Craving some beachfront worthy tacos? Blackened Salmon Tacos are full of flavor from a homemade blackening seasoning and topped with corn salsa and a creamy cilantro yogurt sauce!

Marc and I love to eat salmon, while the kids are still “learning to like it” as the experts like to put it. Fish is a tough one, even for adults sometimes, as it can be difficult to cook and at times tastes fishy. I think fish tacos are an easy way to enjoy fish, especially salmon, and these Blackened Salmon Tacos are my go-to salmon taco recipe!

The salmon is covered in a homemade blackening seasoning, consisting of chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and garlic powder, and is sautéed on the stovetop until it is perfectly flaky. I would recommend finding a salmon filet that is relatively thin/even thickness throughout for even cooking.

The blackening seasoning is incredibly flavorful and almost gives the salmon a skin, as it blackens over the high heat of a skillet.  I always love a good avocado salsa too, so this corn and avocado salsa sounded delicious to me.  Topped with the cilantro yogurt sauce, these blackened salmon tacos with cilantro yogurt sauce were perfection.  Maybe now I won’t have to order salmon every time we go out to eat!

Ingredients in Blackened Salmon Tacos

• Salmon – I prefer using wild raised salmon when I cook salmon. Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamin B12.
• Spices – the blackening spices in this salmon are chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, and salt. So much flavor from these spices!
• Corn – I use frozen corn for an avocado corn salsa that goes on top of the blackened salmon.
• Avocado
• Cilantro – I just can’t have tacos without cilantro! I love the fresh flavor from fresh cilantro.
• Tomato
• Red Onion
• Greek Yogurt – Greek Yogurt is the base for a yogurt cilantro sauce that goes on top of the salmon tacos.
• Lime
• Buttermilk
• Green Onion
• Garlic

What is Blackening Seasoning?

Blackening seasoning is a very boldly flavored and a little bit spicy rub made with a variety of spices. It is typically made with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I also added some brown sugar to this blackened salmon taco rub which gives the tacos just a hint of sweetness!

How to Make Blackened Salmon Tacos

To start, I recommend making the corn salsa and cilantro yogurt sauce. The salmon is cooked pretty quickly so you want the toppings to be ready so you can eat your tacos while they’re warm!

Make the Corn Salsa. Combine the corn (frozen corn that’s been thawed or canned that’s been drained and rinsed), diced avocado, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, diced tomato, lime juice, lime zest, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well and the pop in the refrigerator.

Make the Cilantro Yogurt Sauce. In a small bowl combine the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, cilantro, green onion, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and puree. Add the additional tablespoon or two of buttermilk until your desired consistency is reached. I have found different brands of Greek yogurt have slightly different thickness, so you. might need the additional buttermilk or you might not. I like the yogurt sauce to be drizzle-able but not runny.

Make the Blackened Salmon. To make the blackened salmon, combine the spices in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning mixture over the salmon. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and then cook the salmon for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until it flakes easily.

Assemble. Divide the salmon between taco-sized tortillas. I highly recommend using corn tortillas and charring them in a pan over high heat for a little crunch! Top with corn salsa and yogurt sauce. Yum yum yum!

Blackened Salmon Tacos Tips and Variations

Prep Ahead of Time. To make meal time a breeze, make the cilantro yogurt sauce and corn avocado salsa ahead of time. Then when it comes to dinner time, you just have to season the salmon with the blackening seasoning and cook!

Char the Tortillas. I love using my gas grill to char my flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Simply turn your gas stove on to medium-high heat and place a tortilla on the grate for 15-30 seconds. This gives the tortillas a nice charred flavor!

Storage. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. The salmon will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator while the cilantro sauce and salsa should last closer to 4-5 days.

Like this recipe? Check these out, too!

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Blackened Salmon Tacos

Bring the beach to you with Blackened Salmon Tacos, topped with corn salsa and a cilantro yogurt sauce!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cilantro, corn salsa recipe, dinner, fish, greek yogurt, salmon, seafood, tacos

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 38 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Taylor Ellingson

Ingredients

Salmon:

• 1 lb salmon skin removed
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like it
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper

Corn Salsa:

• 14 ounces frozen corn thawed
• 1 avocado diced
• 1/2 red onion finely diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
• 1 Roma tomato diced
• juice of 1 lime
• zest of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp buttermilk 1-2 additional tbsp until preferred consistency is reached
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 green onion diced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the avocado and corn salsa:

• Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Refrigerate while making salmon and yogurt sauce.

For the cilantro yogurt sauce:

• Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until well combined.
• Refrigerate while making salmon.

For the salmon:

• Combine chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, cumin, and salt and pepper in small bowl.
• Rub blackening seasoning over both sides of salmon.
• Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.
• Once oil is hot, add salmon. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until it flakes easily and is cooked through.

To assemble:

• Spoon flaked salmon into warmed tortilla shells.
• Top with corn and avocado salsa and yogurt sauce.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 973mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1028IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

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