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Helloooo summer!! These Grilled Salmon Tacos with Jalapeño Tartar Sauce are just straight-up dreamy and perfect for all the summer entertaining we have ahead of us. You’re going to love them.
From the easy and flavorful jalapeño tartar sauce to the delicious coconut sugar and spice rub that is smothered over the salmon, these are seriously the best salmon tacos ever. They are topped off with a simple slaw and grilled corn kernels, both of which take the bite up a notch. I love making this dish when entertaining because I can put Clayton in charge of the salmon while I prep the sauce, slaw, and toppings. It’s a great recipe to divide and conquer with your designated sous chef. Serve it alongside Martha’s Mexican Rice or some black beans for a full feast — and of course, you’ll need a batch of Clayton Margaritas!
ingredients:
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Dill
- Jalapeno Peppers
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Onion Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Drained Capers
- Center-Cut Salmon Fillets
- Coconut Sugar
- Chipotle Chile Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Corn on the Cob
- Shredded Red Cabbage
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Tortillas
- Avocado
- Lime Wedges
step-by-step:
step one: make the tartar sauce
In a food processor or blender, combine the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, dill, jalapeño, vinegar, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Stir in the chopped capers. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.
step two: season the salmon
Place the salmon on a baking sheet and pat dry. Drizzle with the oil and brush to coat the top of the salmon evenly. In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, chipotle chile powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Sprinkle all over the salmon to evenly coat and rub it into the salmon.
step three: preheat the grill
When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high (about 400℉) for about 15 minutes.
step four: grill the salmon and corn
Insert the probe horizontally into the center of the salmon. Place the salmon, skin-side down, and corn directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 130℉ for medium, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the corn halfway through.
step five: let the salmon and corn rest
When the salmon and corn are done, remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
step six: make the slaw
In a medium bowl, combine the red cabbage, lime juice, and salt. Toss until well combined. Set aside.
step seven: flake the salmon
Using a fork, flake the salmon into large pieces. With a sharp knife, carefully remove the corn kernels from the husks.
step eight: assemble the tacos
Fill the tortillas with the salmon and slaw. Top with a drizzle of jalapeño tartar sauce, corn, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
recipe faqs:
You can make the jalapeño tartar sauce up to one week in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
There are two easy ways to do this!
On a gas stovetop, heat the burners to the lowest setting. Carefully place one tortilla directly on the burner and flip after about 45 seconds. Place the warmed tortillas onto a towel and close the towel to steam the tortillas and keep them warm.
For an electric stovetop, place the tortillas in a dry (no oil) stainless steel skillet set over medium heat and cook them for about 30 seconds on each side.
Yes! You can bake the salmon in the oven at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
If you want to up your grill game this summer, then you need to make these Grilled Salmon Tacos with Jalapeño Tartar Sauce. Give me your thoughts in the comments below!
looking for more taco recipes? try these!
Seared Chicken Tacos with Street Corn Salsa
Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Slaw and Green Sauce
Chipotle Sesame Adobo Steak Tacos
Grilled Salmon Tacos with Jalapeño Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
For the Jalapeño Tartar Sauce:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill fronds
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and loosely chopped
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons drained capers, loosely chopped
For The Salmon:
- 2 pounds center-cut salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Corn:
- 4 ears corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
For the Slaw:
- 2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Serving:
- 12 tortillas, warmed
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Make the Jalapeño Tartar Sauce
- In a food processor or blender, combine the Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, dill, jalapeño, vinegar, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Stir in the chopped capers. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve.
Prepare the Salmon and Corn
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet and pat dry. Drizzle with the oil and brush to coat the top of the salmon evenly. In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, chipotle chile powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Sprinkle all over the salmon to evenly coat and rub it into the salmon.
- When ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400℉) for about 15 minutes.
- Insert the probe horizontally into the center of the salmon. Place the salmon, skin-side down, and corn directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 130℉ for medium, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the corn halfway through.
- When the salmon and corn are done, remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes.
Make the Slaw
- In a medium bowl, combine the red cabbage, lime juice, and salt. Toss until well combined. Set aside.
Assemble the Tacos
- Using a fork, flake the salmon into large pieces. With a sharp knife, carefully remove the corn kernels from the husks.
- Fill the tortillas with the salmon and slaw. Top with a drizzle of jalapeño tartar sauce, corn, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Super yummy! My 18 month old couldn’t stop dipping salmon into the tartar sauce- she was a big fan!
Here are some tweaks we made for our family:
Kite Hill plain greek yogurt (dairy-free) subbed for the greek yogurt
Pre-shredded green & red cabbage (slaw mix) for the red cabbage
Trader Joe’s pickled jalapenos subbed for the fresh jalapeno (made it less spicy for the toddler!)
SO GOOD!!!! Thank you, Alex!
Made these last night and OMG SO GOOD! Easy enough for a weeknight and tons of flavor. Tossed the leftover fillings + jalapeno sauce with some spinach today for a quick lunch salad and that was great too – bonus!
What an insanely incredible recipe! I was intimidated by the idea of grilling salmon or even salmon in a taco. But this is now 100% a new staple. Simple to prepare, virtually impossible to screw up, and beyond heavenly.
That SAUCE is divine! And the salmon alone, with the caramelization and combination of sweetness with a little spice is delicious. Hands down a new standing recipe for the books.
So glad you loved it, Mary!
I am eager to give this one a try for an upcoming dinner party! For those who are not a fan of fish, would you recommend chicken or beef as another option that would pair well with the slaw and sauce? Or is it really just best with salmon? Thank you in advance for your time!
Hi Melissa!! Honestly, both would be fantastic!!! The rub would work great with grilled chicken breast and the sauce/slaw works well with anything!!
Absolutely lovely! I grilled my salmon on a regular grilled, but monitored the temp at 400 and watched the internal temp, which I took to 145. My salmon grilled closer to the 25 min mark. It crusted beautifully and the sauce was delightfully spicy! So good! Well done, again!
I really want to make these, but I can’t do dairy. Is there a substitute for the Greek yogurt? Maybe a vegan Mayo?
Brittany, I am currently DF and used a dairy free greek yogurt, it’s plant based and I believe the one I used was almond milk. I used the brand Kitehill but I also know Siggis makes a great DF yogurt substitute. In this recipe I couldn’t tell a difference at all!! Both of those brands are available at Whole Foods for sure.
Thanks for the suggestion! I actually used vegan Hellman’s and it came out great!
These tacos were amazing! My Dad, who doesn’t love usually salmon, even agreed they were very, very good. I had no idea what jalapeno tartar sauce would taste like but I was ready to drink it out of the bowl. Can’t wait to make this again!
Made these again last night but with halibut (minus the corn) and they were possibly even better than the salmon. We love this recipe!
Omg. 10/10 would recommend. I want to drown in this sauce. I genuinely don’t understand how every single recipe is so damn good. God bless the Defined Dish.
How many does this serve?
This can serve 6!
Oh my goodness. These looks so delicious but I wish it was less ingredients. The sauce alone is daunting that requires me an extra trip to the store to search for 11 ingredients! Many that I probably won’t use in another recipe. If the ingredients list can be shortened that would be great and much more enticing for beginner chefs!
Hi Sophie,
I have so many recipes on the blog with less ingredients if this seems intimidating to you! I do feel like that for the salmon, most are all spices that people have on hand. Same with the sauce, other than the greek yogurt, jalapeno, + fresh herbs, most are pantry staples. It is a delicious and layered recipe with a lot of ingredients, though, indeed!
This is prob hands down the best DD recipe I have made to date! So so good!!! Sauce was super easy, you just throw everything in a blender and go.
So glad you loved it! It is one of my favorites as well.