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Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw and Sriracha Ranch

Name: Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw and Sriracha Ranch
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 10 oz Wild Alaskan salmon ((or enough to yield several tacos)); 1-2 large ripe avocados (sliced); 4-5 corn tortillas; 1/4 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese (optional); chipotle olive oil (or your favorite olive oil); 1 lime (wedged); paprika; ground cayenne pepper; garlic +/or onion powder; dried parsley; salt and pepper; +/or your favorite spice blend; 3 TBSP homemade or store-bought ranch dressing; 1 TBSP Sriracha (plus extra to taste); 1 cup finely chopped/shredded cabbage; 1/4 small red onion (sliced thin); 1-2 TBSP apple cider vinegar (optional but tasty); 1 TBSP honey; 1/2 tsp dried or fresh cilantro (to taste); 1/2 tsp lime juice; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/8 tsp salt

Published: November 5, 2012Updated: March 13, 2023Author: Jenn Laughlin

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Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw and Sriracha Ranch, does it get any better?! You’re seriously going to FLIP over these tasty fish tacos!

sidenote: I’m clearly a contender for the longest recipe title of the year award.

I hear the trophy is made of pure chocolate…

I. must. have. it.

Seared Salmon Fish Tacos with Sriracha Ranch

When I first moved to North Carolina I knew only a handful of people.

Coincidentally, they nearly all hailed from Texas and opened my eyes (and stomach!) to some delicious lone star staples: Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa, Shiner beer, and fish tacos.

Whenever I would visit my favorite Wilmington-dwelling Texans, they would take me a on a culinary adventure downtown, ranking nearly every restaurant in regards to the quality of their fish tacos. To this day, whenever I think of fish tacos I think of them. The fond memories are short-lived, however, because they left me and moved back to Texas. The nerve!

Wilmington, NC is a few hours away from me so not only have I been abandoned, I’m also quite far from a decent fish taco joint. Instead I’m stuck in a small town overrun by fast food, chain restaurants, and local establishments hellbent on deep-frying everything from oysters to cheesecake. When you finally find that perfect pair of jeans that neither exposes your butt crack nor your dreaded muffin top, you tend to do anything in your power to ensure they fit. So no, I will not be partaking in fried cheesecake (coughAGAINcough) or their deep-fried batter-tastic excuse for fish tacos smothered in iceberg lettuce and cheddar cheese.

Instead I’ll be face-planting into these super glorious seared salmon tacos with honey-lime slaw and sriracha ranch because HOLY COW are these some good fish tacos!

Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw and Sriracha Ranch

Recipe yields 4-5 fantastically flavorful fish tacos!

Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw and Sriracha Ranch

Seared Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw and Sriracha Ranch, does it get any better?! You’re seriously going to FLIP over these tasty fish tacos!

5 from 26 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fresh Mex, Mexican

Keyword: Seared Salmon Tacos

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: tacos

Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

10 oz Wild Alaskan salmon (or enough to yield several tacos)
1-2 large ripe avocados sliced
4-5 corn tortillas
1/4 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese optional
chipotle olive oil or your favorite olive oil
1 lime wedged

SEASON WITH

paprika
ground cayenne pepper
garlic +/or onion powder
dried parsley
salt and pepper
+/or your favorite spice blend

SRIRACHA RANCH

3 TBSP homemade or store-bought ranch dressing
1 TBSP Sriracha plus extra to taste

CILANTRO LIME SLAW

1 cup finely chopped/shredded cabbage
1/4 small red onion sliced thin
1-2 TBSP apple cider vinegar optional but tasty
1 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp dried or fresh cilantro to taste
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

First make your slaw! Toss together cabbage [plain, mixed, or purple!] and onion with the above ingredients and adjust to taste. If needed you can always add more cabbage or more onion/vinegar/honey/spices at the end so it’s uber easy to customize to perfection.
For the sauce, whisk together ranch and Sriracha, using more Sriracha for a spicy sauce and less for a more mild drizzle.
While you’re at it, prep your corn tortillas by wrapping in a slightly moistened paper towel and microwaving for 25-30 seconds to steam. I like to rub mine with a teeny bit of oil afterwards and toss them onto a heated pan for a minute or so on each side. This gives them a teeny bit of crunch/texture while still allowing them to bend soft-taco style.
Next move on to the salmon. Heat a cast iron pan or skillet with a drizzle of oil and season both sides of your salmon with paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper, along with any additional seasonings. The salmon I buy always has the skin left on one side – simply remove it with a knife or sear that side [unseasoned] first, it will peel right off after a minute or two! Follow up the skin removal by seasoning that side as well. I adore cooking my salmon with a sear/bake combo, but feel free to simply sear yours if you prefer to skip the extra step.
Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 450 F.
Once your pan is hot, add the salmon and sear on both sides for approx 2 minutes each. Look for a reddish/golden crust with a rare center.
With a spatula, move the salmon to a foil lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 5-10 minutes depending on thickness. The result is a crisp, flavorful crust on the outside with a tender flaky inside.
Now all that’s left is to assemble your tacos, pile on the toppings, and dig in! Crushing a fresh lime wedge atop each taco before they hit your face is optional, but oh-so delicious =) Do it!

Notes

Recipe yields 4-5 fantastically flavorful fish tacos!

I rubbed my salmon filet with a super yummy chipotle olive oil. You can find an infused oil at your favorite grocery store or even create your own by seasoning the oil with a chipotle spice blend. Plain old extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil will absolutely work too!

Nutrition facts below are an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on extras, swaps, etc… Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 120mg, Potassium: 656mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 10.2mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1.3mg

Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!

Tell Me more About these Fish Tacos!

I’ve legit lost count of how many of these seared salmon tacos I’ve eaten in the last month, they’re just so flipping addictive! Totally don’t skip the sauce and slaw, they absolutely set these bad boys over the top with deliciousness.

Each tasty taco is full of flavor and basically a fiesta in a tortilla! I’ve gotten salmon skeptics to positively swoon over this recipe and know you guys are gonna love it too!

UPDATE: I counted. I’ve made these 500493483853958 times since originally posting them.

Seriously.

What are you waiting for? Let’s get our taco on!

And if you get a chance to try these Seared Salmon Tacos let me know!

You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS #PEASANDCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations! I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

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