I’ll admit, I had no intention of making salmon tacos about twenty minutes before I made these for the first time.
For that stroke of inspiration, I have an over abundance of glorious summer produce and an aversion to turning on the oven in the heat to thank.
(As I dubbed them in an Instagram post, these are “accidentally bloggable”. Sometimes my best ideas happen with a weeknight winging-it dinner!)
So much so, that although I’ve given you the simplest, speediest cooking method for the salmon to actually cook dinner, should you so desire… I’ll admit that I usually make these with leftovers. Specifically, the plentiful & tender cold salmon I usually have in the fridge throughout the week after making my Same Day Hot Smoked Salmon at the weekend.
Either way, hot or cold, fresh-cooked or leftover-loving, these salmon tacos are delicious.
They’re really an ode to all the things I’ve been enjoying this summer. The juicy peaches cut through the richness of the salmon, while the creamy avocado & smidge of yogurt give them a weeknight decadence that doesn’t usually happen even in the home of a food blogger. You can use whatever greens you like, but I love them best with peppery arugula & lots of fresh basil from our deck’s hanging baskets.
The charred corn is a lovely touch, but you can easily leave it out to make these peachy summery salmon tacos AIP elimination phase friendly. And use my Foolproof Grain Free Tacos, of course!
PrintSummer Salmon Tacos with Peaches, Avocado & Basil
These salmon tacos are the best of summer produce in one bite: juicy peach, creamy avocado, charred corn & fresh basil make simply prepared salmon shine! If you can, feel free to make the salmon on the grill for an extra layer of smoky flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: weeknight
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on salmon fillets, about 6 oz /170 g each
- 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive or neutral avocado oil, divided
- 1 cup / 160 g fresh corn, from about 1 – 2 cobs
- one medium peach, thinly sliced
- a ripe avocado, sliced
- 8 tortillas, like my Foolproof Grain Free Tortillas, warmed
- few handfuls fresh arugula or chopped lettuce
to serve: fresh basil, dairy free yogurt or sour cream & lime wedges
Instructions
DRY: Pat the salmon fillets dry and set them out on a plate at room temperature.
CHAR: Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon / 15 milliliters of the oil to the skillet and heat until it shimmers, then add the corn. Cook without moving until the corn begins to char and blacken in spots, about 2 minutes or so. Stir and turn the corn over and continue to cook until it is bright in color and charred in places, another minute or so, then remove them from the skillet.
COOK: Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 milliliters of oil in the skillet and add the salmon pieces, skin side down, once the oil is hot. Cook time will vary according to the thickness of your salmon, so watch as the color of your salmon starts to lighten from the skin side and that color change starts to work its way up each piece. When the salmon has lightened to about the middle of the thickness, about 3 – 7 minutes, carefully flip and turn the fillets over. Cook for an additional 30 seconds or so if you like rarer salmon, or up to another 2 – 3 minutes for a firmer finish. Remove the salmon to a plate and rest while you set out the taco ingredients.
ASSEMBLE: When the salmon is cool enough to handle, gently flake it into bite size pieces. On top of the warmed tortillas, pile the greens, salmon, charred corn, sliced peach & avocado. Squeeze a little fresh lime over the salmon and serve with fresh basil & dairy free yogurt or sour cream.
Notes
- I often make these with cold leftover salmon, like my Same Day Hot Smoked Salmon, for an extra speedy weeknight meal!
- Omit the corn and use my Foolproof Grain Free Tortillas to make these salmon tacos AIP elimination phase friendly.
