Make Some Blackened Salmon Tacos
It’s time to make one of my favorites, a Blackened Salmon Taco Recipe. Give it a try for a Taco Tuesday Fiesta!
I love tacos and the explosion of their popularity goes beyond the lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese and salsa with the traditional meat proteins! The sky is the limit when it comes to toppings, sauces, non-traditional proteins and even shells! They are zesty, flavorful little packages and just plain fun! You can’t eat a taco with a knife or a fork, they are handheld. They come in layers of flavors so when you take a bite, no bite is exactly the same.
Tacos can be very nutritious with a variety of vegetables, fruit and lean protein/meat alternatives. They may come in a variety of colors of the rainbow which might be purple cabbage, red tomatoes, a variety of greens, roasted purple beets, yellow pineapple, orange mango, and white onions just to name a few of the colorful options.
I love fish tacos but instead of a white, mild fish, I gravitate towards wild Alaskan salmon or farm-raised trout which are high in omega 3 fatty acids. If you want a vegetarian option, skip the fish and try blackening a meat alternative like tempeh, hempeh, tofu or seitan.
The spices in tacos may be good for you! Check out some of benefits of them here in an article written by fellow registered dietitian Cynthia Sass!
Blackened Salmon Tacos with Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Kale and Black Beans
The orange, yellow, green, red, pink and black of these fish tacos with salmon just spells fiesta and fun! Make them for your next celebration! Serve with quartered limes and sliced jalapenos with a little grated cheese if desired.
Makes 3 or 4 servings tacos, two tacos each
1 pound Alaskan salmon
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used some aged cheddar but you could also use some crumbled Mexican cheese)
2 limes
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 avocado, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1/2 cup salsa salsa if desired
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
6 corn tortillas
Extra cilantro to top tacos
Blackened Spice Blend
If you want to make a spicy salmon taco, try this spice blend!
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 batch of Sweet Potato Guacamole (see recipe below)
1 batch of Black Bean, Corn and Kale Salsa (see recipe below)
Black Bean, Corn and Kale Salsa
Try these salmon taco toppings which actually make the taco!
1 cup of frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of kale, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1-2 chopped green onions
1 lime, squeezed
1 teaspoon, freshly ground cumin
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Thaw frozen corn in a large bowl. Stem and chop kale and throw into bowl. Rinse and drain beans in a colander and add them to the bowl also. Add salt and pepper, cumin, minced garlic, chopped green onions, lime juice, olive oil. Toss well and add cilantro.
Sweet Potato Guacamole
The first time that I tried sweet potato guacamole was when I heard a presentation by Edible Communities when he did a food demonstration. Living in North Carolina and it being the sweet potato capital of the world, I love the thought of making guacamole out one of our local foods! If you want a little extra kick, add a little chipotle sauce!
1 large sweet potato
1-2 chopped green onions
1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Bake an extra sweet potato for another meal or microwave one. Allow to cool and peel. Mash with a fork in a medium bowl. Add chopped jalapenos, chopped green onions, minced garlic, chopped tomatoes and lightly mix. Add a small amount of lime juice and salt to taste. Add chopped cilantro and garnish with it also.
To blacken and cook fish:
Care must be taken to vent your kitchen when you blacken fish, meat or a meat alternative. The spice mixture heated in the skillet can create a lot of smoke. Mix paprika, thyme, basil, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper on a dinner plate. Cut salmon into smaller pieces if desired. Place salmon flesh side down on the Heat a medium skillet to high and add canola oil. Put the salmon in the skillet, flesh side down/skin side up. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until fish is almost cooked through and then turn. You can put fish on a platter and flake in big enough pieces to put in a taco to serve.
Add Some Fish Tacos with Salmon or Others to Your Menu
Besides Blackened Salmon Tacos, here are some other tacos on the Vine Ripe Nutrition Blog that you may love also!
The colors of these tacos reminds me of the three sisters named by American Indians who planted beans, corn and winter squash together!
Make These Best Salmon Tacos
Hope that you love these blackened salmon taco recipe! You can also try some of the tacos from some of my other nutrition friends at the Recipe Redux at the link below! There will be lots of Taco Tuesdays coming soon! As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, NC, I love to help share healthy, seasonal foods for my clients to try.