Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema

Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema! It’s the perfect twist on the original fish taco recipe and a family favorite! These are super easy to make, heart-healthy, and full of flavor. Your family will love this Mexican favorite!

I teamed up with Kroger to share this heart-healthy, delicious meal idea. As always, all opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness… have I got a taco recipe for you today! You all know by now my love for salmon. Salmon is hands down my favorite fish. I eat it at least once a week at my house and it has so many health benefits like omega 3 fatty acids and DHA and EPA which help to prevent strokes. I eat salmon so many different ways but seared and stuffed into a taco might just be the best.

And to honor Heart Health Awareness Month, I’m going to be cooking up these salmon tacos on repeat! My family loves them, they’re so tasty and satisfying, they’re quick + easy, and when I serve these for dinner I know we’re getting a nutritious meal that’s great for keeping our hearts strong!

For Heart Health Awareness Month, Kroger is helping us out with free cholesterol screenings at Kroger Pharmacy and The Little Clinics. Head over to the heart health page and learn more about getting your free screening at Kroger. While you’re there, go ahead and pick up everything you need to make these delicious seared salmon tacos!

HOW TO MAKE SEARED SALMON TACOS

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

• Mix together the dry seasoning. While the skillet is heating over the stove, whisk together the spices until combined. If want to go an even easier route, you can use store-bought taco seasoning. Lightly pat the salmon filets dry with paper towels and evenly rub with the seasoning mixture. Don’t forget the sides!

• Pan sear the salmon. Pan searing salmon is one of the quickest ways to make a healthy fish dinner. No need to heat up the kitchen with the oven and no standing over a hot grill – less than 10 minutes of cooking time on the stovetop is all you need to make pan seared salmon! Avoid overcrowding while cooking, working in batches if you need to and add salmon fillets flesh side down, to an already heated pan. Cover and sear fish, 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. 

• Flip salmon. After 3 minutes, uncover pan, and flip. Cook salmon for about another 5 minutes. You will know salmon is done when the flesh is flaky, when checked with a fork. Be aware that the salmon will continue to cook, some, after removed from the heat and you don’t want to overcook the fish, as it will become dry. Once the salmon is fully cooked, you’ll easily be able to remove the skin with a fork. Meanwhile…

• Make the Avocado Crema sauce. While the salmon is cooking, whip up the Avocado Crema sauce by adding all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend 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.
• Assemble the tacos. Once the salmon is ready to go, use a fork to roughly shred it into some large pieces. Add slaw and then salmon to warmed tortillas. I like to heat a couple of tortillas at a time in a large skillet over the stove. Top with other taco favorites! I added a few spoonfuls of feta cheese, some diced avocado and sprinkled on fresh cilantro. Finally, add a drizzle of the Avocado Crema sauce. For the “drizzle look” of the Avocado Crema over the 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 sauce and then squirt the sauce out of the cut as you move back and forth across the tacos. Voilà… enjoy!

You are going to fall in love with these tacos with the very first bite. The flavors going on in these tacos will blow you away. You get the spicy flavor from the salmon and the cool rich flavors from the Avocado Crema sauce. Oh man. These are incredible.

I 100% know you are going to love these just as much as my family does! If you are looking for a healthy and fresh dinner recipe, this one is just for you! And if you love salmon just as much as I do, be sure to check out my Pan Seared Salmon With Avocado Salsa, Creamy Salmon Piccata and Blackened Salmon With Strawberry Avocado Salsa.

I could literally go on and on about the wonderful flavor of this salmon, not to mention the cooking method that gives it the most lovely flakiness and texture. Even if you’re not feeling tacos, this is a salmon recipe that could totally stand on its own. The salmon would work well paired with 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 seared salmon recipe a try… you WON’T be disappointed!

I’d love to know if you make this (or any) recipe! Tag @kimscravings on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

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5 from 10 votes

Nutrition Facts

Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema

Amount Per Serving (1 taco)

Calories 136 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g 6%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 53mg 18%

Sodium 160mg 7%

Potassium 11mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 8g 3%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 1g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 4%

Calcium 1%

Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Servings:6 tacos

Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

 

Seared Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema! It's the perfect twist on the original fish taco recipe and a family favorite! These are super easy to make, heart-healthy, and full of flavor. Your family will love this Mexican favorite!

Ingredients

For the salmon:

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

For the avocado crema:

• 1 large avocado
• 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or healthy "real food" 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 bag of slaw mix
• fresh cilantro, salsa and any other favorite taco toppings

Instructions

1. Mix all seasonings for the salmon in a small bowl. Feel free to just use taco seasoning, if preferred. 

2. 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. 

3. 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.

4. While salmon is cooking, combine all Avocado Crema ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Heat tortillas in a skillet over the stovetop or panini maker until hot on both sides.

6. 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.

7. Enjoy... I know you will! One of my personal favorite recipes on the blog!

Recipe 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 Crema 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 a 1-2 more minutes.

*Instead of the seasoning mix, you can use taco seasoning instead.

Author: Kim

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: easy salmon tacos with avocado crema, healthy seared salmon tacos, salmon tacos

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