Rich salmon is doused in a flavorful spice mix, blackened to flaky perfection, and piled in a warm tortilla with robust kale and mango salsa for the ultimate fish taco. Blackened salmon tacos are sure to perk up your winter blues!
Happy New Year, friends! It’s been an embarrassingly long time since I’ve written a blog post. Let’s catch up!
I hope you all had a fantastic fall and holiday season. Yes, it really has been that long since I’ve been here. We did all the quintessential fall things that you do with a baby, like going to the pumpkin patch and dressing up for Halloween to go trick-or-treating even though bedtime is at 7 and you can’t possibly make it more than 2 houses before having a meltdown. It’s all about the memories, people.
The holiday season is extra fun/special with a baby. It’s also really easy to get caught up in the “highlight reel” of social media and want to do all the things to make Christmas extra special for your kids. So, I picked a few things that were important to me and did those. Things like picking out our tree, driving around the neighborhood to look at lights, baking Christmas cookies, and of course going to see Santa.
And now we’re moving on to planning Nolan’s first birthday. WHY does time go so fast?
Blackened Salmon Tacos
Now that we’ve caught up, let’s talk about FOOD. Although I’ve been absent from sharing recipes, I’ve still been in the kitchen creating and testing recipes. That’s the easy part for me. It’s sitting down to edit and write that I struggle with. But it’s a new year and I’m prioritizing this blog and finding consistency.
So, today we have the ultimate fish taco to combat the winter blues. We have salmon that we’re covering in a flavorful spice mix and blackening in a cast iron pan. It cooks quickly and flakes apart perfectly for tacos.
Kale is my green of choice since it is winter, but you can use anything you like. Shredded cabbage or lettuce works too. We “massage” the kale, which just means squeezing handfuls of it until it wilts. Then, toss it with some citrus, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Now for my favorite part… the mango salsa! This makes it feel all fresh and summery. The secret? Using canned mango. Old Keri would have scoffed at using canned fruit for anything, but new Keri isn’t a food snob. Ok, sometimes I still am. But, not with canned fruit!
You can easily find canned/container fruit that is packed in fruit juice vs heavy syrup. This is especially important if you live somewhere where it’s hard to find good fresh mango. There are times of the year when I can get it, but mostly it’s a challenge.
I promise you, the canned mango is good! I simply drain it and give it a rinse and then toss it with peppers, onion, cilantro, and lime. If you have fresh that’s great, but I’m team canned mango all the way. Hello, there is no chopping involved!
If you’re already tired of winter you need some blackened salmon tacos in your life. They are simple, fresh, and are guaranteed to transport you to somewhere warm!
- 1 Can Diced Mango, drained
- 1 Small Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
- ½ Small Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 3 Tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- Lime Juice, from half a lime
- Kale, finely chopped and massaged (squeeze handfuls until it wilts)
- Lime Zest, from one lime
- Lime Juice, from half a lime
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, optional
- 2 6 oz. Salmon Filets
- Avocado Oil
- Warm Flour or Corn Tortillas
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
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Mix all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
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Toss the kale with the lime zest, juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, combine all of the spices. Cover the salmon filets with the spice mixture, rubbing it in so it adheres.
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Heat avocado oil in a cast iron pan until very hot. Cook the salmon until you have a deep brown, almost black crust. This will take about 3-4 minutes per side. Set the salmon aside to rest for a few minutes before flaking into chunks.
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Serve the salmon piled into warm tortillas and topped with the kale, mango salsa, avocado, and extra cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lime and enjoy!
*The salsa and kale can be mixed 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge.
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