People who know me are well aware that I love salmon like nothing else in life – it’s an affinity that borders on weird but has made me a pro – albeit self-proclaimed – at cooking salmon.
In all fairness though, salmon is hard to mess up. If you set your oven to 400 degrees and roast it for 20-25 minutes, it comes out perfectly cooked every time. The art is in the seasoning and the plating. Because salmon is high in omega fatty acids, it has a buttery richness that pairs well with any type of acid or heat. For these salmon tacos, the chili seasoning gives it the punch it needs while the pickled onions and lime balance out the flavor profile with just the right amount of acid.
Another great thing about these tacos is that you can prepare them in under 30 minutes without making much of a mess in your kitchen. Because we are roasting the salmon, all you have to do is discard the parchment paper when you are done and voila! you avoid cleaning up the burnt ends off of a pan if you were to sear or grill it instead. Just because it’s too cold to get your grill out doesn’t mean you have to wait until summer to eat fish tacos!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Atlantic salmon
- 4-6 corn tortillas
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- pickled onions*
- 1 Hass avocado
- 1 lime (cut into wedges)
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for frying the tortillas)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
*Pickled Onions:
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
Serves 2-4 people
Preparation:
- If you are making your own pickled onions, prepare the brine and allow the red onion to pickle for at least an hour before making the tacos.
- For the tacos, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To prep the salmon, create a dry rub with the chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Coat the salmon filet in olive oil and sprinkle the chili seasoning over the top in an even layer. Note:ย You can either roast the whole filet as is, or you can cut it into thin strips so that the pieces fit better in the taco shells. If you do decide to cut the filet into portions, you only need to roast it 15 minutes.
- Put the salmon in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning on your broiler for the last minute. This will give the salmon those burnt, crispy edges that you would normally get by pan-searing or grilling it.
- As the salmon is cooking, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat and place a corn tortilla directly in the pan. When air pockets begin to form, flip the tortilla and allow the other side to brown. Repeat this process with the other tortillas and allow them to cool on a paper towel. This will remove any excess oil on the tortillas.
- Slice half an avocado lengthwise and set aside.
- Cut a lime into wedges and add one or two slices to each plate.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and allow it to cool for 1-2 minutes before plating.
- Assemble the tacos and top with fresh avocado, pickled onions, a generous squeeze of lime, and fresh cilantro.