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Sweet and Spicy Salmon Fish Tacos

Grilled Salmon Fish Tacos | Jennifer Cooks

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Sweet, smoky, and just a little spicy—these salmon tacos come together fast and pack a flavor punch! Perfect for weeknights or weekend cookouts with a twist of citrusy slaw.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Salmon:

  • 1.5 pounds salmon (skin removed if desired)

For the Rub:

For the Citrus Slaw:

For Serving:

Instructions

Preheat the Grill

  1. Preheat your grill to high heat and close the lid while it heats up.

Make the Rub

  1. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, thyme, garlic, orange zest, salt, and pepper.
  2. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the rub for the slaw dressing.

Season and Grill the Salmon

  1. Pat the salmon dry and coat both sides with the remaining rub mixture.
  2. Place the seasoned salmon on the preheated grill and close the lid.
  3. Grill for about 5 minutes, then carefully flip using a wide metal fish spatula.
  4. Grill an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
  5. Remove salmon from the grill and loosely tent with foil to keep warm.
  6. After resting for a few minutes, flake the salmon into medium-sized chunks.

Prepare the Citrus Slaw

  1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine orange juice, lime juice, canola oil, honey, chopped basil, chopped cilantro, and the reserved tablespoon of rub. Shake well to blend.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with the desired amount of dressing.
  3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss again just before assembling tacos.
  4. Optional: For a spicy kick, add some finely diced, seeded fresh habanero to the dressing.

Warm the Tortillas

  1. Lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel with water and wrap the tortillas inside.
  2. To warm in the oven, wrap the towel bundle in foil and place in a warm oven for a few minutes.
  3. For a quicker method, microwave the damp towel-wrapped tortillas for about 1 minute, or until warm and pliable.
  4. You can also warm the torillas on a hot griddle or comal.

Assemble the Tacos

  1. Layer flaked salmon into each warm tortilla.
  2. Top with a generous scoop of citrus slaw.
  3. Garnish with torn fresh cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions:

Storage:

  • Leftover salmon can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Citrus slaw is best fresh but will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days—just toss again before serving.
  • Store tortillas in their original packaging or in foil, and reheat gently when needed.

Freezing Instructions:

  • Salmon can be cooked, cooled, and frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
  • Do not freeze the slaw—it will become watery and lose its crunch.

Nutrition