Description
These quick & easy Salmon Taco Bowls are such a fun weeknight dinner. They’re fast, flavorful, & super versatile since you can build your bowl using whatever taco night fixings you love most.
The star of these bowls, of course, is the salmon. Look for the highest quality salmon fillets you can find, then cube them up & season them with my go-to taco seasoning. After cooking just a couple minutes per side, the salmon sears up beautifully – the spices create a nice crust around the exterior, while each bite of salmon is still flaky & tender. It’s seriously delicious & comes together in about 5 minutes – so good!
From there, build your salmon bowls using whatever taco night fixings you love most. Every taco bowl needs a killer sauce, so I highly suggest whipping up a quick cilantro ginger sauce for another punch of flavor, but feel free to build your bowls with rice, thinly sliced cabbage or lettuce, salsa or hot sauce, & anything else you happen to be craving.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound fresh salmon fillets, skin removed & diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- for serving, as desired: green sauce (below), cilantro lime rice, pico de gallo or salsa of choice, chopped cabbage, finely chopped cilantro, guacamole or mashed avocado, lime wedges, etc.
for the green sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup buttermilk (or 1 scant teaspoon lemon juice + scant ¼ cup milk)
- 2 large, juicy limes, juiced (approx. ¼ cup juice)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro (approx. 1 cup loosely packed leaves & tender stems)
- 1 medium jalapeno, deseeded as desired & roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 green onions, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Optional: Prepare the green sauce: Combine all listed ingredients in a food processor. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Pulse to combine. Once combined, let the food processor run, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is smooth & creamy. Taste & adjust seasoning as desired. Transfer to a bowl & set aside for serving, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Season the salmon: Place the cubed salmon in a large bowl. Season with all listed spices (chili powder – onion powder), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to coat well.
- Sear the salmon: Add the olive oil to a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add the salmon to the skillet. Cook 2 minutes, then flip & cook 90 seconds – 2 minutes longer, or until your desired doneness is reached. Work in batches as necessary & resist the temptation to mess with the salmon as it cooks to ensure you achieve a beautiful golden sear. Transfer the seared salmon to a plate & squeeze the lime juice over top.
- Salmon taco bowl assembly: Build your salmon taco bowls as desired. I like to create a base of finely shredded cabbage & cilantro lime rice, then top it with the seared salmon, pico de gallo or salsa, some smashed avocado, & a healthy drizzle of green sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Dairy-free salmon taco bowls: For a completely dairy-free salmon taco bowl, swap the buttermilk in the green sauce for your favorite plant milk or try our Cilantro Lime Cashew Crema instead!
- Easy add-ons: The beauty of a taco bowl is that it’s entirely customizable to your tastes. A couple of my favorite quick & easy add-ons for these salmon taco bowls are cilantro lime rice & a quick, fresh pico de gallo. Feel free to use store-bought options if that’s better suited for your schedule!
- Cilantro lime rice: Combine 2 cups cooked rice with a good handful of finely chopped cilantro & the zest & juice of 1 lime. For a particularly quick & easy version, feel free to heat up a package of 90-second rice in the microwave – easy!
- Go-to quick pico: The best, simple homemade salsa. Quarter 1 pint cherry tomatoes, finely dice ½ small red onion, & roughly chop ½ cup cilantro leaves & tender stems. Add to a medium bowl. Squeeze 1 lime over top & season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine & enjoy.
- Storage & Reheating: Store leftover seared salmon, green sauce, & taco bowl fixings in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator. The salmon is best enjoyed within 2 days of cooking, while the green sauce will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Reheat the salmon in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through & assemble a taco bowl with green sauce for serving.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for these salmon taco bowls comes from prepping the green sauce. It stores beautifully, so feel free to prep it ahead of time to cut down on active prep at dinnertime – it takes 10 minutes, tops:
- Prepare the green sauce according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (~10 minutes active prep)