

The FDA advises salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145ºF., HOWEVER, if you cook your salmon to this temperature it will be overdone because the temperature will continue to rise even after being removed from the heat. Instead, America’s Test Kitchen suggests cooking farm-raised salmon to about 125ºF and wild-caught to 120ºF to avoid dry, overcooked fish.

What fish is best for tacos?

Aside from salmon, snapper, mahi-mahi, grouper, flounder, halibut and cod all make great options for fish tacos.

3 seared salmon tacos on a plate

Toppings

Use whatever toppings you like best! There are endless options!

  • Diced red onions or pickled onions
  • Beans like black beans or even refried beans
  • Queso
  • Guacamole or sliced avocado
  • Sliced jalapeños
  • Lime wedges and lime zest
  • Diced cherry tomatoes
  • Pico de gallo
  • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Salsa
  • Hot sauce
  • Fish taco slaw

Variations

One of the greatest things about this recipe is that it’s so easy to customize and make your own. Here are some ideas:

  • Fish: Have some tuna on hand? Use that or any other type of fish to make these. The cook time will vary with what variety of fish that you use. 
  • Veggies: Give this dish a nutritional boost by adding in sautéed onions, bell pepper and/or sliced mushrooms.
  • Cheese: Add in some shredded cheese, if you’d like. These are great with a Mexican cheese blend, cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese. Use what you love!
  • Low carb: To make these low carb, use low-carb tortillas. And make them gluten free by using gluten-free tortillas.

Serving suggestions

Looking for what to serve with salmon tacos? Here are some ideas:

Storage recommendations

  • Storing leftovers: Salmon is best the day it is made, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The slaw and other fresh fixings can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and any extra avocado sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Store all of the ingredients separately.
  • To reheat: Since salmon tends to dry out when reheated, we like to use the leftovers on top of salads, still cold. However, you can rewarm any leftovers in 20-second increments in the microwave or for a minute or two in a hot skillet on the stovetop or reheat in a 300ºF preheated oven or air fryer for 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

Helpful tools

  • Large Cast Iron Skillet – You can really use any large skillet for cooking salmon, but I prefer using a cast iron skillet because the heavy bottom retains heat. This ensures even cooking and cooks the fish quickly. Lodge is a great budget-friendly brand.
  • Wüsthof Two Piece Prep Set (Knives) – This is the knife set that I use most often and I can’t say enough great things about these high-quality knives.
  • Small Food Processor – This mini food processor is great for whipping up salad dressings, dips and sauces.
tacos made with seared salmon and Avocado Crema

More salmon recipes

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

Salmon tacos topped with avocado crema and sliced jalapeño.
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Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema

Yield: 6 tacos
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema is the perfect twist on the original fish taco recipe and a family favorite! These are super quick and easy to make with deliciously seasoned fillets that are pan-seared, and then flaked over warm tortillas. Serve with cabbage slaw, a drizzle of avocado sauce and other tasty toppings for the most incredible dinner that's ready in less than 30 minutes!
Author: Kim

Ingredients

For the salmon:

  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound fresh wild-caught salmon
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

For the avocado crema:

  • 1 large avocado
  • 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or mayo
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • sea salt and ground pepper to taste, as needed

For serving:

  • 6 corn tortillas or other favorite tortilla/wrap
  • 1 small bag of cabbage slaw mix
  • fresh cilantro, salsa and any other favorite taco toppings

Instructions 

  • Mix all seasonings for the salmon in a small bowl. Feel free to just use about 5 teaspoons of taco seasoning, if preferred. Pat salmon dry and then rub evenly with seasoning mix (don't forget to rub down the sides of the salmon). You will probably not need to use all of the seasoning mix. 
  • In a nonstick pan, add oil and heat to medium-high. When pan is hot, add the salmon, flesh side down and cook for 3 minutes with lid on the pan. Flip the salmon and cook fish all the way through (uncovered), about 5 more minutes. You can check the middle of the salmon with a fork to make sure it is heated and beginning to flake. (This timing is usually perfect for me – you don’t want overcooked salmon and it will continue to cook a bit even after removed from heat.)* Set aside.
  • While salmon is cooking, combine all Avocado Crema ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Heat tortillas in a skillet over the stovetop or according to package instructions in the microwave and until hot on both sides. Top tortillas with slaw/salad mix and fresh cilantro. Remove skin from salmon and use your fingers to pull chunks of salmon to divide it among the tortillas and top with Avocado Crema or guacamole and/or any other favorite taco topping.

Notes

  • Nutritional information is calculated with seared salmon and tortilla only, additional toppings and Avocado Crema are not included.
  • The recipe for Avocado Crema will make more than enough for these tacos. I love having extras for egg wraps, omelets, salad dressing and sandwich spread. If you prefer not having leftover sauce, consider cutting ingredients in half for the tacos.
  • For the “drizzle look” of the Avocado Crema on tacos, cut off the very end of one corner of a plastic baggie (a very small cut). Load the baggie with a couple of spoonfuls of Crema and then squirt it out of the cut as you move back and forth across the tacos.
  • If your salmon fillets are extra thick, you may want to cook them for 1-2 more minutes.
Photos by Sasha at Eat Love Eats
Author: Kim
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Serving: 1taco, Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 160mg, Potassium: 11mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 200IU, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 0.4mg

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