Tacos tend to be a universal crowd-pleaser, and this recipe might just become your crew’s favorite. These Crispy Salmon Tacos feature a light cilantro coleslaw, pickled red onions, and avocado crema. Just, wow! These turned out incredibly delicious and are super simple to make. Read on to learn how to enjoy them for yourself.
What’s In These Tacos
These crispy salmon tacos have a few components to make them as delicious as they are:
- Crispy Salmon Bites: Cubed skinless salmon is coated in spiced panko breadcrumbs and baked to cripsy perfection.
- Cilantro Slaw: My go-to slaw is a vinegar-based slaw….but I still add Greek yogurt and a little mayo. It’s not quite a creamy coleslaw, but I love the richness that you get by adding small amounts of these two ingredients.
- Pickled Red Onions: An absolute must for tacos, pickled red onions are a delicious and easy way to add a pop of bright and sour flavor.
- Avocado Crema: Avocado always has a place on tacos, and using it in a crema (either store-bought or homemade) is a great way to add creamy flavor without bulking up your taco.
How To Make Crispy Salmon
This crispy salmon is simple to make, and doesn’t require another gadget or copious amounts of frying oil. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cubed skinless salmon
- Avocado oil
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Ancho chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Salt
You’ll coat the salmon in a neutral oil, toss it in the seasoned breadcrumbs, and bake it at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. If the panko hasn’t browned quite to your liking, add a little avocado oil spray to each piece and broil until golden!
Tools To Make These Tacos
- Mixing Bowls
- FiIlet Knife (to remove the skin from the salmon)
- Baking Sheet
- Taco Stands (these are a MUST!)
- Mandoline (great for making coleslaw and thinly sliced onions to pickle)
What To Serve with Crispy Salmon Tacos
Taco night is made better with the addition of a few other things…
- GUAC! An absolute must for Taco night. My Charred Poblano and Corn Guacamole is always a hit!
- Salsa. Of course, you can opt for your favorite store-bought option, but why not try my amazing Blender Salsa and use up that summer produce?
- And while we’re on the salsa train…give my Fresh Corn Salsa a try, too.
- Make it a full-blown taco night with my Fish Tacos with Dill Slaw, Carnitas Tacos with Spicy Avocado Crema, Korean BBQ Tacos with Kimchi Ginger Slaw, or my Fried Fish Tacos with Chipotle Crema.
- Your favorite beverage (might I suggest a crisp Mexican lager or a margarita? My Pineapple Jalapeno Margaritas were one of the first recipes I shared on my site, and are always a hit!).
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Crispy Salmon Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
For the crispy salmon:
- 1.5 lbs salmon, skin removed and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Cilantro Slaw:
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1-2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1 head green cabbage, shredded
- 1 fistful cilantro, chopped
For the pickled red onion:
- 1 red onion, sliced very thin (use a mandoline for precision)
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 2 Tbsp sugar (or 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup)
- 2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
To Serve:
- Mini Tortillas
- Avocado Crema (store bought or see below for a link to my recipe)
- Extra Cilantro to top
Instructions
For the crispy salmon:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place cubed salmon in a bowl and drizzle with avocado oil, tossing to combine.
- Add panko and all the spices to a shallow plate or platter. Add the salmon, and toss to entirely coat each piece.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. You can spray each piece with a bit of oil and broil until golden, if baking for 20 minutes didn't produce the golden crunch you're looking for.
For the Cilantro Slaw:
- Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a large bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add shredded cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat. Set aside.
For the pickled red onions:
- Add sugar and salt to a large mouth mason jar. Top with hot water and vinegar and stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
- Add red onions and top with the cap. Shake to combine. Ideally you pickle these in advance, but even after 5 minutes they'll be mellow and slightly pickled!
To serve:
- Top the tortilla with the cilantro slaw, crispy salmon, pickled red onions, avocado crema and cilantro. ENJOY!