Hearty baked salmon layered in flour tortillas with slaw and spicy cream sauce. A perfect meal that is easy to make and packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

We are in the middle of crazy times, friends. I hope that you’re all staying safe, and sane, as your shelter indoors. I’ll be honest, I personally hate the lack of structure. I’ve been escaping to the mountains as much as possible, hiking the trails less traveled to avoid people. I’m also using the time to get things done around the house. My garage is more organized than it’s ever been, and I can see the floor of my office for the first time in years.

I always try to focus on the positive, so even with all of the chaos going on, I hope that you finding ways to staying busy and be productive. If you need a project, how about cooking healthy meals? I just happen to have a delicious recipe for you right here.

My Salmon Taco And Slaw Inspiration

You don’t have to twist my arm to eat tacos. I love pretty much all tacos. But, I did have some inspiration for posting this simple recipe.

A couple weeks ago, I got together with a few of my dietitian friends for our annual catch-up lunch. We met at a newer restaurant in town called Bakn. Have you heard of it? They have a great menu that includes a lot of locally sourced ingredients. It took me awhile to figure it out but Bakn, pronounced bacon, is called that for a reason. The menu is full of pork options. Funny thing, all three of us ended up ordered the salmon tacos. I can’t speak to the pork dishes, but the salmon tacos are amazing. That’s what inspired me to share this recipe.

I’m going to walk you through the process, so you can see just how easy this recipe is to make.

How To Make Simple Salmon Tacos

The first step to making these tacos is to prepare the slaw. It’s best when it’s been in the refrigerator for a few hours, so start with this step, then by the time the salmon is done cooking, the slaw will be ready-to-eat. If you plan to cook the salmon as soon as the slaw is done, you should pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, first.

I have a recipe on my blog for creamy simple slaw that you can use in these salmon tacos, if you want. I’m sharing this slightly different version, which is more specific to the flavor of tacos, but both would taste good paired with salmon.

Making the Slaw

To make the slaw, you’ll need a head of both red and green cabbage. You can also use a bag of prepared cabbage, if you prefer. Using a sharp knife, slice both the red and green cabbage thin, then put it in a large bowl. Next, add the sliced red onion to the cabbage.

In a separate bowl, combine the rice vinegar, lime juice, mayonnaise, 1/8 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and cilantro. Be sure to leave some cilantro for the garnish. Stir well, then pour it over the cabbage. Combine those ingredients, then put in the refrigerator to chill and allow the flavors to combine.

Prepare the Baked Salmon

Many people are intimated to cook fish at home, but let me assure you that making baked salmon is super easy. Before you begin, your oven should be set to 350 degrees so that it is pre-heated and ready to go. This recipe calls for a simple salmon fillet. This recipe calls for ~ 9 ounces to make ~6 tacos. That’s using ~1.5 ounces of salmon per taco.

Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, then spray with cooking spray. Place the full salmon fillet on a cutting board, and examine it for bones. You can do this by running your fingers along the center flesh of the fillet, and feeling for them. The small bones you may find in your salmon fillet are referred to as pin bones. They run in a row within the fish and can be removed pulling them out with clean tweezers. Sitka salmon shares provides a step-by-step guide on how to do this for you. If you miss one, don’t panic. The small salmon bones are safe to eat and are actually a great source of calcium.

Salmon can be cooked with the skin on or off but I prefer to cook it with the skin on. Not only does it hold in some of the moisture, it is much easier to remove after cooking. It will literally peel away from the fish once baked. Rub the flesh side of the fillet with olive oil, then sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Place sliced lemons and some thyme sprigs on top of the fish, then lightly wrap the foil around the fish. It’s ok if it doesn’t cover the fish completely, but you do want to have it wrapped over as much as possible.

Transfer your prepared salmon fillet to the oven and bake for ~12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through, and flakes with a fork. Transfer the foil and salmon from the baking sheet to the counter or a separate plate. Flip the salmon over, and peel the skin away from the flesh. Allow it to cool for ~5 minutes. Turn the oven off.

Preparing the Taco Shells, Salsa and Spicy Sauce

Spray the warm baking sheet with cooking spray and line it with 6 flour tortillas. Put those in the oven for a few minutes to warm. If you like your tortilla shells crispy, you can put them back in the oven with it still on. Just watch them closely so that they do not over-cook. While the shells are warming, you can prepare the spicy sauce. Just combine the sour cream, Greek yogurt and Habanero sauce in a small bowl.

Once the shells are warm, it’s time to assemble the tacos. Place ~1.5 ounces of salmon in each flour tortilla, then top with slaw, creamy sauce and salsa. Garnish with cilantro.

Now you have a delicious meal that is packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids and tons of other nutrients. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.

How to cook simple salmon tacos that are topped with slaw, spicy cream sauce and salsa. A healthy meal for under 500 calories per serving that provides 29 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, 15% of the daily value for potassium and omega-3 fatty acids.
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5 from 2 votes

Simple Salmon Tacos with Slaw & Spicy Sauce

Hearty baked salmon layered in flour tortillas with slaw and spicy cream sauce. A perfect meal that is easy to make and packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids
Author: Heather Mangieri, RDN

Ingredients

  • 1 cup green cabbage, shredded or sliced thin Slaw
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded or sliced thin Slaw
  • 1/4 cup red onion, sliced Slaw
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar Slaw
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise, light Slaw
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped Slaw
  • 1 tbsp lime juice Slaw
  • 1/4 tsp pepper Slaw
  • 1/8 tsp salt Slaw
  • 9 ounces Salmon Fillet Baked Salmon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil Baked Salmon
  • 1 lemon, sliced Baked Salmon
  • 2-3 thyme sprigs Baked Salmon
  • 1/8 tsp salt Baked Salmon
  • 1/8 tsp pepper Baked Salmon
  • 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, nonfat Spicy Cream Sauce
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, nonfat Spicy Cream Sauce
  • 1 tsp Habanero Sauce Spicy Cream Sauce
  • 6 each flour tortilla, 6"
  • 1/2 cup Salsa
  • Fresh Cilantro Garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spray with cooking spray.
  • Make The Slaw: Using a sharp knife, slice the red and green cabbage thin, then place in a large bowl. Add the sliced red onion to the cabbage. In a separate bowl, combine the rice vinegar, lime juice, mayonnaise, cilantro, 1/8 tsp salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Stir well, then pour over the cabbage. Stir until well combined, then put in the refrigerator to chill and allow the flavors to combine.
  • Make The Salmon: place the 9 ounce salmon fillet on a cutting board, and examine it for bones. You can do this by running your fingers along the center flesh of the fish and feeling for them. Use tweezers to pull the small bones from the fish. Place the salmon skin side down on the aluminum foil, then rub the olive oil and the remaining salt and pepper over the flesh of the fish. Place sliced lemons and thyme sprigs on the salmon, and then wrap the foil around the salmon. Transfer to the oven and bake for ~12 minutes, or until the salmon is done and flakes with a fork. Transfer the salmon on the aluminum to another plate or sit on the counter. Flip the fish over and gently remove the skin, then allow to sit for ~5 minutes. Turn the oven off. Spray the warm baking sheet with cooking spray, and then line it with 6 flour tortilla. Put those in the oven for a few minutes to warm. For crispier shells, you can leave the oven on to warm the shells. Just be sure to watch them closely so that they do not over-cook.
  • Make The Spicy Cream Sauce: while the shells are warming, make the spicy sauce by combining the sour cream, Greek yogurt and Habanero sauce. Stir well, then set aside. 
  • Assemble The Tacos: Remove shells from the oven, then assemble with salmon, slaw, spicy sauce and salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy.

Notes

  • Makes: 6 salmon tacos with 1.5 ounces of salmon per taco.
  • Serving Size: 2 tacos
  • Recipe Makes: 3 servings
 
  • Nutrition Facts (per serving): 450 calories, 48 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 29 g protein, 16 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1260 mg sodium, 8% DV for calcium, 6% DV for iron, 15% DV for potassium
 
  • Meal Planning Servings: 3 CHO; 4 PRO; 3 FAT

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