Ina Garten roasted salmon tacos layer chipotle-seasoned salmon with mashed avocado and a tangy dill cabbage slaw in warm corn tortillas. And from Cooking for Jeffrey, this one serves 6 at around 570 calories in just 25 active minutes, since the slaw chills on its own.

Ina marinates the cabbage slaw first, then roasts the salmon with chipotle and lime, which means every component peaks at the right moment. So the slaw softens in the fridge while you prep the salmon and avocado, and nothing sits around getting soggy.

The step most people rush is the slaw, but it needs a full hour in the fridge to soften and soak up the vinegar. And if you skip that wait, the cabbage overpowers the salmon instead of wrapping around it, which throws off every bite.

Source: Cooking for Jeffrey (2016), verified from foodnetwork.com

Ina Garten Roasted Salmon Tacos

Recipe by medshi8Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

570

kcal

Total time

hour

minutes

Salmon roasts at 425 degrees with chipotle and lime while a cabbage-dill slaw chills in the fridge. And warm corn tortillas hold it all together with mashed avocado, so each bite has heat, tang, and richness.

Ingredients

For the slaw:
3/4 pound green cabbage, cored and finely shredded
1/2 seedless cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and very thinly sliced
1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salmon:
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 3/4 pounds center-cut fresh salmon fillet, skin removed
Olive oil, for greasing the pan
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, divided
For assembly:
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 ripe Hass avocados, seeded and peeled
3/4 teaspoon Sriracha

Directions

Make the slaw: Toss the cabbage, cucumber, vinegar, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven: Once the slaw has chilled, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and brush a baking dish with olive oil.
Mix the seasoning: Then stir together the chipotle chile powder, lime zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl.
Prep the salmon: Place the salmon in the dish, then brush it with 1 tablespoon of the lime juice.
Season and roast: After that, sprinkle the chipotle seasoning over the fish and roast for 12 to 15 minutes until just cooked through.
Warm the tortillas: While the salmon roasts, wrap the tortillas in two foil packets and place them in the oven alongside the fish.
Mash the avocado: While the tortillas warm, mash the avocados with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice, the Sriracha, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Assemble the tacos: Then lay 2 warm tortillas on each plate and spread the avocado mixture on one side of each.
Top and serve: After that, add large chunks of salmon and a pile of slaw, then fold the tortillas over and serve warm.

FAQs

Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn?

Corn tortillas have a gritty texture that stands up to the chipotle salmon, and they crisp slightly in the foil. But flour tortillas fold more easily and turn soft under the avocado, which changes the feel of every bite.

If you switch to flour, warm them in a dry skillet instead of the oven, since they need direct heat to stay flexible. And go with the smallest ones you can find, because anything bigger than 6 inches makes the taco too bready for the salmon.

Why does the slaw need to chill for a full hour?

The vinegar breaks down the raw cabbage fibers during that hour, so the shreds soften into something closer to a quick pickle. And without that time, the cabbage stays crunchy in a bad way and overpowers the dill, which should be the slaw’s main flavor note.

And that hour also lets the cucumber release some water, while the dill spreads through the whole slaw instead of sitting in patches. You can chill it longer if you have the time, since up to four hours makes the texture even silkier without it going limp.

What goes well alongside these salmon tacos?

Mexican street corn with lime and cotija cheese matches the chipotle heat, and both dishes come off the oven at the same time. And Bibb or butter lettuce cups on the side add a fresh crunch, since the tacos themselves are soft all the way through.

But skip heavy sides like rice and beans together, because the tacos already have enough going on between the salmon, slaw, and avocado. And a cold Mexican lager or lime sparkling water finishes the meal well, since both cut through the avocado richness.

How do I store leftover salmon tacos?

Store the components separately in sealed containers, because assembled tacos turn soggy within an hour as the slaw releases liquid into the tortilla. And the roasted salmon keeps for two days in the fridge, and it reheats well at 300 degrees for about 8 minutes.

But the slaw only holds up for a day, and the avocado mash browns within hours even with the lime juice. So make the avocado fresh each time you assemble, since it takes under two minutes and tastes noticeably better than the stored version.

Can I make any of the components ahead of time?

The slaw is actually better made a day ahead, because the extra time deepens the vinegar flavor and softens the cabbage further. And you can mix the chipotle seasoning blend days in advance, since dry spices hold their strength in a sealed jar.

But the salmon tastes best straight from the oven, since the edges lose their crust once the fish cools down. And the avocado must be mashed fresh right before serving, because it browns quickly and no amount of lime juice stops that completely.